Pangandaran is a small town and a subdistrict in southern Ciamis regency, West Java, Indonesia. It is located on the southern coast of Java. The Penanjung Pangandaran nature reserve is nearby on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow neck of land. About eighty percent of the nature reserve is secondary rainforest. The flora of the nature reserve includes the Rafflesia.

Batu Karas in west java is a sheltered beach and point break that has quite reliable surf, a heaven for beginner surfer. November to April (wet season) provides favoured time of year for waves. Works best in offshore winds from the south southwest. Groundswells are more common than windswelss and the best swell direction is from the south.explore a national park teeming with jungle life, surf fun warm water waves, cruise in a canoe through emerald green river gorges; swim in crystal clear waterfalls; take in a shadow puppet show in a quaint village setting. And you can see a amazing canyon following the river.

Locate 40 km from Pangandaran beach and 135 km from Bandung, west java. You can hire a car or motocycle from Pangandaran Beach. Compare to Bali and Lombok, the wave at Batu Karas is more friendly, 2-3 metres high. If you want to learn surfing, this is the right location.

From batu karas you can go to “Karang Nini” direction to Cipatujah (another beach) from the top of “Karang Nini” you can see very clear south beach West Java, and you can see another small village near the beach, and the real life and view of south beach West Java.

Ujung Kulon National Park is located at the western-most tip of Java, Indonesia. It includes the volcanic island group of Krakatoa and other islands including Panaitan, Handeuleum and Peucang. The park encompasses an area of 1,206 km² (443 km² marine), most of which lies on a peninsula reaching into the Indian Ocean. The explosion of nearby Krakatau in 1883 produced a tidal wave that eliminated the villages and crops of the coastal areas on the western peninsula, and covered the entire area in a layer of ash about 30 cm thick. This caused the total evacuation of the peninsula by humans, thereby allowing it to become a repository for much of Java’s flora and fauna, and most of the remaining lowland forest on the island.

In the remote south west of Java, the national park of Ujung Kulon is the site of one of Indonesia’s most pristine and untouched natural attractions. It is no coincidence that Ujung Kulon is classified as one of Indonesia’s World Heritage Sites and has been a natural reserve since 1937. Most well known for being the home of the last one horned white Javan rhinoceros of which a population of about 60 remains, Ujung Kulon receives about 6,500 visitors a year from all over the world.

With over 120,000 hectares, Ujung Kulon comprises the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Java, Indonesia, the two islands of Pulau Handeuleum and Pulau Peucang just offshore, and the island of Pulau Panaitan separated from the mainland by the Panaitan Straits.

The Ujung Kulon area offers various different landscapes, from the Gunung Payung massif in the southwest and the low rolling hills of the Telanca Plateau in the northeast, to the swamp area characteristic for the lower lying isthmus. Inventories of the Ujung Kulon wild life are the subject of numerous books. The fauna on the peninsula and the islands is almost too extensive to describe in short.

Numerous reef species, such as butterfly fish, batfish, triggerfish and moorish idol, dominate the shallower waters, while deep water species include sharks, tuna, barracuda and marlin. It is because of this last species, the black marlin, that the Sunda Strait has the reputation of being an excellent and challenging game fishing ground.

Its great moment for us to waiting sunset at pasir panjang beach with family

Insects are arthropods (a type of invertebrate, animals that lack a backbone). All insects have a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. The legs (and wings, if applicable) are attached to the thorax. Insects breathe through holes called spiracles. Insects hatch from eggs.

Insect means “segmented” in Latin. There are about a million different types of insects and many more that have not been discovered yet. Insects (Class Insecta) are currently divided into 31 orders.

Insects, bugs, and spiders that inhabit the Earth can make some of the most fascinating and dramatic close-up for photography subjects, they have unlimited amount of color, texture, and, physical architecture to explore.

The national park is named after its two mountains, Mount Semeru (the highest in Java at 3,676 metres), Mount Bromo (the most popular) and theTengger people who inhabit the area. Mount Semeru also known as Mahameru (“Great Mountain”), is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. What stands out most about this mountain is the fact that it erupts periodically (and very reliably so). Every 20 minutes or so, the volcano belches out a huge cloud of steam and smoke, sometimes interspersed with ash and stones. Climbing Mount Semeru requires some planning and a permit from the national park authority. The mountain is often closed due to its highly active nature.

