LAMPUNG, INDONESIA TRAVEL GUIDE | ITINERARY, TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, BUDGET HOTEL

Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots 

 LAMPUNG: HOME TO INDONESIA’S SUBCULTURE AND OPEN VISTAS

Once upon a time, somewhere on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, there lies a culture so unique and so distinct, they are practically a stranger to much of the people of the archipelago. Not only do they speak their own language, but they also have developed their own writing which sets them apart from their fellow inhabitants from neighboring islands—the aboriginal Lampungese.

For some time, the Lampungese had been enjoying a way of lifestyle that is separate from their fellow countryman but which soon faded over time resulting from the saturation of other cultures.

Due to the mass migration program set by the government meant to offload the rest of the country’s population to the lesser populated areas, Lampung, the country’s southernmost province which was affected by this policy, has soon become a settlement to heterogeneous cultures.

For this change, not only are the rest of Indonesians able to gain access to the lesser occupied areas of Sumatra, but it also paved way for the entry of human awareness to the archipelago’s previously uncharted areas.

PLACES TO VISIT/ THINGS TO DO IN LAMPUNG INDONESIA

While much about Indonesians are to be considered exotic from a foreigner standpoint, there is something about the Lampung subculture that is also unique from the local Indonesians. This makes the original inhabitants of Lampung a wonder to behold.

But let us also talk realistically here. Not many people would go on travel just to see a certain ethnicity at its most vivid and unique. Oftentimes, people travel to also see places they had never witnessed before. The vastness of the Lampung geography does not disappoint.

Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots

Here are some places you should visit when in Lampung:

White Sand Beaches

Popular weekend haven among local and foreign in Lampung are the white sand beaches of the province.

One of the most popular destinations which offer a cerulean-blue sea and white sands is Tangkil Island. The place is a  paradise for water sports lovers. You can go camping and stay overnight on the island. Apart from enjoying its beautiful waters. You can also enjoy paragliding, banana boat and flying fish among others.

This little elephant in Way Kambas, breed in captivity [ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

 Way Kambas National Park

You must love animals if you choose to go for a preservation site such as the Way Kambas National Park that is home to the animal kingdom’s exotic and trained animals.

Failed to see Sumatra’s own tigers and rhinoceros at anywhere in its wilderness? How about the elephants who are able to do stunts? At this national park, they are all just a sight away to amaze.

Mount Krakatau

Technically, the island of Krakatau is several kilometers away from the nearest shore of Lampung. Yet, despite this, Mount Krakatau remains as one of the province’s nearby attractions due to this monumental landmass which occasionally shakes its neighboring regions and the historical 1883 eruption that changed the landscape of Sumatra and killed many of its people.

[ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

Kenkana Lepus Traditional House

One way to experience Lampung and have a glimpse of its colorful past is to pay a visit to a Kencana Lepus. The Kenkana Lepus is a traditional house on stilts that is rare in Lampung due to modernization. One of the most authentic left today is located in Jl. Diponegoro No. 56, in Sukadana Village, East Lampung Regency. The place is now serving as a museum in Lampung housing many important artifacts about the place.

How to get there :
The house is located at Jalan Diponegoro no.56 in the Sukadana Village, Sukadana town, East Lampung Regency, right next to the Sukadana Village Office. You can reach the town in a 2 hours’ drive using a rented car or public bus.

[ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

Pura Jagad Dhita

One of the must-see places in Peniangan in Lampung Indonesia is the Balinese Village with Hindu temples found in almost all houses. This village is occupied by the migrants from Bali Indonesia.

 Kiluan Bay
You might probably have seen dolphins do you amazing stunts in captivity. But have you seen dolphins living freely in the ocean? At Kiluan Bay, you would at the right seasons.

Within the walls of Raharjo Pugung Archeological Park is a cluster of phallic, stone megaliths. The place accidentally discovered in 1957. It is said that the place was forested and was not inhabited. They even thought at first that the forest was haunted. But in  1954, the transmigrants Pugung open the forest for settlements. While clearing the area,  the migrants found a large stone structure, a square-shaped mound of earth and stone statues of Princess Badhariah. The discovery was reported to the Department of Antiquities in Jakarta. In 1968  the initial research was made in the place and made a conclusion that the items found in the place were relics of megalithic Raharjo-classical. [ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

Archaeological Site of Pugung Raharjo

Another interesting site to visit in Lampung is the Pugung Raharjo which can be found at the regency of South Lampung, Lampung Province, Sumatra Indonesia. The place is approximately 50 km from Bandar, the capital of Lampung, Indonesia.

