Southeast Asia 14th Edition, March 2008 [PDF] / se-asia-14-indonesia

S U MAT R A • • H i s t o r y 241

The Sumatran rebellion of 1958–61 posed a greater threat, when the rebels declared their rival Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI) in Bukittinggi on 15 February 1958. The central government showed no interest in negotiations, however, and by mid-1958 Jakarta had regained control of all the major towns. The guerrilla war continued for another three years.

Since the 1970s, Aceh has re-emerged as a trouble spot in the archipelago, with continued calls for greater autonomy and secession from the Indonesian republic. In 1989 the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) began a lowlevel uprising against the government, and the Indonesian armed forces were sent in to ‘monitor’ the situation.

In 1998 the Indonesian press revealed years of army atrocities in Aceh, prompting armed forces chief General Wiranto to visit the area to apologise. In July 1999, however, an army massacre took place, killing a religious leader and Free Aceh Movement supporters at Lhokseumawe. Another shooting, this time of 40 people, occurred in a crowd at Krueng Geukueh. Over one million people rallied for independence in Banda Aceh on 8 November 1999.

In 2002 an internationally brokered peace deal was signed by both sides, but sporadic violence continued. In May 2003, 30,000 Indonesian troops returned to the province and attacked rebel strongholds. With rampant corruption, a broken economy and an extremely fragile social structure, peace appeared elusive.

The Boxing Day 2004 quake and tsunami brought a ray of hope, even as aftershocks continued to terrorise the local population. Both sides concentrated on providing emergency relief, and thousands of foreign aid workers flooded the region, acting as unofficial observers. Helsinki-brokered talks led to an agreement in August 2005 under which thousands of Indonesian security forces were withdrawn from the province and GAM gave up hundreds of weapons. The three-decade war appears to have come to an end, as this peace deal has held so far. However, a mysterious spring 2007 grenade attack against GAM government headquarters in Banda suggest tensions persist and that this latest bloody chapter in Sumatran history may not be over yet.

A I S E N O D N I

I N D O N E S I A

Book accommodation online at lonelyplanet.com

BUS

If you stick to the Trans-Sumatran Hwy and other major roads, the big air-con buses can make travel fairly comfortable – which is fortunate since you’ll spend a lot of time on the road in Sumatra. The best ones have reclining seats, toilets and video but run at night to avoid the traffic, so you miss out on the scenery. The non-air-con buses are sweaty, cramped, but unforgettable. Numerous bus companies cover the main routes, and prices vary greatly, depending on the comfort level. Buy tickets direct from the bus company. Agents usually charge 10% more.

Travel on the back roads is a different story. Progress can be grindingly slow and utterly exhausting (see opposite).

TRAIN

Sumatra has a very limited rail network. The only useful service runs from Bandarlampung in the south to Palembang.

BANDARLAMPUNG

%0721 / pop 857,400

Bandarlampung – Sumatra’s fourth-largest city and an amalgam of the old coastal town of Telukbetung and Tanjungkarang further inland – is only worth visiting to experience the Krakatau volcano or Taman Nasional Way Kambas. Most visitors come on package tours arranged in Jakarta, but local guides and tour agencies can set you up nicely for less.

When Krakatau erupted in 1883, the tremors generated a 30m-high wave that devastated Telukbetung and claimed 36,000 lives. The Krakatau Monument is a huge steel buoy washed up on a hillside overlooking Telukbetung. Everything below this point was a wasteland.

Information

Banks and ATMs can be found all over town.

BCA bank (Jl Raden Intan 98) The branch on Jl Kartini offers the best exchange rates.

Central post office (Jl Kotaraja)

Squid Net (Jl Raden Intan 88A; per hr 5000Rp; h10am8pm) Internet access.

Tours

Several travel agents on Jl Monginsidi offer tours to Taman Nasional Way Kambas. They can also arrange tours to Krakatau via a bus to Kalianda, followed by a boat ride to Krakatau. You may be able to get a cheaper deal from the port (see p244).

S U MAT R A • • B a n d a r l a m p u n g 243

Sleeping

Budget options in Bandarlampung are seriously limited.

Hotel Gading (%255512; Jl Kartini 72; d from 66,500Rp; a) Cheap and dingy.

Kurnia Perdana Hotel (%262030; Jl Raden Intan 114; d from 130,000Rp; a) This is a clean, charmless option.