Mount Bromo (2,329 metres) is easily recognized as the entire top has been blown off and the crater inside constantly belches white sulphurous smoke. It sits inside the massive Tengger caldera (diameter approximately 10 km), surrounded by the Laut Pasir (Sea of Sand) of fine volcanic sand. The overall effect is unsettlingly unearthly, especially when compared to the lush green valleys all around the caldera.

The major access point is Cemoro Lawang (also Cemara Lawang or Cemora Lawang - blame the East Javanese accent!) at the northeastern edge of the caldera, but there are also trails from Tosari (northwest) and Ngadas (southwest). The village of Ngadisari, on the road from Probolinggo about 5.5 km before Cemoro Lawang, marks the entrance to the national park. Both Cemoro Lawang and Ngadisari are rather picturesque, with brightly-painted houses and flower beds outside.

The area in and around the park is inhabited by the Tenggerese, one of the few significant Hindu communities left on the island of Java. The local religion is a remnant from the Majapahit era and therefore quite similar to that on Bali but with even more animist elements. The Tenggerese are believed to be descendents of the Majapahit prices and were driven into the hills after mass arrivals in the area of devoutly Muslim Madurese in the 19th century. These Madurese immigrants were labourers working for Dutch coffee plantation owners and the native Hindu people of the region soon found themselves outnumbered and either converted to Islam or fled to the inhospitable high mountain tops where they remain today.

The religion is quite low key though (certainly when compared to Bali) with the most visible manifestation of faith being the rather austere Poten temple in the sea of sand. The Tenggerese number about 600,000 and they reside in 30 villages scattered in and around the park with smaller communities elsewhere in East Java. For many visitors, the sight of the angular-faced, sunburned, moustachioed Tenggerese wrapped in poncho-like blankets, trotting about on ponies with craggy mountains as the backdrop, more resemblesPeru than Indonesia!

Landscape

If ever a landscape were need to demonstrate the meaning of the phrase desolate beauty, then this is surely it. Rugged, barren volcanic peaks, gravel plains and that sea of sand. Truly unworldly. The park also includes large areas which are very lush and green fed by rivers from the high tops. The medium elevations are clad with much thinner forest before this gives way to the barren plateau and peaks.

Flora and fauna

In the parts of the park which most interest visitors (the caldera and mountain tops) flora and fauna is limited – a general lack of vegetation. At lower elevations and away from the sea of sand there are though lush green valleys with a typical tropical forest flora. The higher elevations before the tree line ends are largely clad with casuarina (cemara) forest.

Down in the valleys, a few leopard cats are present but rarely seen. Java rusa deer, muntjac, marbled cat and wild pig are amongst the mammals more likely to be glimpsed by casual visitors. This park is not so renowned for birdwatching as others in Java but up on the plateau you often see hawks and eagles soaring over the valleys below.

Climate

Temperatures are refreshingly cool during the day but outright cold at night as temperatures can drop close to zero in the summer and are rarely much above 5°C in winter. Daytime temperatures anywhere in the park never exceed 20°C with low teens being normal.

It can rain at anytime and the mean average rainfall is 6,600 mm. Most of that comes in the wet season though – November to March. During periods of heavy rain in January and February especially, many parts of the park are inaccessible due to flooding. Landslips are also a real issue at these times. (Source)

Special East Java Team (AXIS PROJECT)

I would like to express my deep thanks to all of you as my friends and colleagues. Specially thanks to Mr. Reinhard, Pak Eko yang ganteng, Mr. Anwar, Pak Ismail, Mbak Meidy, Mr. Muklis, Wong “Ucing Garong”, Irvan, Joko “The Jones”, Kang Syarif “Mr.Semox”, Pak Mufly, Pak Bondan, Andy “The Jangkrik”, Fatur, Singo, Pangbudi, Ryan, Awang, Eri, Heru, Rahmat, Didik “Sang Pendusta”, Pak Jimmy “Sang Pawang”, Pak Krisnan, Pak Didi, Pak Yono, Pak Arifin, Pak Bambang, Pak Arif, and all of you that I can not mention one by one for helping and precious moments you gave to me during my time in this project and making things possible for me.
Please apologize for any mistakes which could be happened during my services for East Java Team.I wish all the best for you and continue your success. Keep in Touch Guys, because Jiaw Yang will be the team leader until the end.