text:
Western Java

Western Java is the western third of the island of Java, Indonesia. It covers from west to east the province of Banten, the Jakarta Special Capital Region (DKI Jakarta), and the province of West Java (Jawa Barat). Western Java is one of the most densely populated regions on earth, but still there are extensive natural areas of impassable rainforest, as well as many active volcanoes and secluded beaches.

Cities

 * — the chaotic, congested yet oddly fascinating Indonesian capital.
 * — the Paris of Java of Dutch colonial days, now a university city known for shopping and food.
 * — the former summer capital, known for the world-class botanical gardens.
 * — once the capital of the powerful Galuh Kingdom.
 * — nicknamed the 'city of shrimp' at the Java Sea coast, with four sultan palaces.
 * — mountain town with a cooler climate and many volcanic hot springs.
 * — Indian Ocean beach town with a nature reserve and a busy fish market.
 * — city on the foot of the Mount Gede volcano, surrounded by tea, coffee, and rubber plantations.

Other destinations

 * — now a small village, but once the centre of the mighty Banten Sultanate.
 * — archaeological site with (possibly) the oldest remaining temples of Java.
 * — the blue-water sulphur-smell Kawah Putih crater lake.
 * — most-visited national park of Indonesia, centred around two volcanoes.
 * — very popular weekend getaway among rice fields, tea plantations, rivers, and volcanoes.
 * — just off the coast of Jakarta, small islands with white sand beaches.
 * — fishing village on the Indian Ocean, with a turtle sanctuary.
 * — the last holdout of the Javan rhinoceros and a World Heritage Site.

Understand
Western Java is very densely populated, with 73 million people living on an area of about 45,000 m2 (a similar area to the country of Estonia or the US state of Pennsylvania), or a population density of on average more than 1,600 people per km2. However, the population density is very unevenly divided, with especially many people living in the Greater Jakarta area and a few other urban areas, while much of the remainder of the region consists of rainforest and volcanoes where only few people live.

History
For almost 1000 years, from the 7th century to the 16th century, Western Java was under control of the Hindu kingdoms of Sunda (centred in Bogor Raya) and Galuh (centred in East Parahyangan). In turn, for many centuries these kingdoms were under domination of the Buddhist Srivijaya Kingdom from Sumatra. In the 16th century, the kingdoms lost their territory quickly to the newly established Islamic sultanates of Banten and Cirebon, and Islam spread among most of the population. This is the case until today, although Islam in the region is still influenced by Hindu, Buddhist, and animist beliefs.

Soon after, also the European colonists (mainly the Portuguese and the Dutch) came to the Indonesian archipelago and to Western Java. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) established a trading post near the port of Sunda Kelapa (in present-day North Jakarta) in 1611, and by 1619 a fort was built, named Batavia. For two centuries, the Dutch administration in Batavia coexisted with the sultanates of Banten and Cirebon, but the power of the colonial power steadily increased. By the early 18th century the entire Parahyangan mountain region was under control of the Dutch, and by the early 19th century the sultanates were no more than protectorates under Dutch rule. In 1798 the VOC was dissolved, and the colony was taken over by the Dutch state to become the Dutch East Indies. Soon after, the Great Post Road was constructed across Java to be able to quickly move troops in case of an attack by the British. The road did not stop the British from invading, and Java was under British rule from 1811 to 1814. Dutch rule was restored thereafter, and the Great Post Road remained important not for military purposes, but for trade, and communication. It became for example much easier to reach the tea, coffee, and rubber plantations of Bogor Raya and Parahyangan.

During the Second World War the region was invaded by the Japanese, and immediately after the surrender of Japan, Indonesian independence was declared in Central Jakarta in 1945. Then, it took four years of war before the Dutch acknowledged Indonesian independence. Nowadays, Western Java is among the most prosperous parts of the country, although the crowdedness makes that the infrastructure has difficulty to cope, and there are huge economic inequalities.

Culture
The traditional culture of most of Western Java is that of the Sundanese people. In the North Coast region around the city of Cirebon, the Cirebonese culture is dominant, which is a mixture of the Sundanese culture with the Javanese culture of Central Java. Over the centuries, however, the culture of Western Java has been heavily influenced by ethnic groups from other Indonesian islands, and from abroad. The 'native' culture of Jakarta, the Betawi culture, is in itself an amalgamation of cultures of various ethnic groups that lived in Batavia (the old town of Jakarta) in the 17th and 18th centuries, including Sundanese and Javanese but also for example Minangkabau, Makassarese, Balinese, Chinese, Indian, and Dutch. Nowadays, Greater Jakarta is a melting pot of cultures from across the Indonesian archipelago.

The art and culture of Sundanese people reflect the influence of prehistoric native animism, the Hindu-Buddhist history, and the current Islamic culture. The story-telling through poetic verses, called Pantun Sunda, focuses mainly on the history of the Sunda Kingdom, and includes legends such as that of Sangkuriang and the creation of the Tangkuban Perahu volcano near Lembang.

A notable example of traditional Sundanese music is angklung bamboo music, which is a UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. A well-known angklung orchestra is Saung Angklung Udjo, with an own theater in East Bandung. Pencak silat is a collection of Indonesian martial art forms. In Western Java, silat Sunda (also called silat Bandung) and silat Betawi (Jakarta) are specific varieties.

Climate
Western Java has a tropical monsoon climate, with distinct wet and dry seasons. The wettest months are from November to March (with a peak in January and February), while the driest months are from June to September. Rain happens throughout the year, however, and also during the dry season short but heavy downpours (mostly around sunset hours) are common. On the other hand, even during the peak of the rainy season it is not common to rain throughout the day. There are some regional differences, with especially Bogor (nicknamed 'city of rain') experiencing a lot of rain, and almost daily thunderstorms. Also in Bogor however it is often dry in the morning, with rain usually developing in the afternoon.

The average daytime temperatures in the lowland areas (including Greater Jakarta) are about 29 to 32 °C throughout the year, with nighttime temperatures usually not below 22 °C. The mountain city of Bandung (750 m above sea level) has traditionally been popular because of the slightly cooler temperatures (daytime averages of 26 to 29 °C). However, hot temperatures are experienced throughout the year because of a combination of climate change and the urban heat island effect. The higher you get into the mountains, the cooler the termperatures. Mountain villages such as Ciater and Puncak see nighttime temperatures of about 15 °C, and on top of the volcanoes even 5 °C.

Talk
The Indonesian language, being official, is widely spoken and understood, and is the main language used in big cities and the Jakarta metropolitan area. The local language in most of Western Java is Sundanese, which is related to Indonesian but not mutually intelligible. Along the northern coast, Javanese is widely spoken. In Jakarta, the Betawi language is used, a creole of Indonesian with more use of loanwords from among others Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, and Dutch.

Although English is universally taught in schools, most people are not conversant and many feel uncomfortable to speak. Staff at better hotels and airline staff generally speak an acceptable level of English, and so do people working in the tourism sector in the largest cities (mainly Jakarta and Bandung) and most tourist areas (e.g. Pangandaran).

By plane
The new Kertajati International Airport is intended to be the main airport of the region, but it only serves some domestic flights and a seasonal flight to Medina with a fuel stop at Thiruvanathapuram. Despite this, there are a lot of plans for the airport, as it is intended to decongest Jakarta's airports by redirecting air traffic to West Java to the new airport and replace the Bandung airport.

The busiest airport of the region by far, and also the busiest airport of the country, is Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, about 20 km northwest of Central Jakarta. The airport has highly frequent flights from virtually all Indonesian provinces, as well as major cities in Southeast Asia. There are also direct flights from various destinations in Australia, East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The second airport of Jakarta, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta, has connections from most of the larger cities in Indonesia, but no international flights. Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Northwest Bandung is a good point of entry for the central and eastern parts of West Java, with international flights from Malaysia and Singapore, and domestic connections from most larger cities in Indonesia.

By train
Western Java can be reached by train from the other parts of Java, with the key connections being from Surabaya (East Java) or Yogyakarta via Semarang (Central Java) to Cirebon and Jakarta, and from Yogyakarta to Bandung. Trains are operated by PT. Kereta Api Indonesia.

By bus
There are many interprovincial bus connections (named AKAP for Antar Kota Antar Provinsi, intercity/interprovince) to the key cities in Western Java, mainly Jakarta and Bandung. There are frequent bus services from the main cities of Central and East Java (e.g. Semarang, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya), but also long-distance bus services from Sumatra, Bali, and Lombok. Keep in mind that these bus trips may take several days, and flying is often a much more comfortable option.

By ferry
There is a ferry connection between Western Java (the port of Merak) and Sumatra (Lampung province) that runs 24 hours per day. The crossing takes approximately 2 hours.

Long-distance ferry connections to cities throughout Indonesia run from the port of Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, operated by PELNI.

Get around
The infrastructure struggles to cope with the very high population density of Western Java. Especially in Greater Jakarta, but also in other urban areas such as Bandung and Cirebon, traffic is very crowded and chaotic. Most of the roads in these areas are heavily congested during rush hours, but also outside peak hours traffic jams are common. During weekends and holidays, also the roads to and from tourist attractions see long traffic jams (for example the toll roads from Jakarta towards Bandung, the Puncak mountain pass, and Anyer beach). During the annual holiday exodus at the end of the Ramadan fasting month, traffic jams between Greater Jakarta and Central Java often last for days.

By car or motorbike
The road network of Western Java is extensive, with tolled motorways connecting the major cities, and major trunk roads throughout the region. However, as indicated above this is insufficient to cope with the number of vehicles, so the roads are severely congested. Especially off the main roads, road quality is sometimes poor. During the rainy season, landslides may hamper traffic in the mountainous areas, while flooding of roads is widespread, even in Jakarta.

Indonesian driving habits are daunting and chaotic, and traffic rules are often ignored. Trucks and buses generally follow their rule "the bigger vehicle has right of way." On the other hand, in the case of an accident, motorcycle riders never accept any blame. Especially if it is your first time in Indonesia, it is advisable to rent a car with a driver, rather than to drive by yourself. The additional cost of hiring a driver is usually about Rp100,000 to 150,000 per day, and some car rental companies are even reluctant to rent cars without a driver to foreigners.