Hotel Purnama (%261448; Jl Raden Intan 77; d from 180,000Rp; a) This is the best value in town, with large, comfortable rooms.

Getting There & Away

AIR

Arie Tour & Travel (%474675; Jl Monginsidi 143) is a helpful travel agency that sells Adam Air and Sriwijaya flights to Medan and Jakarta.

BUS

Rajabasa bus terminal is one of Sumatra’s busiest, with a constant flow of departures 24 hours a day. Most people heading north go to Bukittinggi, a long haul that costs from 160,000Rp economy (up to 28 hours) to 300,000Rp for the best air-con services (22 hours). The trip south to Jakarta (eight to 10 hours) costs 100,000Rp to 130,000Rp for air-con, which includes the ferry between Bakauheni and Merak. Buses leave daily from the Bandarlampung train station at 9am and 9pm. Chartered minibuses to Jakarta cost 170,000Rp.

TAXI

Share taxis are a pleasant alternative to

Getting Around

Taxis charge 80,000 to 90,000Rp for the 22km ride from the airport to town. Take the green opelet from the town center to the Rajabasa bus terminal for 2000Rp.

244 S U MAT R A • • K r a k a t a u

KRAKATAU

Krakatau’s beauty masks a mean streak of apocalyptic proportions. When it combusted in 1883, the boom was heard as far away as Perth (Australia). Tens of thousands were killed by either the resulting 30m-high tsunami or the molten lava that flowed across 40km of ocean to incinerate coastal villages. The monster mountain spewed an 80km-high ash plume that turned day into night over the Sunda Strait and altered the world’s climate for years. The earth kept rumbling under the remains of Krakatau. In 1927 it erupted again and this time it created an evil mini-me, the Child of Krakatau (Anak Krakatau). And it grumbles still, so make sure to seek the latest advice on seismic activity.

Most travellers head to Krakatau from Carita in West Java, but the island group actually belongs to Sumatra. Tours operate from Bandarlampung and Kalianda (see below).

TAMAN NASIONAL WAY KAMBAS

KALIANDA

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The small coastal port of Kalianda is the best place to arrange boat trips to Krakatau. Survey the seaworthiness of your boat and check for

l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

life jackets and a two-way radio. Kalianda is 30km north of the Bakauheni ferry terminal. Organised tours to Krakatau cost about $90 a person, but you may have to charter a whole boat from Canti, a fishing village outside of Kalianda, if visitor numbers are low. That will cost you 500,000Rp to 900,000Rp for up to 15 people.

Hotel Beringin (d from 50,000Rp) has comfortable rooms, Dutch villa charm and can organise tours to Krakatau.

There are buses that go to Kalianda from Bandarlampung (8000Rp, one hour) and Bakauheni (10,000Rp, one hour), but they drop you off at the highway turn-off. From there, grab an opelet into town (2000Rp).

BAKAUHENI

Bakauheni is the departure point for ferries to Merak, Java. Fast ferries run every 30 minutes from 7am to 5pm and cost 22,500Rp; the crossing takes 40 minutes. A slow ferry runs every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day and costs 13,000Rp for the two-hour trip.

Frequent buses depart from outside Bakauheni’s terminal building and travel the 90km trip to Bandarlampung (economy/aircon 8000Rp/15,000Rp, one to two hours). If you’re planning to stay the night in Bandarlampung, pay 30,000Rp for a private taxi, which will take you to the hotel of your choice.

PADANG

%0751 / pop 899,400

Most backpackers fly into Padang only to catch the first bus out to Bukittinggi. Big mistake. Sumatra’s largest west-coast city has never been more appealing. Gorgeous Minangkabau roofs soar from modern public buildings, blending the present and the past. The leafy south end is dominated by a narrow, brackish river harbour crowded with colourful fishing boats, as well as lux Bugis schooners, and modern yachts bound for the famed Mentawai surf. Old Dutch and Chinese buildings are scattered along its frontage road, and across a lovely antiquated bridge strung with lanterns is a palm-fringed hillside that is the antithesis of urban. The coastline south of town is magnificent too, and the city beach is edged by a popular promenade, which is where you’ll want to be when the sun drops. Then you’ll stroll to dinner and enjoy one of your best meals in Indo. Oh yes, Padang is worth your while.