Showing posts with label eco tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eco tourism. Show all posts

A lil' note on Kiluan, Lampung's hidden paradise...#1




Kiluan...


swimming freely in the wild...dolphins at Kiluan, Lampung

Disclaimer: this blog post is reposted as I miss my beloved hometown, Lampung. As Lampung Krakatau Festival is coming, I will take the liberty to rekindle my fond memories of this 'hidden paradise'.

"Are we here yet, Ma?" Obi, my daughter, was sleepily asking me when the car was slowing down.
"Almost there, darling...almost there" I replied with a huge smile as my eyes feasted with such beautiful vista in front of us.
"Are we going to sleep by the sea?" 
This time my son, Bo, was eagerly peeping from his rear window, enjoying the breeze 
"Oh yes, we will...and we will see the dolphins as well tomorrow" replied my hubby as he maneuvered our car along the bumpy road.

As the salty wind and the see breeze touched my face, I knew we have arrived.
This is home.
And welcome to Kiluan.


***

Has anybody visited or heard of KILUAN, LAMPUNG?

Well, you can google it, for a start :D.
And for sure your will find quite a few pages on Kiluan plus some tempting pictures, too, especially the dolphin

Indeed, the term ‘hidden paradise’ fits Kiluan Bay perfectly.

look at the island and the bay in the back....

Many of my friends have visited this lovely place, some have even started the eco-tourism 'fiesta' there, with Cikal, a community-based organization preserving the environment in Kiluan and the surroundings.

Well, after reading it from several Facebook posts and hearing the stories from our friends,  finalement, my petite family (Bo, Obi, Bapak Udi et me) got a chance to come and visit Kiluan.

Thanks to Bang Yeye, my dearest brother since we spent some years together at the university, we managed to settle everything at the very last minute, a bit go-show trip to Kiluan, Lampung.

white sandy beach and turquise water...so captivating...
Before you can enjoy the beauty of Kiluan Bay, with its turquoise water, white sandy beaches, lovely corals and colorful underwater world, and of course, the dolphins,- get yourself ready for a thrilling road adventure.


a bit cloudy but still inviting.....


a bit further and it is a wild sea out there...



We spend almost 4 hours on the road, with the last 32 kms of bumpy roads :D. Nevertheless, the views along the way is a trade-off
Trails of white sandy beaches, green paddy fields, smiley friendly faces… 
What else you could ask for during your vacation.


our footprints...


Along the way, you will see many beautiful beaches dotting along the Lampung Bay. When I say beautiful, it means clean, white sandy beaches, with warm, clear water and not too-many people.

Queen Artha, Klara, and Mutun Beaches are to name a view.







And if you do have enough time, you can sail to Tanjung Putus, Kelagian, Pahawang islands from Ketapang (we did that before in June 2012) and and Tegal island (I went there for my diving trip).

some shots I took from our snorkeling session in Tanjung Putus


snorkeling in Tanjung Putus...

We stayed in Kiluan for 2 days and 1 night.

Now I have to say it's far from enough, especially since later we learned there are a lot of beautiful spots you can check around here as well.


When we arrived at around 1pm, we had our lunch then ‘checked-in’ to our bamboo cottage. It definitely looks and feels traditional, but it doesn't diminish the level of comfort we all felt while staying here. 
We loved it!



our homey cottage...truly by the sea, with waves and sea brezees as our lullabies...


It was a private one, with one bed-room, one ‘living room’,  with one simple and clean bathroom in front. It had a small balcony, with its own ‘ jukung jetty’ . 

love the kids' paintings....

Homey and clean, and for sure it’s quite spacious for me, Bo, Obi et Udi, that's our cabin that night. 
In fact, I think it will still be comfy for 6 adults. But no pantry here, so food can be a bit tricky. We were lucky that we arranged the food altogether with our host.



peeping through our bed room...
At 3pm, we went to Kiluan island, only around 5 minutes from the Bay by jukung, Indonesian traditional wooden canoe. It could only accommodate 3 passengers, 4 with the ‘jukung man’ :D. 


the jukung we used in Kiluan


Here at Kiluan Island, beautiful, clean beach with clear, turquoise water welcomed us. So lovely and tranquil!
Felt like it eas our own private island.
Bo et Obi were directly building their sand castles,  while me et Udi were strolling around and taking pictures here and there..




ready to have fun in Kiluan Island...


As it was drizzling and the tide was high, we didn’t swim too far.
But the beach itself was lovely.
Soft white sand massaging your feet was really a treat for me.
We didn’t wait till sunset as the weather didn’t permit and the kids were tired.

Bo in the beach....fuuuun fuuun fuuun...