By train
Most of the cities and larger towns in Western Java are connected to the railway network. Trains are generally reliable, but not very fast. The most frequent trains run in the Greater Jakarta area. The KA Commuter Jabodetabek network has six colour-coded train routes interconnecting the many stations in the capital, as well as the suburbs and satellite cities (including also Bogor). All commuter trains are economy class, but all carriages have air conditioning. The two main stations for intercity trains, Gambir and Pasar Senen stations in Central Jakarta, are not served by the commuter trains, making a transit cumbersome.

Intercity trains are divided in economy class, business class, and executive class. The main difference between the classes is the comfort of the seats, and the personal space available. Executive class carriages have TV displays for entertainment and food service. The main intercity train routes are from Jakarta to the port of Merak, to Cirebon (and further to Central Java), and to Bandung, as well as from Bandung to Tasikmalaya and Banjar (and further to Central Java). There are also a few (economy class) trains per day from Bogor to Sukabumi, and Sukabumi to Cianjur. Many longer-distance trains are business and/or economy class trains and stop only at major stations. Many smaller stations only see a few trains per day.

By bus
Intercity bus connections are much more frequent than train connections. However, the speed very much depends on the road conditions and traffic congestion. Generally, buses follow fixed routes between two or more bus terminals. Most buses will stop almost anywhere along the route to pick up and drop off passengers. Between the largest cities, such as between Jakarta and Cirebon, there are many buses per hour, also at night. There are also frequent buses from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to bus terminals throughout Greater Jakarta, as well as to Serang, Bogor, Karawang, and Bandung. To get to small towns, you may need to ask for a bus schedule in advance or transfer in another town.

In addition to the standard bus (coach) routes, there are a variety of other types of buses. On the busiest routes (especially Jakarta-Bandung) there are many so-called travel (luxury minibuses for about 6 to 12 passengers) that provide direct shuttle connections between many locations (point to point) using Elf, Hiace, or L300 (similar in size to the travel, but not as luxurious, use more seats and stopping everywhere along the road), named after the Isuzu Elf and Mitsubishi L300 equipment used, respectively.

Within cities and their suburbs, as well as between villages, public transport consists of angkot (public minivans). Angkots follow a fixed route, but there is no fixed schedule and there are no fixed stops. To get on, simply raise your hand. To get off, shout "Kiri!" to the driver so he will pull over on the left (Indonesian: kiri) side of the road. The price of an angkot ride within a city is usually about Rp2,000 to 5,000. It is best to ask a local which angkot route to take, and how to recognise the location you want to get off. In the Greater Jakarta area, there are many additional types of buses, including a bus rapid transit system called Transjakarta. See the article on Jakarta for more information.

By taxi
Taxicabs are abundant in the larger cities, especially in the Greater Jakarta area, Bogor, and Bandung. The most well-known taxi company of Indonesia, Blue Bird Group, is available in these cities as well as in Serang. Other taxi companies that are known to be reliable include Express in the Greater Jakarta area, and AA Taksi in Bandung. These taxis of reputable companies always use the taxi meter (argo in Indonesian), and taxis can be hailed on the street, or ordered by phone or smartphone app. Large numbers of taxis are available near major hotels, shopping centres, tourist attractions, and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Taxis of some other companies, and most taxis in smaller cities, do not always use the taxi meter, and you will need to negotiate a price with the driver. In large cities such as Jakarta, this is best avoided by refusing to get in before the taxi driver has agreed on using the meter. In smaller cities, you may have no option.

In addition to regular taxis, there are various other types of vehicles for hire. The most common is the ojek (motorcycle taxi). Ojek riders can be found everywhere in the region, from the business districts of Central Jakarta to remote mountain villages. Ojek are usually in groups on major street corners. The price will need to be negotiated, but Rp5,000-10,000 is common for a short ride of a few km. Prices may be higher in remote areas, or in case of heavy traffic congestion. Most ojek riders will have a spare helmet for you to wear. Ojek can nowadays also be hired through an app on your phone, popular on-demand ojek services include GoJek and GrabBike, both relatively have same tariff about Rp 2,000 per kilometer with minimum payment Rp 7,500 and usually is cheaper than non-online ojek.

In Jakarta, another type of vehicle for hire is the bajaj, Jakarta's version of the tuk-tuk. This is less comfortable than a regular taxi, but quicker in case of traffic congestion. In case of rain a bajaj is better than an ojek because it has a roof. In places throughout the region, you can hire a becak (cycle rickshaw). In busy places, such as Jakarta and parts of Bandung, becak are not allowed because they impede the traffic flow. A becak is especially useful for short distances in smaller towns and villages. In some places you may also hire a delman (horse carriage).

By plane
Getting around within the region by plane is usually not really an option. However, there are some scheduled flights from Halim Airport in East Jakarta to Nusawiru Airport (between Pangandaran and Batu Karas), Bandung, and Tasikmalaya.

National parks
There are five national parks in Western Java. Ujung Kulon National Park, on the western tip of the island in Banten, was the first national park of the country, and is since 1992 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The national park includes the largest remaining lowland rain forest of Java, and in addition to the part on the mainland it also includes Panaitan island, as well as the natural reserve of the Krakatoa volcano. It the only remaining home of the critically endangered Javan Rhinoceros, the rarest large animal on earth, with an estimated remaining population of about 50 to 60.

Another national park in the region is the Thousand Islands National Park, just off the coast of Jakarta. Its name is slightly exaggerated, as the marine park consists of 'only' 110 islands. 13 of the islands have been fully developed for tourism, while most of the others are either uninhabited or have a small fishing village. In the national park, there are big coral reefs as well as many types of seaweed. It is the home of the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle and the endangered green sea turtle.

The other three national parks of Western Java are centred around volcanoes. Mount Halimun Salak National Park and Mount Gede Pangrango National Park are both in the Bogor Raya region, west and east of the city of Bogor, respectively. Some of the animal species in the parks include silvery gibbons and Javan lutung monkeys, and dozens or rare bird species. Mount Ciremai National Park, in the East Parahyangan region near the border with Central Java is centred around the highest mountain of Western Java (3,078 m). In the national park, you can find leopards, barking deer, and several types of pythons, as well as the endangered Javan surili monkey and Javan hawk-eagle.

Pre-colonial historic sights
European colonists started to come to Southeast Asia, including Western Java, in the 16th century. There are various sights in the region from before this period. The oldest sight is the Gunung Padang Megalithic Site near Cianjur, which is the largest megalithic site of Southeast Asia. It is thought that this site was completed by 5000 BC or earlier, which would make it even older than the Egyptian pyramids. Some scientists doubt whether the structures are really man-made, and presume it might be the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. Nevertheless, the site can be visited. Archaeological research is ongoing.

Possibly the oldest temples of Java can be found in Batujaya near the north coast. Not much is known about these temple ruins, but it is assumed that they were built in the 5th or 6th, during the time of the Tarumanagara Kingdom. The temples may be Buddhist. The Hindu kingdoms of Sunda and Galuh that thereafter ruled over Western Java for almost 1000 years have left little archaeological remains. The only remaining Hindu temple from this period in Western Java is the small 8th century Cangkuang temple, near Garut. In Kawali (near Ciamis), believed to be the capital of the Galuh Kingdom, there are 14th century inscriptions honouring the king of Galuh. Much more cultural heritage is remaining from the first Islamic powers of Western Java, the sultanates of Banten and Cirebon (starting in the 15th century). The sultanate of Banten was powerful and prosperous starting in the 16th century, which led to the construction of impressive buildings in its capital town of Banten. The key (partly) remaining sights are the sultan palace and the Great Mosque of Banten, and the town has a museum on the town's and sultanate's history. The sultanate of Cirebon, centred in Cirebon about 300 km east of Banten, has four sultan palaces. In the city also the grave of Sunan Gunungjati, who established both sultanates, can be visited.

Colonial architecture
From the establishment of the first Dutch trading post in 1611, to the end of the Indonesian War of Independence in 1949, the Dutch colonists have left a huge cultural heritage in Western Java. The cities of Batavia (Jakarta), Buitenzorg (Bogor) and Bandoeng (Bandung) were among the most important cities of the Dutch East Indies, but almost every town or village has some historic buildings in colonial architecture. Especially government buildings, post offices, and railway stations are often in a Indo-European hybrid style, and in the last 50 years of the colonial time the New Indies Style was often used.

Buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries were mostly in typical Dutch architecture as was used in the Netherlands in the same period, without many adaptations to the tropical climate. A key example includes the city hall of Batavia (West Jakarta) built in 1707-1710, that was modelled after the town hall of Amsterdam (now the royal palace). The old town hall of Batavia is now the Jakarta History Museum. In the same area, the old town (Kota Tua) in West and North Jakarta, many relics of this period can be found. The presidential palace in the mountains at Cipanas (Puncak), built in 1740, is in a similar style. After the Dutch state took over from the VOC by 1800, towns developed more and more beyond the walled forts. Batavia 's satellite town of Weltevreden was developed, which later became the city centre and is now in Central Jakarta. One of the buildings from that period is the so-called White House (now the Ministry of Finance building), which was inspired by the palace of Versailles. The palace in Bogor (now one of the presidential palaces) was built in a similar Indies Empire style. During the 19th century, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles, often mixed with local elements, became common. A key example is the Neo-Gothic Jakarta Cathedral (built 1891-1901).

In the 20th century, many colonial buildings were built in Rationalist and Modernist styles. Examples of well-known buildings from this time include the campus of the Bandung Institute of Technology (mixing traditional Indonesian and modern European elements), the art deco Savoy Homann hotel also in Bandung (1939), the modernist Metropole cinema in Central Jakarta, and the rationalist Kejaksan railway station building in Cirebon (1912). Most of the cities and towns of Western Java that were important during the colonial time are along the Great Post Road, the trans-Java road constructed in 1808. The road's western terminus is in Anyer, where also one of the many colonial lighthouses can be visited.

Modern monuments
There are also many interesting buildings and monuments from the post-colonial time in Western Java. In Central Jakarta, the impressive Istiqlal Mosque can be found immediately opposite the cathedral from the colonial era. The mosque, completed in 1978, is with a capacity for 200,000 worshippers the largest of Southeast Asia and the national mosque of Indonesia. Another mosque that is also of interest to non-Muslim visitors is the Grand Mosque of Bandung. Although parts of the mosque are older, most of the building has been built during several expansions and renovations. The mosque has two minarets of 81 metres high, and one of them can be accessed during weekends, to have a great view over the city.

