Elevation	264 m (866 ft); Prominence: 264 m
Province	Lampung
Ribu Category	Spesial
Also known as…	Anak Krakatoa
Links	Wikipedia English ; Wikipedia Indonesia

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Bagging It!

Known incorrectly as ‘Krakatoa’ to most of the Western world, this cluster of small islands is the site of one of the most well-known volcanic eruptions in history. Krakatau exploded in August 1883, creating serious devastation and loss of life across the region and having an impact on the global climate. The eruption was so huge that the island of Krakatau was almost completely destroyed – what we now see in its place are a few fragments of the original island and a new, growing volcano Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatau) which emerged in 1927.

The new volcano is very much active, so take great when visiting the island and heed warnings to stay away. There are several organizations offering daytrip tours from the seaside resort of Carita, Java or Kalianda, Sumatra. To reach Carita from Jakarta, take the toll road towards Merak and then turn off to Pandeglang and down to Labuan. This is a much faster route than via Merak.

From Carita, it takes about 2 hours by speedboat to reach the group of islands. The usual approach if actually setting foot on the island is to sail between the impressive cliff of Rakata island (on your left) and Anak Krakatau itself (on your right) and then dock on a small sandy beach on the backside of the island. There are a remarkable number of trees desperately trying to grow at the base of the volcano but just a few metres beyond and all you will encounter is black volcanic rock and sand. Reaching the highest point is incredibly dangerous, but if the volcano is not erupting you may well be allowed to climb to close to the summit and enjoy the views of neighbouring islands.

If you’re lucky during the trip, you’ll also encounter monitor lizards and flying fish. You can also camp overnight on the island of Rakata – a great place to watch from when the Anak itself is erupting and therefore too dangerous to visit. Rakata is the highest island in the group and is a remnant of the original Krakatau volcano.

For a fantastic account of the 1883 eruption, and more information on the Krakatau islands, read Krakatoa: The Day The World Exploded by Simon Winchester.

Practicalities