The site was uncovered in the 1950s when transmigrants from Java and Bali moved into the area and started to clear the jungle.

The place offers megalithic and prehistoric remains dating from the 12th to 16th century AD.

Pugung Raharjo was occupied from the 12th to 16th centuries. Some Buddhist and Hindu artifacts were also found at the place which includes ceramics from the Han Dynasty, Sung, and Ming, and a statue of Polynesia dated from the 6th century until the 15th century. The beads and porcelain found Ancient beads at the place indicated that the people of the area were also linked to international trade networks that visited the nearby Sunda Strait.

The site is now preserved as a national monument.

One of the most substantial remaining monument in Raharjo Pugung Archeological Park is a large, terraced earthwork temple. (In photo: Deni Guntari, Indra Pradya Duniaindra of Lampung Tourism, Kent and Aziza Youth Tourism Ambassadors of Lampung, our guide , together with my fellow blogger Claire Algarme.) [ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

Ancient tools used by ancient humans in the form of large boulders were unearthed at the place You can see the upright stone or Menhir, Dolmen a table or a stone, gravestones which were used by prehistoric man as a place of worship, a place of deliberation, and place of burial.

WHERE TO EAT IN LAMPUNG

Emersia Hotel Resturant

For any tourist visiting Lampung, dining at Emersia Hotel would be one of the best options. The hotel’s restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Award-winning travel blogger Indra Pradya Duniaindra of Lampung Tourism explaining to us about Seruit [ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

Cikwo Resto and Coffee

Experience traditional Lampung Cuisines in a modern ambiance at Cikwo resto and Coffee.

Apart from its Coffee Robusta beings its flagship product, they offer a wide array of traditional Indonesian Dishes.

Amongst its must-try offerings includes the Seruit which is a typical Lampung dish made of fish which is fried or baked, fish sauce mixed with shrimp paste, tempoyak (fermented durian) with some fresh vegetables. Other popular dishes they offer include Taboh Iwa tapa, pandap, Sate Tuhok, Sop Tuhok and much more.

Contact Details:
Cikwo Cofee and Resto
Address: JI. Kimaja, Ruko Kimaja Icon Wayhalin B. Lampung
Contact Number: 081- 7327-6777 | 0721-5614-170

[ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

El’s Coffee

For Coffee lovers, Els Coffee is a place to go. The place offers a wide array of gourmet coffee products made from locally grown coffee all over Indonesia. You should try their Thaitella which is made of espresso coffee served as ice cubes and drizzled with caramel. To make this you must pour fresh milk over the frozen espresso. As you sip this drink you will realize that your drink is getting stronger as the frozen espresso slowly blending with the milk.

Watch out for my separate blog post about this place as I will be sharing more of my experience from this place.

COMMUNICATION | GETTING CONNECTED

The moment you arrived at Lampung, Indonesia, make sure to buy a local Sim Card to get you connected. Sim Cards are very easy to acquire in Indonesia and they usually come with a load.

MONEY

Lampung just like in other places in Indonesia uses Indonesian Rupiah.

The current conversion of Indonesian Rupiah to US Dollar is 1 USD= 13,252.98 Ruphia. Yes, one will get an instant millionaire when you are in Indonesia.

Moneychangers are also available in Lampung but not as many when compared to other cities. So better change your USD immediately the moment you reach the airport. I also learned that most money changers in Lampung are closed during Sundays, but of course, if your bank can transact internationally you can always withdraw from the ATM Machines to get the needed Rupiah. I run out of Rupiah several times during my visit because I went shopping for Batik and souvenirs in the city but just withdraw easily from the ATM machine.

Not all souvenir shops, stores, and restaurants accept credit cards too. So it would be best to always have the cash in your wallet.

Stewardess at the train greeting passengers as they arrive [ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

HOW TO GET TO LAMPUNG

By plane
From Jakarta, you can reach Bandar the capital city of Lampung by plane through it’s from Jakarta through its airport, the Raden Intan II Airport. The travel time is approximately 40 minutes.

From Raden Intan II airport, you can take a prepaid taxi to Bandar Lampung city center. There is a taxi counter which lists the various destinations with the prepaid rates. Please see below about Gojek app as your best travel partner when visiting Indonesia.https://www.go-jek.com/

By train
You can reach also Lampung by train especially if you are coming from Palembang. We did this during our last visit.
If you would like to take the train in Indonesia, it would be best to get the ticket online and at least a few days in advance as the train is always full. Of course, I would recommend you to take the Business – Executive Class for comfort. The legroom is nice and you can relax while traveling.
Some of the train companies are as follows:

Limex Sriwijaya, Business-Executive class train and offers comfortable accommodation. This train departs from Palembang daily at eight o’clock in the evening and goes back from Bandar Lampung at half-past four in the morning. The rate fluctuates depending on the season, so I suggest that you just check their site.

