Heri Sisworo
Tanjung Lesung is located in the westernmost tip of Java Island, in Banten Province. It has pristine beach and colorful and healthy coral reef. And better yet, it is highly accessible and has world class accommodation.
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Only 4 hours away from Jakarta, Tanjung Lesung is actually a work in progress and currently still undergoing an extensive development project. Its serenity is matched by its fertile biodiversity, on land or within sea.
Tanjung Lesung is a perfect getaway for those who want to escape from busy cities. It is highly recommended to come here with friends or family since many activities and attractions here are intended for groups.
This tourist destination is a work in progress since all the development are not finished yet. However, above all, Tanjung Lesung’s main selling point is its natural beauty, not the man-made improvement.
Watersports, Fun Splashing Activities for Families
Watersports is one of the main attractions of this resort. With calm water next to inviting white beach, Tanjung Lesung is very ideal for many surface water sports such as jet skiing, wake boarding, donut boat, banana boat, and many more.
You can rent a jet ski to explore the Tanjung Lesung Bay. Jet Ski is relatively agile and easy to ride, even for beginners. There are several options you can choose when renting a jet ski in Tanjung Lesung, pick one that is suitable with your need and budget.
Donut Boat and Banana Boat are really fun to do with friends and family. You’ll ride a donut or banana shaped boat that is dragged by a speedboat. You need to hold on tight so that you’re not thrown out the boat.
There are also slider boat, pedal boat, and kayak for rent in this beach. If you are brave enough, you can try wakeboard. You’ll stand on a board then get towed by a motorboat.
Hone Your Nautical Skills at Tanjung Lesung Sailing Club
This club mostly offers great accommodation in Tanjung Lesung with many cottages and a waterfront restaurant. However, as the name suggests, this club try to accommodate those who want to try their hand on sailing.
The club boast a selection of many dinghies. For children under 10s, they can play with Optimists. For adults, there are Laser boats for one man and Laser Pico for two man.
Instructors are available for beginners. The club also supplies a good quality life jacket (which is understandably mandatory), and safety boat are always standby.
If you are not keen on sailing, you can still try canoe, kayak, jukung boat, cycling, or simply rent power boat. Booking a room in the club will get you a 30 minutes free sailing and 60 minutes free bike rent.
Dive to Save the Coral Reef
Tanjung Lesung is a coral reef conservation area. The colorful coral reef in Tanjung Lesung is beautiful as it is now, but there are some damages in several spots.
You can dive to enjoy the richness of coral reef here, and you will go home happy. But if you want a more meaningful experience, you might want to engage in a conservation effort here.
You still need to rent a diving equipment, and you will be guided by an instructor to dive in a conservation area. You will learn how to transplant coral reef on the platform that is already set there. The conservation area is usually a little farther than the healthy one near the coast.
Coral reef is vital for the sea ecosystem as a whole. A healthy coral reef is a key to sustain the sea biodiversity.
Kampung Cikadu, a Total Entertainment Area
Kampung Cikadu is a project that is still in progress. The government as well as the investors are still extensively develop this village. The master plan is to make Kampung Cikadu as a world class comprehensive entertainment area for tourists.
A floating restaurant, a lagoon-like lake, an amphitheater will be the main attractions. The access will also be made easy with new roads, boulevard, plazas, gazebos, and parking area.
All development in Kampung Cikadu is made to complement other tourist attractions nearby, such as golf course and water sports. Also important to note that all natural sustainability and conservation effort are put into account in the master plan.
In the future, all tourist spots in Tanjung Lesung will be more integrated, including Kampung Cikadu. Cikadu Batik and Salak Pusung (sometimes also called snake fruit) agrotourism will be optimized.
Fishing Big Strikes on Sunda Strait
Sport fishing is a very popular hobby in Indonesia, and Tanjung Lesung offer incredible striking (catching fish) experience. Even though Tanjung Lesung is a conservation area, sport fishing is permitted.
For casual anglers, they can easily fish at shallow waters. With healthy reef, small fishes are also abundant in Tanjung Lesung. You can try to cast your line from the beach or boardwalks to catch parrotfish, bumphead, butterfly fish, batfish, triggerfish, and moorish idol.
For more serious anglers though, they need to go farther to the sea. Sunda Strait waters are rich with several trophy fishes such as tuna, barracuda, and marlin. Be sure to release any protected fish you catch.
Glamping, a New Experience to Camp on the Beach
There are lots of beaches in Indonesia that offers camping ground for travelers. But here in Tanjung Lesung, they take it one step further by offering not only the ground, but also comfortable tents. This is called Glamping, a portmanteau of Glamour Camping.
In Green Coral Tanjung Lesung, you can stay in a tent that has three mattresses. This is ideal for backpackers with limited budgets but want to stay the night in a beachfront bed.
The accommodation is quite complete. You get electricity to charge your devices or gadgets, an electric fan, and meals. However, be aware that the tent can be very hot during the day.
Sneak the Shy One-Horned Rhino in Ujung Kulon
If you want to try something different than just beautiful beach and wonderful coral reef, you might want to take a tour to Ujung Kulon. There are lots of agency that offer a tour from Tanjung Lesung to the famous one-horned Rhino Sanctuary.
The tour will get you to Peucang Island, a small island in the coast of Ujung Kulon. Peucang has beautiful beaches and great diving spots, so if you want to dive here, you won’t be disappointed.
The main course however, is going back to Java mainland, precisely to Ujung Kulon National Park. You’ll visit Cidaon Savana, where wild animals graze. You will probably see Banteng, a wild cattle similar to cows.