In Central Jakarta, also the National Monument (known as Monas) can be found, a 137 m tall obelisk to celebrate Indonesia's independence. Nearby, also the Selamat Datang Monument ('Welcome Monument') can be found, that was built for the Asian Games of 1962 that were held in Jakarta. The town of Rengasdengklok, about 70 km from Central Jakarta, also has a monument that commemorates the 'Rengasdengklok Affair' that took place in the night before the proclamation of Indonesian independence.

Museums
There is a wide variety of museums in the region, with of course especially many of them in the capital Jakarta. The National Museum is a archeological, historical, ethnological, and geographical museum in Central Jakarta, including a treasure room filled with gold items. When it comes specifically to colonial history, the Jakarta History Museum in West Jakarta has a larger collection. Other history museums in Jakarta include the Bank Indonesia Museum on monetary and economic history (also in West Jakarta), the Proclamation Museum and Museum Sumpah Pemuda on the struggle for independence (both in Central Jakarta), and Museum Bahari on the history of maritime life and trade in Indonesia as well as the navy (in old Dutch East India Company warehouses in North Jakarta).

Some of the well-known cultural and art museums in Jakarta include Museum Wayang dedicated to Javanese puppetry and the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramic (both in West Jakarta), and the Basoeki Abdullah Museum dedicated to the work of the famous Indonesian painter in South Jakarta. Another famous museum is the Geological Museum in North Bandung, with a collection of 250,000 rocks, minerals, and 60,000 fossils. The famous Gedung Merdeka in the Bandung's city centre is a museum displaying collections and photographs of the Asian–African Conference, the first Non-Aligned Movement that was held there in 1955.

Museums outside these main cities are more limited, but some notable ones include the Linggadjati Conference Museum on the conference during the independence war (in Linggajati), the Old Banten Archaeological Museum on the sultanate (in Banten), the Benteng Heritage Museum on the history of Chinese immigrants in the country (in Tangerang), and the Prabu Geusan Ulun Museum on traditional weaponry (in Sumedang). Some other towns have a local history museum.

Beaches
With coasts on the Java Sea, the Sunda Strait, and the Indian Ocean, there are many beaches in Western Java. A well-known developed beach town, with many hotels and resorts, is Anyer along the western coast. As this is one of the nearest beaches to Jakarta, is gets very crowded during holidays. However, all of the other towns and villages along the west coast (including Carita and Panimbang) also have beaches, and the further you go to the south, the quieter it gets. Because Greater Jakarta is on the Java Sea coast, there are also various beaches. Ancol Beach in North Jakarta is the most popular of those, albeit more for its theme parks and seaside restaurants. Other beaches on the north coast are near Pamanukan and Indramayu, and of course the offshore islands of the Thousand Islands National Park.

The most popular beaches of Western Java are along the south coast, on the Indian Ocean. In Ujung Genteng there is a turtle sanctuary at the beach. However, the main draw of the beaches on the south coast are the waves for surfing. The surfing village nearest to Jakarta is Cimaja. In the eastern part of the region, and popular as weekend getaway from Bandung, are the beach town of Pangandaran (also known for its fish market) and the village of Batu Karas. Surfing is also well possible on the beaches of Ujung Kulon National Park and its offshore island of Panaitan, but these can only be reached by boat.

Hiking
Hiking is a popular activity in the natural areas of Western Java. Many of the (active) volcanoes can be climbed, with the most popular being the two highest mountains of the region: Mount Ciremai in the east, and the twin peaks of Mount Gede Pangrango National Park near Bogor. The Parahyangan region has several volcanoes with excellent hiking trails, such as Mount Guntur and Mount Papandayan near Garut and Mount Tangkuban Perahu near Lembang. The latter can also be accessed by car.

Other options for hiking, that are not centred around volcanoes, can be found in the Ujung Kulon National Park, both on the Java mainland and on Panaitan Island, and in the area where the Baduy people live. This almost impenetrable jungle area can be reached from the town of Rangkasbitung in Banten. Obviously, for shorter hikes there are good possibilities throughout the region, such as along the south coast, through the rice fields of the North Coast region, or along the strawberry fields of Ciwidey.

Surfing
The best conditions for surfing in Western Java are during the dry season, roughly from April to October. All of the well-known surf breaks are along the south coast on the Indian Ocean, although surfing is also possible at the west coast on the Sunda Strait (such as at Tanjung Lesung near Panimbang). The most popular surfing towns and villages can be found in the vicinity of Pelabuhan Ratu south of Jakarta (including the surfing villages of Sawarna, Cimaja, and Ujung Genteng), and at Pangandaran in the southeast of the region (including the village of Batu Karas). All of these towns and villages have a surfing atmosphere and related facilities, such as board rental and surf schools. Some of the surf breaks may get crowded during weekends and holidays, but in general the waves are relatively uncrowded, especially when compared to Bali.

In addition to the surfing towns, there are various off-the-beaten-track surfing spots. Famous surf breaks are in the Ujung Kulon National Park. However, as there are no roads in the national park, these can only be reached by boat, or on foot. The offshore island of Panaitan, part of the national park, has a few spectacular breaks, including so-called Apocalypse and One Palm Point.

Buy
The large cities, especially Greater Jakarta and Bandung, have a wide range of modern shopping malls. Some of the largest shopping malls, that offer many famous Indonesian and international shops and cafés, include Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta, Mal Taman Anggrek in West Jakarta, Grand Indonesia Shopping Town in Central Jakarta, Summarecon Mall Bekasi in Bekasi, Trans Studio Mall in South Bandung and Paris Van Java in Northwest Bandung. Most upper-class malls can be found in the business districts of Central and South Jakarta.

Some other shopping centres, and also most shopping malls in smaller cities and towns, have less international shop brands, and wider selections of bargain clothing, fake designer wear, etc. The epitome of this type of shopping centre can be found in the Mangga Dua area of North Jakarta, where four interlinked malls offer a huge range of cheap clothes, electronics, and more. Similarly-priced usually fake branded clothes can be found in the Factory Outlet stores, which can be found in abundance not only in Greater Jakarta, but also in Bandung and the Puncak area.

In general, shops in the cities are open from about 10:00 to 22:00. In smaller towns and residential neighbourhoods, most shops open earlier and close earlier as well.

Eat
In the cities, and especially in the Greater Jakarta area and Bandung, a huge range of food is available at thousands of eating venues, from hawkers and modest streetside warung foodstalls to high-end fine dining restaurants. Because of immigration from across the Indonesian archipelago to the cities of Western Java, many traditional types of food from all regions of Indonesia can be easily found. In addition to the regional food from Western Java (see below), traditional Padang restaurants from West Sumatra can be found in most towns, and also Javanese food (from Central and East Java) is ubiquitous, including low-budget Warteg (Warung Tegal) foodstalls.

In the urban areas, also foreign food is widely available. The Chinese Indonesian minority operates Chinese restaurants throughout the region, and Western fast food chains are present in most of the cities and in Jakarta's vast suburbs. In the city centres and shopping malls of Greater Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor and other larger cities, Japanese, Korean, and Italian restaurants can be easily found, as well as steak houses.

With the majority of the population being Muslim, most eating venues follow Islamic dietary requirements. Therefore, pork is generally not eaten, and also Western fast food chains such as McDonald's and Pizza Hut do not serve pork. However, various Chinese and Western-style restaurants mainly in Jakarta and Bandung do serve pork, as well as some eating venues operated by people from non-Muslim ethnic groups (for example Balinese, Batak, and Minahasa).

Sundanese food

West Java is best known for Sundanese food, which unusually for Indonesia places a special emphasis on fresh or even raw ingredients. The quintessential Sundanese dish is nasi timbel, which consists of rice wrapped up in a banana leaf, an assortment of raw vegetables known as lalapan (a term that covers cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, coriander leaves, cabbage and more), a freshly pounded chili sauce known as sambal dadak, some tofu or tempeh and maybe a chicken leg, catfish (ikan lele) or some salted fish. This is commonly served with sayur asam, a sour vegetable soup flavored with tamarind. A textural specialty of Sunda (West Java) is karedok, a fresh salad made with long beans, bean sprouts, and cucumber with a spicy sauce. Other Sundanese dishes include mie kocok which is a beef and egg noodle soup, and soto Bandung, a beef and vegetable soup with daikon and lemon grass. A hawker favourite is kupat tahu (pressed rice, bean sprouts, and tofu with soy and peanut sauce). Colenak (roasted cassava with sweet coconut sauce) and ulen (roasted brick of sticky rice with peanut sauce) are dishes usually eaten warm.

Betawi food
The cuisine of the Betawi people of Jakarta has over the centuries been influenced by the regional immigrants from all over the Indonesian archipelago, as well as Chinese, Indian, Arab, and European traders, visitors and immigrants. Examples of popular Betawi dishes include soto betawi (beef offals in milky broth), ketoprak (tofu, vegetables and rice cake served with peanut sauce) and kerak telor (spiced coconut omelette). Many Sundanese dishes are also part of the Betawi cuisine, sometimes with just minor differences.

Local specialties
Apart from the general regional cuisines as explained above, many towns and cities are well known for a specific type of produce, snack, or dish. Various towns are known for their fruit production. In the mountain region of Ciater and Subang, pineapples are produced and widely sold in roadside stalls. In the mountains on the other side of Bandung, in the Ciwidey region, strawberries are popular. The lowland region of Indramayu on the north coast is known for its mangoes, and the Jakarta suburb of Depok is known as the 'city of starfruit'. The mountain town of Lembang has been known as a centre of cow milk production since colonial times.

The city of Bogor has a few famous local dishes, including asinan Bogor (a pickled fruit dish with a hot and sour vinegar and chili sauce, sprinkled with peanuts) and soto mie Bogor (Bogor-style noodle soup). The southern region of Cianjur and Sukabumi is known for specific styles of bubur ayam (chicken rice congee). Several cities in the region have their own specific type of satay (sate), such as sate maranggi (motton or beef satay marinated with soy sauce, ginger, and coriander) in Purwakarta. The city of Cirebon is nicknamed 'city of shrimps', and indeed well known for its seafood. However, also other local dishes are popular, such as nasi jamblang: a buffet with dishes such as tofu vegetables, liver or meat stews, potatoes, fried eggs, cooked chili, stewed fish, etc. The city of Tasikmalaya's most famous dish is nasi tutug oncom (rice mixed with fermened soy bean tailings).

