The City of Lampung is strategically located and easily accessible, particularly from Jakarta. Bandar Lampung, its capital, was formerly two separate towns, Tanjungkarang and Telukbetung. In the course of development these towns spread out to one another to become one single city.
Agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for its residents, from farming, fishery and plantations. Clove, coffee and coconut grow extensively along the southern coast. While on the eastern part they cultivate pepper, coffee, cassava, cocoa and rice, the tobacco growing area is around Lake Ranu in the northern part.
Lampung is also known for its highly valued handicraft and art creations such as woven cloth, interwoven by gold threads called “tapis.”The capital of Lampung has several interesting places such as the Museum and the Monument of the Krakatau Eruption.
There are also places where one can watch the weaving process of Tapis textile, art and local dance performances.
Located at Teuku Umar Street, it can be reached within 15 minutes from the centre of Bandar Lampung. It contains ethnographic and archaeological collections, Chinese ceramics, traditional music instruments, ancient Tapis cloth and ornaments.
A 2-hour drive from Bandar Lampung, the Way Kambas Reserve stretches some 130,000 hectares on Lampung’s East coast, the reserve is the best place to watch wild Sumatran elephants, tigers and many species of birds. Motorboats can be hired at Way Kanan for cruising around and up the river.
Good for fishing and swimming, visitors can also sail along Way Kanan by canoe or boat to watch the surrounding flora and fauna.
Elephant Training Centre
The Way Kambas Elephant Training is an international project is partly funded by the World Wildlife Fund. The aim of training them is to make the captured elephant be useful to mankind.
Most visitors come to Way Kambas to see the training centre and for an opportunity to ride on an elephant.
Made infamous by a very large eruption in 1883, Krakatoa is an uninhabited island located on the southern part of the Bay of Lampung.
It is reachable in three hours by boat from Canti, a fisherman village near Kalianda, South Lampung.
Pugung Archaeological Site
Found Northeast of Bandar Lampung, in Pugung Raharjo village, the Pugung Archaelogical Site features prehistoric relics as well as relics of the classical Hindu Buddhist period. There are primitive trenched fortresses, which almost surround its site.
Stone inscriptions, ancient Chinese porcelains, Polynesian statues and the statue of Bodhisatwa are at the museum. A house on poles can also be seen located on the way to Pugung Raharjo.
Located 40 km south of Bandar Lampung on the way to the seaport of Bekauheni. The beach is ideal for swimming and wind surfing. Equipment for wind surfing are available at most cottages that line the area.