Sawarna Village

Lebak District - Banten - Indonesia

A. Brief Information

Lebak District is one of popular tourism destinations in the province of Banten. It is famous for its villages that might offer you with picturesque nature views and the fresh air that is rarely found in big cities. Amongst them is Sawarna village, located at Kampong Gendol, Bayah Sub-district, Lebak District, Banten Province.

Sawarna Village was the centre of coconut plantation when the Dutch colonials occupied Indonesia. At that time, Sawarna Village was famous for its coconut oil and copra. A Dutchman, Jean Van Gought, was the founder of the coconut plantation. Up to now, this village is still the biggest coconut oil producer in the province of Banten. They are even distributed to Jakarta, Bandung, and Bogor.

At the Japanese colonization, Sawarna Village was a gold mining site. There you can find holes in some hills as the consequence of the Japanese gold mining activities. From such history, the village situated southernmost of Banten Province is called Sawarna Village; sawarna means gold.

Recently, the village situated west of Pelabuhan Ratu Beach, Sukabumi District offers various tourism objects such as beaches, river, forest, rock climbing, caves and agro tourism. Numerous domestic and foreign visitors come to the village during holidays and weekends. For such potentials, the local government of Banten Province has managed the village since 2000. In 2004, Suwarna Village was officially open for public visit as village tour destination.

B. Distinctive Feature

Entering the village at the first time, you will be amazed with the green vast rice field, awesome nature view, and numerous green plants scattered along the horizon. You can feel its fresh air that may rarely be found in big cities. Moreover, the local people are very friendly towards the visitors who want to enjoy the beauty of Sawarna Village. Surely it would make your visit more comfortable.

Sawarna Village Tour
Photo: santipanon.multiply.com

Sawarna is the best place for you who like tracing the mystery buried inside the caves found in the village. Lalay and Lauk caves are highly recommended for this. This 100-metre-long cave offers wonderful stalagmites and stalactites ever. There is a subsoil river mixing with 10 - 15 centimetres mud flowing inside the cave of Lalay. The word lalay alone is derived from the Sundanese language that means bat. Indeed, the cave is the habitat for a number of bats.

Lalay Cave
Photo: santipanon.multiply.com

Meanwhile, visitors are impressed with the cave's wide shaft where a quite deep river flows within. Since many fishes live inside this cave, people named the cave Lauk that literally means fish.

Not only are the caves at Sawarna Village highly recommended as tourism objects, they are also the best places for treasurer hunters. There you can find the remaining traces of the Japanese Armed Forces such as wrecked jeeps, bicycles, bullets, cooking utensils, artillery mortars and bullions.

Enchanting Sawarna Beach
Photo: Robertadhikso

 
Tanjung Layar Beach
Photo: wolf dean

Likewise, you can enjoy the beauty of beaches at Sawarna Village; that of Ciantir (Sawarna) and Tanjung Layar beaches. This three-km-long beach is famous for its grainy white sands that provide areas for sunbathing, beach football, and beach volleyball. To enjoy the most romantic moment of sunrise and sunset, Perawan Beach situated in the south of Sawarna Village is the right place. Its waves would certainly challenge surfers to beat it. April to September is the time when many surfers compete to beat the wild wave of the beach. Meanwhile, Tanjung Layar Beach is also famous for its barrier.

You can take photograph while standing on two big stones that resemble the shape of a stranded ship (thus it is named tanjung Layar that means the bay of sail). Likewise, you can enjoy awesome coral reef and underwater life as the water is quite clear.

Green Rive Field at Sawarna Village
Photo: santipanon.multiply.com

If you want to feel the different experience, you can take a visit to agro-tourism areas around the village. There you could take a walk in the middle of green rice field, hunting for beautifully intricate stones in Cisawarna River, visiting fish market and enjoying the beauty of flora and fauna in nature preserve situated west of the village. Even you can have extreme sport such as rock climbing in the hills nearby the beach. Many interesting places to be visited are available for you who want to spend long holidays visiting red sugar maker, guitar craftsmans, Jean Louis Van Gought's graves, and the remnants of Kabayan, a legendary figure amongst the Sundanese people etc.

C. Location

Suwarna Village is administratively located at Kampong Gendol, Dayah Sub-district, Lebak District, Banten.

D. Access

Sawarna Village lies about 250 kilometres away from Jakarta. It can be reached by taking private car and public transportation from Jakarta to Bayah Sub-district spending approximately seven hours.

For you who take private car or rented car, two different routes are available; that of Jakarta-Serang-Malimping-Bayah-Sawarna and Jakarta-Balaraja-Maja-Rangkasbitung-Malimping-Bayah-Sawarna.

For you who want to take public transport, you are supposed to stop at Bogor Bus Station. Then you may continue the trip to Pelabuhan Ratu. After arriving at Pelabuhan Ratu, you might go to Bayah Market or Bayah Bus Station before reaching the village by taking jeep or ojek. It is better you have been in Bayah Bus Station at 05.00 pm as jeep transport is available up to 05.00 pm.  

E. Ticket Price

In the confirmation process.

F. Accommodation and other Facilities

Many facilities have been provided for the visitor by the management of Sawarna Village. Homestays and villas are available there as well. Camping ground is also provided for you want to stay in outdoor area. You can find other facilities such as guides, shelters, restaurants, gazebos, and souvenirs shops. Likewise, a run way is available for you who take personal jet to reach the village.

Yusriandi Pagarah (WM/70/12-08)

Translated by Fuji Hastuti (OS) (04/03-09)

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Photo Credit: http://santipanon.multiply.com

If you are from outside Yogyakarta and want to visit this place by travel agency services, please contact :

Maharatu Tour and Travel

Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 27 Yogyakarta.
Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
Website : www.maharatu.com

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