Serving the same route as Limex Sriwijaya is the Rajabasa. This train only offers Economy class. It departs from Kertapati Station and Tanjungkarang Station at the same time, both at half-past eight in the morning.

KRDI Way Umpu, this train connects Bandar Lampung with Kotabumi. It departs daily with air-conditioned cabins for Economy class.

KRDI Seminung, serving the same route as KRDI Way Umpu. However, it might be quite uncomfortable to take this train because their cabins are not air-conditioned.
You can try this site to purchase your train ticket:  http://kereta-api.info/harga-tiket-dan-jadwal-kereta-api-sriwijaya-ekspress-5075.htm

By bus
Buses from Jakarta to Lampung are also available regularly and traveling time is about 7 hours. This trip includes getting a boat as well. But normally the fare includes the boat already. You can find the buses near the train station in Jakarta.

 

GETTING AROUND LAMPUNG

Getting around Lampung is easy and relatively inexpensive because it is a small city. Again the best way to do this is to have the GoJek app. With this app, you can request a car or the Ojek which is a motorcycle taxi (perfect for the solo traveler).

2-DAY ITINERARY IN LAMPUNG INDONESIA

Day 1

6 AM Arriving at Tanjung Karang Train Station from Palembang
7-8 AM Breakfast at Emersia Hotel
10 AM Short visit to Kenkana Lepus Traditional House
11:30 Lunch
1 PM Raharjo Pugung Archeological Park
3 PM Short stop at Pura Jagad Dhita
6-8 PM Dinner at Cikwo Resto and Coffee
8:30 PM Back to Emersia Hotel

Day 2
7:30 AM Breakfast at Emersia Hotel
9 AM Tangkil Island
12 Lunch at Tangkil Island
2 PM Batik Shopping
4 PM El’s Coffee
7 pm Left Lampung for Jakarta

WHERE TO STAY IN LAMPUNG

Emersia Hotel

Emersia Hotel is a modern hotel located atop a hill and offers a wonderful view of the city of Lampung. The hotel has 120 beautiful rooms fully equipped with great amenities.

Contact Details:
Emersia Hotel & Resort
Jl. WR. Monginsidi No.70, Pengajaran, Tlk. Betung Utara
Kota Bandar Lampung, Lampung 35214
Telephone: +62 721 258 258
Email: info@emersiahotel.com | salesteam@emersiahotel.com
Website: http://www.emersiahotel.com

at Emersia Hotel Front Desk [ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

LIST OF BUDGET HOTELS IN BANDAR, LAMPUNG

 

Book your hotel room in Bandar, Lampung by clicking on any of the links/names of hotels below and it will bring you to the booking site. You can also enjoy the discounts offered by any of these hotels.

Alau Alau Boutique Resort
Jl. Sinar Laut No. 81, Ketang Kalianda

Aston Lampung City Hotel
Jalan Gatot Subroto No 81

Asoka Luxury Hotel 
Jln. Pulau Morotai No.16 B

BATIQA Hotel Lampung
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman No. 140. Pahoman

Bukit Randu Hotel and Restaurant
Jl. Kamboja No 1 – 2

Emersia Hotel and Resort
Jl. Wolter Monginsidi No.70,

Grand Citihub Hotel @Kartini
Jalan Raden Ajeng Kartini, City Center, Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, 35119

Grand Elty Krakatoa at Krakatoa Nirwana Resort
Jl. Trans Sumatera Km.45, Merak Belantung Kalianda

Hotel Grande Lampung
Jl. Raden Intan No. 77 Bandar Lampung

Hotel Anugerah Express
Jl. Ahmad Yani No. 1, City Center

Hotel Marcopolo
Jl Dr Susilo No 4

Hotel Sahid Bandar Lampung
Jln. Yos Sudarso No. 294

POP! Hotel Tanjung Karang
Jl. Wolter Monginsidi Bandar Lampung

Swiss-Belhotel Lampung
Jl. Rasuna Said No 18.

Urban Style by Front One
Jalan Jend. Ahmad Yani No.999 Pringsewu Lampung, Kota Agung

Wisma Chandra
Jl Hayam Wuruk – Pemuda No. 1, City Center,

Yunna Hotel
Jl. Ikan Hiu No. 1, Teluk Betung Selatan, City Center, Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, 35211

[ Lampung Indonesia Travel Guide | Itinerary, Tourist Spots ]

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