Local snacks that can usually be bought both in roadside stalls and in city centre (souvenir) shops include the dodol snack in Garut (a sticky sweet made of coconut milk, jaggery, and rice flour), the galendo snack (made of coconut milk) in Ciamis, and tahu Sumedang (a style of deepfried tofu) in Sumedang. The town of Rengasdengklok is known for a special green-coloured pancake snack, serabi hijau.

Obviously, in all of the coastal regions, fish and seafood is popular. Apart from the main port cities North Jakarta, Cilegon/Merak and Cirebon, there are busy fishing ports, markets and auctions among others in Labuan, Pelabuhan Ratu, and Pangandaran.

Drink
Tap water is not potable in Western Java, just as in the rest of Indonesia. Water or ice served in restaurants and roadside stalls is usually purified or boiled, or bottled mineral water (known as Aqua after the best-known brand). Quite a few Indonesians believe that cold drinks are unhealthy, so specify dingin when ordering if you prefer your water, bottled tea or beer cold, rather than at room temperature.

Coffee and tea
Both kopi (coffee) and teh (tea) are popular in Western Java. Coffee is usually in the form of kopi tubruk, ground coffee with sugar and boiling water. You will need to let the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup before you drink it. Coffee with milk is also common, and so are instant coffee mixes (usually already mixed with sugar and milk powder). Coffee without sugar is very uncommon. Ask for kopi pahit (bitter coffee) or kopi tanpa gula (coffee without sugar), or even better use both phrases to make sure, as vendors are not used to it and may be reluctant to serve coffee without sugar because it is deemed odd. In the larger cities and shopping malls, coffeehouses such as Starbucks and local chain J.CO are plenty. Es kopi (ice coffee) is available in most venues.

While the Javanese and many other ethnic groups in Indonesia like their tea very sweet, the Sundanese population of Western Java is used to drinking tea without sugar. Order teh manis to get sweet tea, and teh tawar (plain tea) for tea without sugar. Es teh manis (sweet iced tea) is also common, also in the form of many branded flavoured iced teas. In the mountains of West Java (mainly the Parahyangan region), many food stalls offer teh tawar for free when ordering a meal.

Traditional drinks
With the influx of people from all over Indonesia to Western Java, and especially to the Greater Jakarta area, traditional drinks from all regions can easily be found. However, there are a few traditional beverages that originate from the Western Java area, mostly as part of the Sundanese kitchen.

Bandrek is a hot, sweet and spicy beverage with ginger, palm sugar, and cinnamon, with sweetened condensed milk or coconut milk. It is commonly consumed in the mountanins of Western Java, to warm up during nights or cold weather. As such, it is for example a popular drink in the mountain resort area of Puncak. In the city of Bandung it is common to add pieces of young coconut to the drink. A somewhat similar drink is bajigur, of which the main ingredients are palm sugar and coconut milk, and often vanilla. The drink is often accompanied by a fried banana snack.

Considering the tropical temperatures, cool and iced beverages are very popular as well. In Jakarta, es selendang mayang is a drink with jackfruit, pandan leaves, palm sugar, coconut milk, and ice cubes. Es bir ("ice-cold beer") is a drink from Bogor with water, clove, cinnamon, sugar and ginger, that looks like beer (yellow with white foam) but does not contain alcohol. Es doger is a drink from Bandung, consisting of sweet coconut milk-based ice in pink syrup, with tapioca pearls, avocado, and jackfruit. Fresh fruit juices are common throughout the region, but with some regions especially well-known for specific fruit plantations, also juices of those fruits are more popular there. For example, mango juice is very popular in Indramayu, and strawberry juice is common in Ciwidey. A relatively uncommon type of fruit juice is starfruit juice, that is most popular in Depok.

Nightlife
In most of the villages and neighbourhoods of the region, nightlife is limited to streetside warung foodstalls and coffee shops that open late or even 24 hours, or that open only in the night. Alcohol is usually not served in such places, except in tourist areas such as the warung in the beach towns on the south coast, such as Pangandaran.

In the large cities, especially Jakarta and Bandung, there are many upscale bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, as well as various nightclubs. Bintang beer is the most popular drink. Many bars also serve imported beers and spirits, but prices are high. The most popular nightlife areas among expats and tourists include Kemang and Blok M in South Jakarta, and the Dago area in North Bandung. The Mangga Besar and Glodok areas of West Jakarta, among others, have a seedier type of nightlife with a fairly high number of prostitutes. Beachside cafés in the main tourist towns on Western Java's south and west coasts. Along the north coast, tourism and nightlife is more limited, with the exception of Ancol Beach in North Jakarta.

Karaoke (KTV) venues are ubiquitous in Greater Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, and Cirebon, and can also be found in most of the other cities. Note that some karaoke bars are in fact brothels, and regular KTV venues can be recognised by being branded 'family karaoke', the most well-known chains including NAV, Inul Vizta, and Happy Puppy.

Sleep
The large cities of Western Java, including Greater Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, and Cirebon, all have a wide range of accommodations, ranging from cheap and simple losmen to luxurious five-star hotels. Many of the large Indonesian and international hotel chains can be found in these cities. Also the tourist areas (e.g. Anyer on the west coast, the Puncak mountain pass, the volcano and hot spring towns of Lembang, Ciater, and Garut, and the south coast beach of Pangandaran) offer a wide variety of options, such as hotels and bungalows. In smaller towns off the tourist trail, accommodation is usually limited to a few mid-range hotels aimed at domestic business travellers, and budget guesthouses.
 * Budget: Losmen or penginapan are accommodations with basic facilities. This type of accommodation can be found throughout the region. In Central Jakarta, a street well-known to backpackers is Jalan Jaksa, with prices from as low as Rp30,000. While some losmen have dormitory rooms, most have private rooms. Shared bathrooms are often with squat toilets and without hot water. Losmen are usually fan-cooled and have no air conditioning. In addition to losmen, the cities and most towns also have cheap hotels, of varying quality. In the largest cities, many budget chain hotels are being developed, of brands including favehotel, amaris, and ibis Budget. Note that many mid-range hotels offer large discounts outside peak seasons, so they may be an equally cheap and more comfortable alternative to losmen or budget hotels.
 * Mid-range hotels are easily found in all parts of Greater Jakarta as well as all other larger cities and along major roads. Many hotels are independent, but in the large cities and increasingly also in smaller cities, chain hotels are being developed. Hotels of various well-known international brands, such as ibis and Novotel, are plenty in Greater Jakarta, Bogor, and Bandung. In tourist areas along the west and south coasts, as well as in the mountains of Puncak and Lembang, in addition to mid-range hotels also similarly-priced bungalows and villas are available.
 * Splurge: Five-star hotels can mainly be found in Central Jakarta, but also South Jakarta, Bogor, and Bandung have their fair shares. Anyer on the west coast has several luxurious beach resort hotels, and Puncak has mountain resort hotels.

Weather and natural disasters
There are active volcanoes throughout Western Java. The most recent explosive eruption was in 2002, when Mount Papandayan near Garut erupted. However, many volcanoes show various levels of activity and may erupt at any time. The National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) monitors volcanic activity and issues warnings in case of heightened activity. Follow instructions, evacuation orders, and volcano access road closures issued by local authorities at all time.

In the event of earthquakes, hide under sturdy objects if indoors or run outside if near the door, and stay away from tall objects if outdoors. Any earthquake bigger than a 6.5 magnitude that lasts a long time usually triggers a tsunami warning (usually by siren or loudspeaker). Even if you don't hear a warning, if you feel a persistent and violent shaking, get away from the coast and seek higher land immediately. Western Java's west and south coast are most prone to tsunamis, and evacuation routes and shelters are clearly marked (usually in both Indonesian and English).

Western Java is prone to heavy rain with thunderstorms and (sometimes swirling) winds, especially during the rainy season, which is at its height from December to February. Landslides occur in mountain slopes or cliffs, and flooding can be serious, also in Jakarta. While there are rarely weather reports in any form of media, it's a good idea to pack an umbrella if it is said to rain or be vigilant for any signs of incoming storm, such as dark, towering and puffy clouds. In heavy rain when there is an accumulation of volcanic ash in recently erupted volcanoes, it can result in lahar dingin (a very dangerous of slurry with stones and boulders).

Traffic safety
Traffic is highly congested and very chaotic in most of Western Java, especially in the Greater Jakarta area, in Bandung, and along major thoroughfares. Traffic discipline is poor. It is not advisable to drive your own vehicle when you have no experience with driving in Indonesia's urban areas. When involved in an accident, other involved persons or bystanders (or even police officers, see Corruption below) may ask for compensation, irrespective whether this is justified or not.

Road conditions in remote areas may be poor. The main highways as well as roads in urban areas are generally of acceptable quality, but potholes are common especially during or just after the rainy season. Major flooding and landslides may make roads impassible.

Crime
While robbery, theft and pickpocketing are common especially in crowded places, such as on public transport and in markets (and especially in Jakarta), travellers are not very likely to become involved in violent crime. Avoid flashing large sums of money or expensive items. Beware of thieves on public transport, and keep your doors locked at all times when travelling by car. For taxis, make sure to book or hail a taxi from a reputable company (as mentioned above in the Get around section), especially at night. Unlicensed taxis are often in poor conditions, and drivers are known to extort or rob passengers.

Corruption
Western Java is, just as the rest of Indonesia, notorious for corruption. Officials, including police officers, may ask for bribes. In case of minor traffic violations, police officers often demand a 'fine' (bribe) to be paid on the spot. Generally, being polite, smiling, asking for an official receipt, and/or pretending that you don't understand the request, may avoid more problems.

Go next

 * Yogyakarta — centre of arts, near the Borobudur and Prambanan temples and Merapi volcano
 * Krakatau — active volcano island in the Sunda Strait, between West Java and Sumatra
 * Lampung — the nearest province across the Sunda Strait on Sumatra island

title: Western Java


text:
West Jutland

West Jutland comprise the western part of central Jutland. In Danish it is known as Vestjylland and administratively, it is part of the much larger Central Denmark Region that also includes East Jutland.