Deer, wild boar, and peacock also feed here but most of them usually avoid human contact. The grand prize of Ujung Kulon is of course the Rhino. Unfortunately, their numbers are very small and they are naturally a very elusive.
Visiting the Ever Intimidating Anak Krakatau
Krakatau (also known as Krakatoa) rocked the world in 1883 with its cataclysmic eruption. It was one of the deadliest eruption in recorded history, claimed tens of thousands of lives and affecting global climate. The volcano was destroyed in the process.
From the ashes of Krakatau, rise its children. New islands rises from the sea and one now known as Gunung Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau Volcano). Like its parent, Anak Krakatau has a temper and periodically erupt.
This volcano is still growing at a rate of 6,8 meter per year, while continuing to spill ashes and lava from time to time. This island is intimidating to say the least. But that doesn’t stop curious people to peek the beauty that cannot be tamed; Krakatau.
Rhino Cross Triathlon
In an attempt to promote the beauty and rich biodiversity, Tanjung Lesung organize Rhino Cross Triathlon (Rhino X-Tri). It is the first open cross triathlon event in Indonesia, where the participants compete in a running, swimming, and cross-country bicycle race.
While triathlon race is a common competition, the timing of Rhino X-Tri is chosen to be close with other international triathlon event. Rhino X-Tri take place after Singapore Triathlon and Beijing Triathlon. The committee believe that this timing will help attract more international participants.
There are three categories; Eagle category, which is a 1.500 meter swimming competition and 30 kilometer and 15 kilometer bicycle races. The next one is Rhino category which consists of 1.000 meter swimming, 20 kilometer bike race and 10 kilometer running competition. The other one is the Bull category consisting of 500 meter swimming, 10 kilometer bicycle and five kilometer bicycle race.
Other than triathlon, there are also Rhino Trail Run and Rhino MTB XCM ((Rhino Mountain Bike Cross Country Marathon).
Tanjung Lesung Marine Festival
Tanjung-Lesung-Sunset,-holidays,-relax,-travelling,-javaland (c) Shutterstock
A comprehensive festival was held to promote Tanjung Lesung natural and cultural wealth to the tourists. Tanjung Lesung Marine Festival invited all travelers to enjoy the area through their own preference.
The festival includes lots of exciting activities such as Jukung Boat competition, photography competition, joy sailing, Cikadu Batik exhibition, tourism seminar, scarecrow (bebegig) festival, culinary and handcraft bazaar, and many more.
The target audience in this festival is more than just tourists, though. The local government hope to attract even more investors to develop Tanjung Lesung area.
Enjoy the Many Variety of Seafood
As with many seafront resorts, Tanjung Lesung’s main culinary offering is also seafood. Fried or grilled fish are most common cuisine you can find here. However, there are usually many types of fish you can choose.
Most restaurants in this area are integrated with hotel or inn. Most hotels also give free breakfast for its customers.
Best place to have seafood in Tanjung Lesung:
- Tanjung Lesung Beach Club – Tanjungjaya, Panimbang, Pandeglang Regency, Banten 42281
- Resto dan Penginapan Bunar Tunggal – Jl. Raya Tj. Lesung, Citeureup, Panimbang, Kabupaten Pandeglang, Banten 42281
- Kampoeng Nelayan Cottage & Resto – Jl. Raya Tj. Lesung, Tanjungjaya, Panimbang, Kabupaten Pandeglang, Banten 42281
What to Do in Tanjung Lesung
Tanjung Lesung is unique in a way that it can be the end of the road as well as a starting point for travelers. Once you get there, you can just relax and enjoy the beach.
You can pick several options of hotels, from a world class resort hotel to renting a tent on a camping ground. Activities are virtually limitless here as you can do so many watersports; Jet Ski, wake board, donuts boat, banana boat, and many more.
You can also snorkel and dive to see colorful coral reef around the place. If you are interested in helping local coral reef conservation effort, you can learn how to transplant coral reef in a platform that has been set before. You can arrange all of those activities from the Beach Club, meaning it’s very easy to do.
If you are into golf or want to learn how to play it, you can do so in the gold course. Maybe you also want to try your hand at sailing. You can easily do so in Sailing Club.
For even more adventurous soul, you can book a tour to notorious Anak Krakatu volcano in the middle of Sunda Strait. You can also book a tour to visit Peucang Island and Cidaon Savana, the feeding field of native banteng, wild boar, peacock, and one-horned rhino.
How to Get There
Tanjung Lesung is easily accessible from Jakarta or Bandung, two biggest cities in western part of Java. From Jakarta, Tanjung Lesung is approximately 160 kilometers away or 4 hours away by driving.
Most of the road are in an excellent condition with many gas stations along the way. There is no direct flight to Tanjung Lesung. There is also no sea lane to the area. Next
Best Hotels in Tanjung Lesung
- Tanjung Lesung Bay Villas Hotels & Resort – Jl. Raya Tj. Lesung, Tanjungjaya, Panimbang, Kabupaten Pandeglang, Banten 42281 – Starts from IDR 590.083
- Kalicaa Villa Resort – Jl. Desa Tanjung Jaya, Pandeglang-Banten, Tanjung Lesung 42281, Indonesia – Starts From IDR 1.721.074
- Blue Fish Hotel – Komplek Bunar B&B Tanjung Lesung Beach Resort, Jalan Raya Tanjung Lesung, Panimbang, Tanjungjaya, Panimbang, Kabupaten Pandeglang, Banten – Starts from IDR 732.600
