Elevation	1,281 m (4,203 ft); Prominence: 1,150 m
Province	Lampung
Ribu Category	Kurang Tinggi
Links	Wikipedia English ; Wikipedia Indonesia

Photos

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Bagging It!

Rajabasa is the southernmost Ribu on the island of Sumatra and, as such, is accessible from Jakarta in a weekend. If you do not have your own transport, the best thing to do is take a DAMRI bus from Gambir railway station to Bandar Lampung. This includes the ferry crossing over the Sunda Strait. After the crossing, ask to be let off the bus near Kalianda near the southern tip of Sumatra.

The mountain is very much an isolated one, and from the Trans-Sumatra highway it looks a great deal higher than it really is. However, since you have to start from near sea level, it is no less a hike than, say, Salak or Karang. It takes 6 or 7 hours up and down and the starting point is Way Belerang (the natural hot water bathing pool) a couple of kilometres south of the town of Kalianda. As is the case with many peaks of this size, there are many, many farm tracks on its lower slopes, so it is definitely advisable to find a local guide, or at least be prepared to ask for help from the many farmers who work on the slopes of the mountain. As long as you’re heading ‘up’, you’ll generally be ok, especially if you follow one of several small water pipes running up/down the hillside.

The mountain is mostly covered in vegetation, but there are places where you can admire the view of Lampung’s west coast and as you near the summit you find that you are walking along the edge of a very old and dormant crater. Apparently there was increased volcanic activity here during the latter part of the nineteenth century (perhaps something to do with nearby Krakatau?) but it is not known when Rajabasa last erupted.

The summit itself (1,281.2m) is a small, pleasant, grassy area with a number of signs and flags left by other hikers and, despite not being able to admire the view to the Krakatau islands due to excess vegetation), a few other Lampung peaks further north and west are visible in good conditions. The other, more forested peak (1,278m) to the east of the crater is just three metres below the true summit, according to Bakosurtanal, but the views are likely to be very limited indeed due to all the vegetation on top.

It is best to return the same way and perhaps treat yourself to a quick splash in the natural hot water bathing pool. Kalianda has some wonderful beaches to explore and transport back to Jakarta is rarely difficult to find.

Practicalities

Bagging information provided by Daniel Quinn