By definition, it is the area west of the Jutland Ridge in central Jutland. The Jutland Ridge, also known as the Jutland Esker, is a slightly elevated hilly ridge that runs down the middle of the Jutland peninsula. It was formed by glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age, and includes the highest hills in Denmark.

West Jutland is a rural area, and the least populated region in Denmark. As in North Jutland and South Jutland, the North Sea coast in West Jutland is very popular with holidaymakers in the summer.

Cities
The only city in West Jutland is Herning.
 * — Formerly an important market town and agricultural and industrial powerhouse, Herning is now a regional center for trade, transport and education mostly. At only slightly more than 51,000 residents, Herning is a rather small city, but it is the largest settlement in all of West Jutland nontheless.

Towns

 * — The town is wellknown for its cultural life and industry, even outside the region, and within the region, it is an important trade center as well, mostly retail. At around 37,000 residents, Holstebro is the next largest settlement in West Jutland.

Ordered by size, other interesting towns in West Jutland includes:
 * — At a little more than 20,000 residents, Skive is the urban center for the peninsula of Salling (and the smaller peninsula of Nord-Fjends) in the Limfjord area. Skive is a very old settlement with a long history; the site has been inhabited continuously since at least the late Stone Age.

 * — Traditional fishing town on the west coast in a peculiar location on a long, thin isthmus separating the North sea and an inland lagoon.
 * Søndervig — small coastal town that swells with holidaymakers in the summer. Many holiday homes, a seaside water world resort with cabins for rent, hotels, and a campsite. The beach is great and very popular.
 * — a small city about 15 km from the west coast with many holiday homes for rent

Other destinations
Special destinations within the region, includes:

 * — Large shallow lagoon with several attractions. The lagoon is part of a wildlife reserve and an internationally important area for bird migrations. Explore the shallow waters by canoe, hide out in a watchtower and look out for special birds, acquire a fishing license and see if you can catch something interesting, or visit the recreated Viking harbour at Bork Vikingehavn.
 * — The national park, that isn't a national park! Yes, this is weird. The Skjern Å river system was recreated to it's original pristine glory of meandering flows and wide wet meadows, and the entire delta was prepared to become one of Denmark's national parks. Everything went according to plan, but after all the work, locals decided that the area shouldn't be designated as national park anyway. In all practicality however, the Skjern Å river delta has everything a Danish national park needs and offers plenty of good nature experiences, hikes, or angling adventures. Book a shelter, and live the simple life in great nature, or go here for a one-day trip.

The Limfjord
The brackish water Limfjord inlet in the north of the region holds several points of interest, including two unique islands

 * — popular holiday destination with good beaches, beautiful varied nature, and interesting hiking trails. Venø is known for its local lamb and Limfjord-oysters, as well as a dish called Venøbøf (Venø Steak). Holiday homes for rent, good campsite, and a nice marina for leisure boats. The island can be accessed by a small ferry from the town of Struer.
 * — high cliffs and heather-covered hills. Unique geological formation renowned for its especially rich fossil finds from the Eocene. Experience some of the most interesting finds at Fur Museum. Fur Bryghus is a much appraised local micro-brewery. Rent a holiday home, use the campsite, or dock at the small harbour with your leisure boat. The island can be accessed by a small ferry from the top of the Salling peninsula.

The West Coast
The North Sea coast is ubiquitously known as Vestkysten (The West Coast) in Denmark.

The coast can be rough and tough in the autumn and winter seasons, but in the summer, the wide beautiful sandy beaches and shallow waters attract large crowds of joyful beach-goers. Some popular points along the coast are equipped with basic amenities such as lifeguard towers, beach cabins, or small shops and bathrooms. When the wind is strong, paragliders and surfers cheer. See the Do section for specific information on special beach spots.

Apart of the beaches, the West Coast offers plenty opportunity for good nature hikes, or bicycle trips, in the unique dune landscapes that form this region. Plenty of opportunity for angling, both lake fishing, coastal surf fishing, and sea fishing from boats if this is your thing.

Understand
The West Coast area is usually sparsely populated, as the rest of West Jutland, but in the summer it swells with tourists, as the beaches are very popular. The coastal area is packed with holiday homes for rent, but as the demand often exceeds the supply, it can be difficult to find a free one on a last moment's notice. German tourists, in particular, are very fond of the Danish West Coast in the summer, so in this part of West Jutland, you can expect most locals to speak at least some rudimentary German.

Hiking

 * Kyst til Kyst Stien - Walk coast to coast, from Blåvand to Vejle, across the base of Jutland in a varied landscape, including river valleys, meadows, heathland, and historic sites. Top quality trail of more than 130 km all together, equipped with shelter and camping sites, running water and toilets. Fit for families, with easy access to shopping opportunities along the route.
 * Nordsøstien - The Danish part of the huge international North Sea Trail, passes through West Jutland. Join in on the huge trail, or walk shorter individual parts.

Beaches
Great and popular beaches in West Jutland includes:

Eat
Apart from restaurants and regular eateries, West Jutland presents a number of local specialities:

 * Dabs — Salted and wind-dried flatfish. This is a local delicacy in the fishing town of Hvide Sande that can be had in May specifically. Eaten in various ways; dabs with chives-sauce is popular.
 * Venøbøf — Thin steaks cut from well-matured beef tenderloin, spiced with garlic, and fried very briefly on a hot pan. Served in various ways, and typically with both a yellow and a red dressing. The recipe originates from the island of Venø, where it can still be had at the local inn.
 * Rulleål — Filleted eel, rolled with onion and parsley, and cooked in salty water. When cold, the eel-rolls are sliced and served with a special salad (lettuce with a dressing of cream, vinegar and a dash of sugar), and sometimes Danish dark ryebread. In a variation of the dish, known as Ål i gelé, the eel-rolls are jellied. Local delicacy from the Limfjord region.
 * Ølben — Brined pork ribs are cooked with herbs and porter beer, and rested for days - then roasted and served with cabbage.
 * Grønlangkål — Stewed kale in white sauce.

Drink

 * Fur Bryghus - much appraised micro-brewery on the island of Fur. Their quality beers can be enjoyed elsewhere in Denmark at a few well-assorted bars, but visiting the brewpub itself is an even better experience.
 * Hancock - with a history dating back to 1876, this brewery is a pride for the town of Skive. Hancock only use Saaz hops and Danish malts for their beers, and they are also known for being quite strong. Their beers are available all over Denmark at well-assorted bars, but a guided tour at the brewery offers something extra.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: West Jutland


text:
West Kalimantan

West Kalimantan (Indonesian: Kalimantan Barat, abbreviated Kalbar) is a province of Indonesia in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. Its capital city is Pontianak, located on the equator.

Cities

 * , the ex-capital of Mempawah Malay Kingdom.
 * , the capital and centre of culinary in West Kalimantan.
 * , the centre of orange plantation.
 * , the city of one thousand Chinese temples.

Understand
The history of West Kalimantan can be traced back to the 17th century, when Dayaks was the original inhabitants. The Malay migrated to West Kalimantan and built their own sultanates. The fact that there is a significant Chinese population in this province was that there used to be a republic built by Chinese miners called 'Lanfang Republic' after it defeated the local Malay sultans. The government of Lanfang Republic was overthrown in West Kalimantan after the Dutch occupation in 1884. The Japanese occupied West Kalimantan from 1942 to 1945 until Indonesia declared its Independence.

West Kalimantan was the site of substantial fighting during the Indonesia-Malaysia 'Konfrontasi' (Confrontation) under the Sukarno government in the mid-1960s. After Suharto deposed Sukarno in 1965, the confrontation was quickly resolved. Domestic conflict continued, however, for another ten years between the new military Suharto government and fighters organized during the confrontation and backed by the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Talk
As elsewhere in Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia or Indonesian is the official language. The young teenager can speak English too.

There are three majority races in West Kalimantan. They are Malays, Dayaks, and Chinese. It's better to use the word Tionghoa instead of Chinese or China when talking. The Malays usually use their own Malay dialect. The vocabulary is almost like Indonesian official words. It's only the speaking intonation only and some vocabularies replacement.

The Dayaks people have their own dialect like Kahayan and Ot Danun.

The Chinese people in West Kalimantan speak various Chinese dialects like Mandarin, Teochew, Hakka, and Cantonese. Some old people, who learn in pre-Indonesian-independence school, can even speak Dutch or German. Knowing some phrases in local dialects will greatly impress your hosts.

By plane
Supadio Airport has very frequent flights from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport operated by all major Indonesian airlines. In addition, there are flights from Bandung, Surabaya, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, and other major cities of Indonesia. XpressAir operates international flights to Kuching, and AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur.

By bus
There are bus services to Pontianak from other cities in Kalimantan, such as Pangkalan Bun, as well as an international service from Kuching.

Traditional cakes

 * Lemang, made from pulut (glutinous rice) inserted into the bamboo.
 * Lemper, made from pulut filled with meat/beans, found in the Purun area.
 * Lepat, made from flour filled with banana.
 * Lulun, a kind of lepat filled with brown sugar, is found in the Belitang area, Sekadau Regency.
 * Lempok durian, Dodol made from Durian.
 * Kue keranjang, a typical Chinese cake

Typical Dayak

 * Jimut, a traditional cake of the Dayak Mualang community in the Belitang area, Sekadau Regency, made of flour formed into a circle the size of a ping pong ball.
 * Tumpi, found in the Kanayatn Dayak community, is made from flour.
 * Tehpung, a traditional cake of the Dayak Uut Danum, made from pulut which is finely ground and fried. This cake is usually made at traditional events, the shape of which is like a boat, gong and others.

Traditional cuisine

 * Asam pedas, a local food of Pontianak
 * Bubur pedas, a local food of Sambas
 * Kerupuk Wet, a local food of Kapuas Hulu
 * Clams Ale-ale, a local food of Ketapang
 * Manok Pansoh, a chicken meat dish in bamboo by Dayak community.
 * Sungkui, a Malay dish of Sanggau Regency.

Chinese Typical

 * Lek Tau Suan, Mi Tiaw, and Kwetiau, Chinese dishes in the city of Pontianak.
 * Nasi Ayam and Mi Pangsit, Chinese dishes in the city of Singkawang and its surroundings.

title: West Kalimantan


text:
West Kilbride

West Kilbride is a town in Ayrshire on the Clyde coast of southwest Scotland, with a population of 4860 in 2020. It has sought to distinguish itself as an arts & crafts centre, with partial success, and to distance itself from the industrial complex of Hunterston just north. Hunterston is well known for its nuclear reactors.

