Anyer

Anyer is a beach resort town in the province of Banten in the Western Java region of Indonesia. It is the most famous beach area on Java's west coast because it is relatively easy to reach from the capital Jakarta.

Understand
Anyer is a district of the regency of Serang, about 30 km west of the city of Serang. The beaches of Anyer spread across the western coast of Anyer, as well as the coast of the Cinangka district to the south. While the town centre and market of Anyer are in the north of the district, near the city of Cilegon, the part of most interest to visitors is the stretch of resorts and beaches along the main road to the south. These are the areas of Anyer Kidul (Sundanese for South Anyer) and Cinangka. However, in common usage, all of these areas are simply called Anyer.

Anyer (Dutch: Anjer) was a significant seaport in the Dutch East Indies of the 19th century, and the western terminus of the Great Post Road. However, it was completely destroyed by the eruption of the Krakatau volcano in 1883. The cape on Anyer's western coast was during the Dutch time also known as Java's Fourth Point, counting it as the fourth main headland of Western Java's coast as counted from the south (the first two are in Ujung Kulon, and the third is Tanjung Lesung). Nowadays, Anyer is mainly a tourist town, and the main seaport of the region is now about 25 km to the north in Merak.

By car
The Anyer area is around two hours' drive from Jakarta if there are no traffic jams, but usually it takes about 3 hours due to traffic congestion. Taking the toll road from Jakarta to the west (towards Merak), take the exit at KM 95 at East Cilegon (Cilegon Timur), and from there follow the National Road 3 along the coast to the south. This road continues further to the south to Carita Beach and the town of Labuan. Unfortunately, some roads to the Anyer beaches are not good condition: Potholes and flooded roads are common, and the poor quality of the roads is further worsened by the strain on the surface caused by the transit of heavily-loaded trucks.

By bus
To get to Anyer by public transport, you can take a silver-coloured angkot (minivan) from the centre of Cilegon, or a so-called elf (public transport minibus), that departs from behind the Grand Mosque. The tariff for the angkot is about Rp5,000 to 10,000, depending on where in Anyer you get off. Cilegon can be reached by taking any bus on the route between Jakarta and Merak, and get off at Cilegon's Seruni bus terminal near the East Cilegon motorway exit. From there, you'll need to take a purple-coloured angkot into the centre of Cilegon first (Rp3,000).

Get around
The silver-coloured angkot (public minivan) provides connection along the coast road, also further south towards Carita Beach. Other options are to rent a car or motorbike, or to hire an ojek (motorcycle taxi).

Do
Anyer is basically a beach. It's really pretty during sunset. You may also rent a boat to go to Krakatoa volcano.

Eat
On the beach, many people sell stuff. The most popular snack for sale is emping (a cracker made of melinjo nuts). It's kind of bitter but adding salt makes it very tasty. Many beach stalls also sell kelapa, or coconuts. You can get this perfect refreshment at a cost of Rp5,000.

Drink
As a coastal area, coconut drink is easy to find.

Sleep
The Anyer area is popular with domestic visitors. Many resorts occupy the area between the highway and beach; especially immediately south of the lighthouse. The resorts are generally busy and double their rates on weekends - book in advance. Midweek, it's easy to just show up and find a reasonably-priced room. For low-cost rooms, you'll have more choices at Carita (40 minutes south on the silver angkot).

Go next

 * Anyer is the starting point of the Great Post Road, a 1,000 km main road built by the Dutch in the 1800s, connects west Java with the east to transport trades and spices. Many of Java's major cities, including Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya are in line with this road.