As soon as we arrived, showered, and the kiddos had dinner, they hit the mattress and slept tight.
Well, we had a nice chat with Bapak et Mak Solihin, one of the ‘veterans’ family there, really nice.
the next day plan was set and we just couldn’t wait to see the dolphins.

As we were getting ready to sleep, Udi et I couldn’t stop enjoying the whirling sound of the waves and the wind out there.
Just like a lullaby…

Oh ya, dinner was super as well there. We had spinach sautee et anchovies with chili sauce.. Super yuuummmmy.

A lil' note on Kiluan, Lampung's hidden paradise...#4 - More tips...

Don't get bored...this will be the last piece :D



Still on KILUAN...



So perhaps, more little tips for you, first and foremost....make sure your car is in top condition…

sedan is indeed a big NO-NO and 4-wheel drive is the best. 

Well, front-wheel drive cars like ours (Nissan Livina) can make it, but it will be quite challenging… We were lucky it was not raining, but I couldn’t imagine if we were trapped in the roads raining cats and dogs. As the roads are curvy and some of them are steep with loose rocks and big holes, better get yourself prepared :D..
 
There are many choices of accommodation there..
ranging traditional cottage rated RP 350.000,- (USD 40) per night with 1 bedroom and perhaps enough for 6 adults, to better accommodations which sold pack-and-parcel with the trip…

small cottage..Rp 350.000 per nights...

bigger cottage...


I guess the package starts from Rp 380.000,- (USD 42) per person for accommodations, meals, dolphin et Kiluan island trip. You can easily google it (Kiluan dolphin is the keyword) or contact Pak Solihin (0811369997831) for the eco-tourism package. 


Don’t forget to bring Flashlight (no electricity yet, generator starts from 6pm to 6am…but they say starting Desember the electricity is on..we saw the poles already :D), mosquitoes repellent lotion, food and water, especially clean water, swimming gears et snorkeling/diving gear (I haven’t tried diving here, so I dunno). 

What else…

hmm, sarong might be a good idea, either for sleeping or taking a bath :D..

and of courseee....Camera….

yuuup, to capture all those happy moments in Kiluan… i guess I don't have to remind you on that :D..

So, hope it helps and have fuuun in Kiluan...

A lil' note on Kiluan, Lampung's hidden paradise...#3 - Little tip



Kiluan is certainly a place worth a visit..


It's pristine natural landscape is promising.. .

However, it's good to be well-prepared for your trip there....

It takes approximately 3 to 4 hours from Bandar Lampung, the capital of Lampung Province, to Kiluan. Located in Tanggamus district, - although many assume that it is part of Pesawaran district, half of the roads are not fully developed. We left at 9.30am and arrived in Kiluan at around 1pm. It was quite a journey, considering that it was only 65km-ish from Bandar Lampung :D.

My scratchy notes reminded me of some of the villages we’ve passed along the way. To those who are familiar with Lampung, - or even if you are not :D, the route starts in Bandar Lampung, heading to Teluk Betung – Lempasing – Hanura – Ketapang – Padang Cermin – Piabung (well-developed area, headquarter of Indonesian  Infante ry, and full cellphone signals :D) – Durian village – Banjaran  Village- Punduh Pidada – Sukamaju Village – Pekon Ampar (you will see some traditional “panggung” houses here…beautiful) -  Batu Punduh Village– off to Kiluan Bay. Find Bandung Jaya Village, after passing a Balinese village which unfortunately, I forgot the name. There, you will see some cottages and start choosing :D. 


one of the rumah panggungs...

from the moving car.....


Well, a lot to see, rite :D…  Anyway, feel  free to correct me if I was wrong in noting those places… 

On the road itself, it was quite a mixed feeling. After Ketapang heading to Padang Cermin, the road was okay…meaning it was enough for two cars, curvy roads, but manageable, not that bumpy…You might find some speeding local cars and motorbikes, but watch for the road, as here and there the road might be patchy…

From Padang Cermin to Kiluan..that’s when the ‘adventure’ began…

With 32km left, we spent almost 2 hours to get to Kiluan..The roads were patchy, some of them weren’t even developed or they were starting to develop it (the proof was the piles of stones and sand on the sides of the roads with no one working yet :D). One of the worst parts was right in front of the Camat’s office :D..

Once we found the gate of Kiluan Bay (with lovely view of the Bay from the top), then another steep road was welcoming us…steep is one thing, but holes and loose rocks are the bonus…then otw to Bandung Jaya, there are some narrow bridges..one of them is quite high and I think we scratched our car :p (sorry, Udi..) ..

Anyway, once you arrived, all those grudges along the way were paid off ….

it’s stunning indeed…