Understand
It was traditionally a weaving, potato-growing and sheep-farming town, expanding when the railway arrived in 1878, to grow into nearby Seamill and Portencross.

There a fabulous Celtic brooch was found, dating to 700 AD and now in the National Museum in Edinburgh.

Hunterston B nuclear power station, run by EDF, stopped generating in 2022, and us being decommissioned. Tours no longer seem to get available. EDF has seven other nuclear plants in the UK which can be visited: at Torness East Lothian, Dungeness B in Kent, West Burton B near Retford Notts, Heysham Lancs, Hinckley Point Somerset, Hartlepool, and Sizewell B in Suffolk.

Get in
By plane: Glasgow Airport has the best choice of flights. Take the airport bus to Glasgow city centre then train or bus as below. Prestwick is closer but only has Ryanair flights from the Mediterranean.

By train: Trains run hourly from Glasgow Central, taking 50 min via Paisley, Kilwinning and Ardrossan, and continuing north to Fairlie and Largs. Change at Kilwinning for trains from Ayr, Prestwick, Troon and Irvine.

The is just east of town centre. It's just a platform halt with ticket machines but no staffed office or toilets. There is step-free access to the only platform.

By bus: buses pass through West Kilbride every 30 min or so on their way north to Largs (10 min) and Greenock (60 min), and south to Ardrossan (20 min), Irvine (40 min) and Ayr (60 min). From central Glasgow (Buchanan station) travel either via Ardrossan or Greenock: it's usually quicker via Ardrossan but ask at the ticket office for your best connection.

By road follow A78 the coastal main highway.

Get around
Stagecoach Bus 585 runs along the main coast road every 30 min from Ayr via Prestwick, Irvine, Ardrossan and Seamill to West Kilbride, Fairlie and Largs.

Taxi operators are Eddie's (+44 1294 822812) and I & D Airport Transfers (+44 7821 568255).

See

 * at 50 Main Street has rotating exhibitions, art studios and events.
 * The beach stretches from Seamill by the Hydro to an outcrop of rocks by the golf course. It resumes along Ardneill Bay to Portencross. Good views southwest towards Arran.
 * at 50 Main Street has rotating exhibitions, art studios and events.
 * The beach stretches from Seamill by the Hydro to an outcrop of rocks by the golf course. It resumes along Ardneill Bay to Portencross. Good views southwest towards Arran.
 * The beach stretches from Seamill by the Hydro to an outcrop of rocks by the golf course. It resumes along Ardneill Bay to Portencross. Good views southwest towards Arran.

Do

 * Walk down Kirktonhall Glen. The woodland footpath starts in town centre and follows the Kilbride Burn for a couple of miles down to the shore at Seamill.

Buy

 * There's a Co-op food store (open daily 7AM-10PM) on Ritchie Street, but for a big shop head to the supermarkets in Ardrossan.
 * Fencebay Farmers Market is at Fencefoot Farm off Irvine Rd in Fairlie, last Sunday of the month 9AM-2PM.
 * Fencebay Farmers Market is at Fencefoot Farm off Irvine Rd in Fairlie, last Sunday of the month 9AM-2PM.

Eat

 * Various Indian and Chinese takeaways in the centre of town.
 * Seamill Hydro Hotel has an excellent restaurant, see "Sleep".
 * Seamill Hydro Hotel has an excellent restaurant, see "Sleep".
 * Seamill Hydro Hotel has an excellent restaurant, see "Sleep".

Drink

 * The Twa Dugs and the King's Arms are typical Scottish pubs on Main Street.

Sleep

 * Seamill House Hotel is a separate mid-range establishment almost next door to the Hydro.
 * Seamill House Hotel is a separate mid-range establishment almost next door to the Hydro.
 * Seamill House Hotel is a separate mid-range establishment almost next door to the Hydro.

Connect
As of Sep 2022, West Kilbride and the coast highway have 4G from EE and Three, but a poor patchy signal from O2 and Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Ardrossan has ferries to the charming Isle of Arran.
 * Largs is a pleasant small resort with ferries to Great Cumbrae.
 * Wemyss Bay has ferries to the Isle of Bute.
 * Ayr has Robert Burns' birthplace at Alloway, and further south is Culzean Castle.
 * Famous golf courses hereabouts are Royal Troon, Prestwick Old Course, and Trump Turnberry towards Girvan.

title: West Kilbride


text:
West Kirby

West Kirby is on the Wirral Peninsula in Merseyside.

Hoylake is an idyllic seaside town overlooking the Irish Sea with views of Wales, Hilbre Island and Liverpool. International tourism booms during major golf tournaments at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Understand
West Kirby is a small, Edwardian seaside town at the mouth of the Dee estuary. It offers a pleasant beach, views across to North Wales and Hilbre Island, as well as Coronation Gardens and a rare marine lake walk.

Caldy, Thurstaston, Hoylake and Meols are adjacent villages along the coast.

By road

 * A540
 * A5027 and B5192 from the M53 motorway, junction 2a

See

The Old Village is quite pretty; visit St. Bridget's church, maybe walk through Ashton Park, which straddles the Wirral Way, itself a lengthy stroll along the bed of an old rail branchline, with fine views.

Do

 * Walk to Hilbre. Walk, run, cycle or horse ride the Wirral Way. Amble in Ashton park. Cycle to Liverpool along the coast path. Idle in one of many independent cafes. Take in the sunset, alongside the marine lake.
 * Sand yachting in Hoylake.
 * The Open Golf Tournament is hosted by the Royal Liverpool GC in mid-July.
 * Rugby Union: Caldy RFC play in the Championship, the second tier. Their home ground is on Telegraph Rd in Thurstaston, three miles southeast of West Kirby.
 * Hoylake RNLI Open Day North Parade, Hoylake. CH47 2BB. About 10 minutes walk from Hoylake station. End of August. The Red Arrows provide flight displays.
 * The Open Golf Tournament is hosted by the Royal Liverpool GC in mid-July.
 * Rugby Union: Caldy RFC play in the Championship, the second tier. Their home ground is on Telegraph Rd in Thurstaston, three miles southeast of West Kirby.
 * Hoylake RNLI Open Day North Parade, Hoylake. CH47 2BB. About 10 minutes walk from Hoylake station. End of August. The Red Arrows provide flight displays.
 * Hoylake RNLI Open Day North Parade, Hoylake. CH47 2BB. About 10 minutes walk from Hoylake station. End of August. The Red Arrows provide flight displays.

Sleep

Peel Hey and Hillbark are in nearby Frankby.

Connect
As of Aug 2022, West Kirby has 4G from all UK carriers. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Lively Liverpool needs a few days to explore.
 * Birkenhead has historic Port Sunlight, an Edwardian industrialist's dream of the future.
 * Chester is a charming ancient walled city.
 * The North Wales coastline stretches west beyond the Dee. Its eastern parts are industrial, then the view improves around Rhyl.

title: West Kirby


text:
West Kootenays

The West Kootenays is south-eastern British Columbia, Canada. The area is approximately defined as being the area south of Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) from Revelstoke and including the valleys of Slocan Lake and Kootenay Lake and at least part of the Arrow Lake valley (Columbia River), as far south as the USA border.

West Kootenays

 * is "the Queen City" of the Kootenays, renowned for its tourism, culture and outdoor activities.
 * is the crossroads of the Kootenays. Whether you decide to stop here or not, you will likely pass through it if you visit the West Kootenays
 * is at the south end of Kootenay Lake next to some of the best of the limited agricultural areas around this region.
 * is a picturesque mountain town world famous for its skiing at Red Mountain Resort and also noted for great mountain biking.
 * is an industrial town dominated by one of the largest lead-zinc smelters in the world
 * are neighbouring communities on west shore of Kootenay Lake, home to natural hot springs and the longest toll-free ferry in the world.
 * is an attractive village on the west shore of Kootenay Lake, nestled between the Purcell Mountains and Selkirk Mountains and home to the world's oldest intact sternwheeler, the SS Moyie.
 * is a village equidistant from Nelson, Castlegar, and Trail, known as "the Hub of the Kootenays".

Arrow Lakes

 * is a medium-sized town on the east side of Arrow Lakes (Columbia River).
 * is a small village on Slocan Lake, about 45 minutes drive east of Kaslo.

Boundary

 * is on the south end of Christina Lake, the warmest tree-lined lake in Western Canada.
 * is a small town near the US border, a convenient food and fuel stop on the Crowsnest Pass Highway.
 * is a tiny city near the US border, known as the smallest incorporated city in Canada.

Other destinations

 * — lies in an area roughly bounded by the highways connecting Kaslo, New Denver and Nelson. The only official campground near the most-visited part of the park is at Kaslo Lake. The Kokanee Cabin can be found a few hours hike from the Gibson Lake trailhead.  Access in summer is a hiking trail and in winter by helicopter as it is also a popular backcountry skiing destination.
 * — a river delta wetland near Creston; it is predominantly marshland, and is a wetland of international importance and a globally significant Important Bird Area.
 * — a protected habitat for mountain caribou.
 * — it has a rocky beach and has amenities for boating, camping, and hiking.

Understand
In general, the West Kootenays is a little more remote and a little more difficult to get into and travel around than some of the more populated parts of the province. You will probably find that the residents of this area live here at least partly because that's what they like. Winding roads require somewhat slower travel. If locals have one complaint, especially during tourist season, it's about visitors roaring about, making excessive noise and generally making the highways unsafe and unpleasant. To fully appreciate the place, visitors need to slow down, relax and enjoy what the region has to offer. There's little interest in seeing the frantic bustle of the big city imported here by visitors in too much of a hurry.

The West Kootenays doesn't include the Columbia River and Kootenay River Valley south of Golden to Cranbrook. This is the East Kootenays. It's very nice, but it's not the West Kootenays.

Talk

 * You may hear the phrase Kootenay Time used occasionally. This may be interpreted as "I'll get there when I get there" or "It will happen when it happens".  You may find some shops that aren't always open right on time.  Relax.  It's not usually a crisis.
 * The ubiquitous FSR. This is a Forest Service Road or, more commonly, a logging road, which is what these roads were built to service.  They are often identified by brown Forest Service signs, they seem to be everywhere and they are the only real access into the backcountry.  Many are rough and steep and require high clearance vehicles.  Maybe a vehicle that doesn't have a paint job you're unusually fond of.  If there is active logging going on, you may also meet large trucks with loads of logs, or protesters.  You can get lost or stuck.  Caution is advised.

By car
By heading south from Revelstoke towards Nakusp or from Hwy 3 through Creston or Trail.

By plane
Airports within this region with scheduled commercial flights:
 * Castlegar (Canadian Rockies International Airport - ) - the main airport in the region, but is susceptible to flight cancellations and delays due to fog, especially in the winter
 * Trail Regional Airport - more limited flight options, less susceptible to issues of fog

Private planes could also land at strips in Kaslo, Nelson and Creston.

By bus

 * Routes include:
 * Between Kaslo and Vancouver with stops in Balfour, Nelson, Castlegar, Christina Lake, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Rock Creek, Osoyoos, Keremeos, Princeton, Manning Provincial Park, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and New Westminster. Operates two trips per week per direction.
 * Between Calgary and Kaslo with stops in Okotoks, High River, Claresholm, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Sparwood, Fernie, Cranbrook, Creston, Salmo, Nelson, and Balfour. Operates one trip per week per direction.

Get around
The easiest way to see the Kootenays is by private vehicle. There is very limited public transit in this region. Some routes are pretty quiet so hitch-hiking could be chancy, especially late in the day and outside the main tourist season. In the summer, it's a popular destination for motorcyclists. Some hardier types will enjoy biking in the area, just be aware that the hills will give you a good workout.

By public transit
BC Transit operates the following bus transit systems in the region:

 * Boundary (Grand Forks and Greenwood) - unlike the other systems, this system requires phone reservation
 * West Kootenay (Balfour, Castlegar, Nelson, Rossland, Slocan, and Trail) with limited available to Kaslo, Nakusp, New Denver, and Salmo.

By boat

 * Ferries in this region:

See
The area generally has quite stunning scenery. Details are contained in the listings for many of the towns in the region.

Nelson, the region's largest town, has been called the "Number One Small Town Arts Community in Canada", and is home to a large and diverse artisan community, while Castlegar hosts its annual Sculpturewalk, a rotating exhibition of hundreds of sculptures and artworks by international artists.

In Salmo, you can see the World’s Largest Penny, and the World’s Oldest Phone Booth, made from a hollowed out cedar tree from the Trout Lake area. Also in Salmo, Shambhala, the largest electronic music festival in Canada, is held during the first week of August.

Kaslo hosts the SS Moyie, the world's oldest intact passenger sternwheeler.

The Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver tells the story of over 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were forcibly relocated during World War II to an internment camp.

The Rossland Mining Museum & Gold Mine Tour is an underground tour of the old Le Roi Gold Mine that last operated in 1929.

Do
There are many reasons to visit the West Kootenays. The longer one stays, the more opportunities appear. In addition to the most noticeable such as the various provincial parks, towns and local ski hills, there are many backcountry trails which really expose you to some of the wilderness that remains in this part of the province. There is a trails guidebook which is a good start, but repeated visits and contact with the locals can get you into some quite amazing destinations. Accessing many of these areas often requires a high-clearance vehicle, travel on logging roads and good maps, just to sort out where to go.

The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area near Creston is a protected flood plain that has been returned into a productive wildlife and waterfowl habitat.

Stagleap Provincial Park (between Salmo and Creston, see Salmo) plays a key role in protecting habitat for endangered mountain caribou. Syringa Creek Provincial Park (northwest of Castlegar) has a large sandy beach. It protects provincially significant interior Douglas-fir forests and preserves one of the few remaining examples of grassland ecosystems in the Kootenays.

Near Trail, there are many popular hiking and biking trails around Violin Lake and Champion Lakes Provincial Park area.

The Nakusp Hot Springs near Nakusp have two pools fed by water from natural mineral springs set in the forest a ways from the pools.

Eat
If all you want is the usual fast food, the West Kootenays has the usual complement of fast food outlets, but it is possible to do better than that.

All of the communities in the region have at least a few good to excellent establishments serving a pretty wide selection of food. There isn't really a regional cuisine but many of the establishments cater to vegetarians and to omnivores, many take the trouble to source locally-grown produce and some have created some pretty unique menu items.

Breweries
Many towns in the West Kootenays have at least one brewery, such as Castlegar, Kaslo, Rossland, Salmo, and Trail. Some towns have multiple breweries, such as Creston and Nelson. Given this choice, make it a point to sample some of the local brews while traveling in the region.

Wineries
The region isn't well known for wineries; there just isn't the heat or the soil available here the way there is in the Okanagan. However, despite that, there are at least two wineries in the region including in Trail and Creston.

Stay safe
There are few things (in the normal sense) to worry about when traveling in the West Kootenays. Crime is infrequent and the people are friendly and helpful. The main hazards are generally associated with the mountain environment that makes up the West Kootenays. Roads are often narrow and winding and there can be hazards from falling rocks and avalanches (in winter). There is wildlife in the area like grizzly bears, black bears, elk and mountain lions. If you venture off into the backcountry, then you must be prepared for wilderness conditions. As in most mountainous regions, weather can change quickly, the terrain is difficult and steep and it can take longer to get to your destination than you might expect.

title: West Kootenays


text:
Westlake

Westlake is a city in Cuyahoga County, part of Greater Cleveland in Ohio. With a population of just over 32,000 in 2019, it's often regarded as a suburb of Cleveland (whose downtown is 12 miles east) but is a city in its own right. It's on the shore of Lake Erie and its main occupation is software development and the university hospital.

By car
I-90 passes through north Westlake. I-480 passes just south of Westlake.

Go next
Take 90 East to Cleveland.

title: Westlake


text:
Westland

There is more than one place called Westland:

Netherlands

 * Westland (Netherlands) - A municipality in South Holland.

New Zealand

 * Westland - a district of the West Coast in the South Island
 * Westland Tai Poutini National Park - a national park in West Coast of the South Island

United States of America

 * Westland (Michigan) - A town in Michigan.

title: Westland


text:
Westland (Michigan)

Westland is a city in Wayne County in the state of Michigan.

title: Westland (Michigan)


text:
Westland Tai Poutini National Park

Westland Tai Poutini National Park is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Te Wahipounamu in South West New Zealand. The national park lies on the West Coast of the South Island in the Southern Alps, adjacent to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and to the north of Mount Aspiring National Park.

Climate
The area is very rainy. Parts of the park can receive up to 11 metres of rain in a year.

Settlements
The following settlements lie close to the park:

See

 * Franz Josef Glacier - Perhaps the most accessible glacier in the southern hemisphere. At one stage it was possible to drive right up to the terminal face. However, the glacier is receding, so you must walk to the foot of the glacier.
 * Fox Glacier - Not quite as spectacular as the Franz Josef Glacier but not crowded with tourists either.
 * Lake Matheson - Tall mountains reflected in a mirror calm lake - sometimes - but a perfect postcard image when it happens.
 * Mount Cook and the other mountains - from the western side.

Hike
A large number of hiking trails have been created in Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Detailed maps are available from DOC visitor centres at Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, where you can also get tickets for overnight stays in the park huts, hunting permits and souvenirs.
 * At Franz-Josef Glacier
 * The Douglas Walk is a small circular route over the glacial moraines, leading through different vegetation zones that document how nature is reclaiming the areas of the melted glacier. The trail passes the Douglas Suspension Bridge, which spans the Waiho River, and Peters Pool, a small lake that beautifully reflects the glacier. You should plan about an hour for the circular route.
 * The Roberts Point Track branches off the Douglas Walk. Alternatively, you can also start directly from the village of Franz Josef, but you should plan an additional four hours. The trail leads along the north side of the glacial valley through the rainforest. Suspension bridges, slippery river crossings and galleries provide variety. After 9 km of walking with a 600 metre increase in elevation, you reach the Roberts Point from which you have a beautiful view of the glacier and can watch the helicopters touching down on the ice. Unfortunately you have to descend the same way you came. Allow approximately 5 hours for the hike (from the start of the Douglas Walk).
 * Certainly the most challenging trail is the Alex Knob Track. The hiking trail climbs 1000 metres in elevation on the south side of the valley through several vegetation zones up to the Alex Knob. From there you have a panoramic view over the glacier and the surrounding mountains. You should start early in the morning, as unfortunately clouds often gather on the glacier in the afternoon. The trail is 12 kilometres long and takes about 8 hours.
 * At Fox Glacier
 * The Chalet Lookout is a historical lookout point of the lower part of the glacier and the surrounding mountains. A hiking trail slowly ascends from the end of Glacier View Road. The trail is 4 km long; allow 90 minutes.
 * The Mount Fox Track is much more demanding. The trail begins off State Highway 6 a short distance south after the Glacier View Road turnoff. It goes steeply uphill past the tree line. Again and again there are fantastic views over the coast, the glacier and the New Zealand Alps. You should start early, as clouds often block the view of the glacier and the mountains in the afternoon. You should allow 8 hours for the hike.

Other

 * Sightseeing flights in a helicopter over the glacier
 * Guided tours over the glacier

title: Westland Tai Poutini National Park


text:
Westley

Westley is a city in Stanislaus County in California's San Joaquin Valley.

title: Westley


text:
West Lombok

West Lombok is a region of Lombok, Indonesia.

Cities

 * - the largest city in Lombok and the provincial capital of West Nusa Tenggara
 * - historic port city and site of the previous international airport serving Lombok, however, those airport facilities have now been moved to Bandara Internasional Lombok near Praya, and the airport has been closed to airline operations.
 * Cakranegara - the main commercial area on the eastern flank of Mataram
 * - the main tourist strip, including the neighboring beaches of Mangsit, Klui and Batu Bolong
 * - on the north west coast including the newly developing areas of Medana and Sire beach, administrative capital of the North Lombok Regency
 * - little harbor servicing the Gili Islands
 * Pemenang - a local service centre and northern gateway to the Pusak pass and Monkey forest, support township for Bangsal and Gili islands
 * Gerung - administrative capital of the West Lombok Regency, to the south of the provincial capital of Mataram
 * - non-descript harbour town for the larger vehicular and passenger carrying ferries to and from Bali

Other destinations

 * — Gili Air, Gili Meno, Gili Trawangan, these tiny islands of the west coast are popular with divers, backpackers, heodonists and those looking for a relaxing island holiday. Each island has a different flavour and tempo, research well for a good fit and if you get it wrong just change islands, they are very close to each other and to the mainland for day trips or further exploration
 * Sire beach at Tanjung — developing into a location for palacious fully serviced rental villas and intimate 5-star resorts.
 * Kosaido Golf Club on the Sire Peninsula in Tanjung
 * Medana Bay Marina — in Tanjung, 18 holes on gentle undulating greens surrounded by rustic villages and coconut groves
 * Monkey forest — at Pusuk pass on the road between Gunung Sari and Pemenang, an alternative route northward from Mataram
 * Old town and port of Ampenan, the inlet is still in use for fishing boats and Lombok's maritime oil and fuel terminal and storage tanks are sited on the foreshore. Has a forlorn but interesting seaside esplanade that has seen better days
 * Gunung Sari — the mountain overlooks the northern flanks of the city, it has a traditional market and is the gateway to the Pusuk pass
 * Batu Bolong — means 'rock with a hole in it', one of many wave eroded rocks with holes in them along the west coast but this one is an important Hindu site
 * Kerandangan beach — popular spot for satays and beach activities on Sundays, has a string of traditional thatched warungs along the beach. Far back in the long valley behind the beach there are a few rental villas and as a gateway to the forest there is a lineal conservation park
 * Mangsit beach — the quieter and more civilised end of Senggigi, a lovely beach and good range of hotels from budget to boutique resort and has the full scale 4-star Lombok Holiday Resort and the popular Qunci boutique resort right on the beach
 * Klui beach — even quieter again and site to a new small boutique resort hotel, has a lovely beach popular on Sundays with local people eating satay and playing on the beach
 * Lendang Guar — quiet scenic beach immediately north of Klui beach and Mangsit beach, 3 hotels, one on the beach and 2 on the main road
 * Malimbu beach — has spectacular views from the headlands at either end, popular with sunset photographers
 * Nipah beach — a lovely clean bay with traditional fishing activities and a stunning mountain backdrop
 * The scenic west coast highway — with beautiful bays, headlands and mountain framed rice fields to the north, a must for a motorbike enthusiast

Understand
West Lombok is the principal area of tourist activity and endeavour in Lombok. It has the most facilities including hotels, restaurants, tour companies, car and motorbike rental operators, western and locally oriented bars, clubs and restaurants. The focus of this activity is upon the township Senggigi including its lineal satellites along the coast north to the quieter and pretty Mangsit beach and Klui beach, and south to Batu Bolong, Batu Layar and Monton

The Senggigi area and in particular the township itself serves as the principal gateway to the other attractions of Lombok northward up the west coast including the Gili Islands and to Tanjung with its upmarket resorts and rental villas at Sire Beach and Medana beach. Tanjung in the north of the district is the gateway to the North Lombok region including Senaru, Mount Rinjani and further on to the historic villages of Bayan and Sembalun in adjoining North Lombok.

Talk
Bahasa Sasak is the language of the Sasak peoples of Lombok. In western Lombok the local people speak in varying dialects of the indigenous language of Lombok. Informal versions of Bahasa Indonesian are also spoken by many people especially amongst the younger generations who may also introduce elements of Javanese or Jakarta slang into their conversations. In the hotels, larger shops and offices of the district people will normally speak in more formal versions of Bahasa Indonesia. In the tourism areas along the west coast some people may speak English, especially those associated in some way with tourism activities. In tourist venues such as hotels and restaurants catering to overseas tourists there is more likelihood of English speakers being available most especially in the major hotels, restaurants and other establishments.

By plane
Lombok International Airport is located near the city of Praya on in South Lombok, and is approximately 10–60 km from the various parts of West Lombok (40 km southeast of Mataram). The airport is covered in the main Lombok article.

Airport taxis travel into West Lombok and are available to arriving passengers at Lombok International Airport (Bandara Internasional Lombok). The taxis providing services to and from the airport use a taxi meter. Payment of an Airport Taxi Service Charge is required for taxis departing the airport. The fee for West Lombok destinations is Rp 17,000, payable at a dedicated Airport Taksi desk at both the domestic and the international terminals.

Airport pick-up, the established hotels and resorts of the West Lombok area may offer pick ups and transfers to and from the airport or other locations in Lombok. You will need to enquire at the hotels for this service and ensure you book ahead.

DAMRI public airport bus service provides a scheduled air-conditioned service in late model buses operating between the airport and Mandalika central bus terminal on the eastern outskirts of Mataram (Rp 15,000/person) and to Senggigi on the west coast (Rp 25,000/person).

By bus
Public buses and bemo run to and from the west coast and the city of Mataram.

The northern areas feed in through Tanjung with limited services further north from Bayan connecting down the west coast. Other northern services connect through Tanjung, then onward via Pemenang, through Pusuk pass and onward via Gunung Sari to Mataram, Sweta and to the Central region and on to the south and the east of the island.

From the central areas toward Praya, the eastern coast and the southern beaches including Kuta and Sekotong the bus and bemo system can be a little complex and bewildering.

A bus terminal in the Sweta district just east of the main city of Mataram and Cakranegara serves West Lombok but there are also many smaller regional bemo hubs such as that found at the Ampenan pasar and other regional markets.

As the system feeding into and traversing the West Lombok region is somewhat confusing most visitors choose private car options, minibus operators, boat services or Lombok's quite reliable radio dispatched taxi service to get from point to point on the island.

By ferry
Fastboat services are increasing in number with several operators providing a crossing from Pandangbai in Bali to Gili Trangawan. Many Lombok visitors are now using this alternative to the larger and slower vehicular ferries and the aircraft services arriving at Lombok's airport in Ampenan.

There have been some operational safety issues with some ferries on this Lombok Strait sea route. Potential users of these services should research their options well.

Speedboats to Teluk Nare provide quick and expedient onward services from the Gili islands to the Lombok mainland.

Traditional outrigger boat charters also provide connections through to Bangsal, Mangsit beach and Senggigi beach from the three Gili Islands.

A public ferry service run by a local co-operative travels between the Gilli Islands and Bangsal harbour. Please see the Bangsal article for more detail on those services.

A few charter operations also move people between the Medana peninsular to provide services to the 5-star Oberoi Resort and the new Lombok Lodge, both whom have basic landing facilities.

Public vehicular and passenger ferries
 * Lombok strait: Lembar Lombok - from: Padangbai, Bali, with 12 ferries providing crossings once every hour, services run 24/7 unless suspended due to adverse weather conditions.
 * Alat Strait: Labuhan Lombok - from: Pototano, Sumbawa with 8 ferries providing 18 crossings per day.

Disruptions and rescheduling can occur on any of these sea crossings as the shipping operators may suspend services due to breakdown or heavy seas.

Lembar arrivals by ferry from Bali may find that only limited services are available to connect to through to Praya in Central Lombok, southeast toward Kuta or north toward the city of Mataram and the West Lombok tourism precincts of Senggigi, Gili Islands Tanjung and on to North Lombok.Taxis service the port area and bemo run during the day. Some visitors prefer to make prior arrangements for onward connections to their final destination in Lombok.

Please see the Lembar article for details.

Get around

 * Rent a car.
 * Rent a motor bike. See Lombok and ensure you obtain and use a helmet when riding a motor bike.
 * Metered taxis. See Lombok. They normally operate in the central and eastern area of Lombok and will be hard to find in the more remote areas. Bookings can be made in advance by calling their radio dispatch service.

See

 * Batu Bolong Hindu shrine
 * Sundays at Kerandangan beach or Klui beach, locals play on the beach and seek out satay.
 * Senggigi nightlife for a flashback to the 1980s.

Do

 * Jalan Udayana, a night time strip of warungs and small food stalls near the now closed Selaparang Airport.
 * Snorkel in the Gili Islands
 * Go bike riding on the scenic west coast highway between Mangsit beach and Malimbu
 * Take a guided walk in the forest
 * Hire an outrigger boat and take a trip to the Gili Islands

Eat
The west coast strip has a wide array of eating establishments. The highest saturation is in the Senggigi precinct.

Local food, mixed fusion food and a few successful attempts as western oriented styles can be found in this extended lineal coastal strip from Montong through to Klui just north of Mangsit beach.

Please see the Senggigi article for more details.

Drink
Many licensed premises such as hotels and some restaurants serve alcohol in the west Lombok region. Do not expect alcoholic drinks to be served in other than the larger hotels and more internationally oriented establishments and please respect local sensibilities by avoiding drinking openly in public whilst in Lombok. Local coffee, tea, fruit juices, coconut juice and softdrinks (sodas) are normally readily available.

Stay safe
Please see the main Lombok article for detail on health and safety in Lombok.

Cope

 * Please see the Lombok main article for a more comprehensive list of medical facilities available on the island.

Emergency service

 * Ambulance +62 370 623489 In emergency dial - 118
 * The reality is that unless within the confines of Mataram/Ampenan/Cakranegara an ambulance is normally too far away to provide prompt transport in the case of a true emergency. Most often a taxi, police vehicle or a private car is used to get someone requiring urgent medical attention to a hospital. The ambulances in Lombok are more often used in the role of assisted patient transport rather than for first responder/paramedic supported emergency assistance and transport.

Connect
West Lombok has varying terrain and land use from urban cities to remote mountain peaks and valleys. Accordingly, mobile telephonary varies from reasonable to patchy to non-existent. The cities and built up areas normally have reasonable to good coverage from the two main operators.
 * Telkomsel is operated by Indonesia's Telkom. They provide GSM 2G and in some areas including Senggigi, Mangsit and south to Mataram 3G reception and broadband wireless connections may be possible.
 * XL is also provides a wide coverage of 2G and in some areas 3G coverage.

Post offices are available in Mataram at the central post office at Jalan Sriwijaya, Mataram.

There is also a post office on the other side of the traffic round-a-bout outside the old Selaparang airport gates and another in Senggigi in the main street opposite of Bank BNI.

Post offices are described as Kantor Pos in Indonesia.

Domestic

 * Gili Islands
 * North Lombok
 * South Lombok
 * Central and East Lombok
 * Bali
 * Sumbawa
 * Java

International

 * Singapore
 * Kuala Lumpur

title: West Lombok