Banten (town)

Banten, also known as Banten Lama (Old Banten) is a town in the province of Banten, in the Western Java region of Indonesia. Banten used to be the capital of the powerful Banten sultanate, that had control over trade in parts of Western Java and Sumatra in the 16th to 18th century.

Understand
Being a great trading centre in Southeast Asia, especially of pepper, 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. However, the capital of the colonial power, the Dutch East Indies, was located just 60 km east in Batavia (now the city of Jakarta). This led to intense conflicts, and eventually led to the end of the sultanate in the early 19th century, when it was absorbed in the Dutch East Indies. Nowadays, the town of Banten is an administrative village under the authority of the larger city of Serang. Banten's port is no more than a local fishing port, with the ports of Merak to the west and Jakarta to the east being much more important.

By car
Banten is about 7 km north of the city of Serang. The Jalan Raya Banten road leads directly from the city centre of Serang to Banten. To get to Banten from Jakarta, you can take the Jakarta-Merak toll road and get off at the Serang Timur (East Serang) exit. From there, it is about a 10 km drive to Banten.

By train
Banten is served by. There are several daily trains from Serang and Rangkasbitung (terminus of commuter line from central Jakarta), and several in the other direction to Cilegon and Merak (ferry port to Sumatra).

By bus
There is also an angkot (minibus) route from the city of Serang to Banten. To ask for directions, mention specifically Banten Lama (Old Banten).

Get around
Most of the sights in Banten, as well as the railway station, are within walking distance of each other. Another option is to hire an ojek (motorcycle taxi). The neighborhood is poor and in parts resembles a shanty town.

See

 * Masjid Banten 111225 0560 mer.JPG

Eat
There are various warungs (local eateries and streetfood stalls) in the town of Banten, serving seafood and other local dishes.

Sleep
There are no hotels in the town of Banten. The nearest hotels are in the city of Serang. It is also possible to visit Banten as a day trip if you stay overnight in Tangerang or Jakarta.

Connect
Banten lama is in Serang City so the telephone code area is 0254.

Go next

 * Anyer — this beach resort town is about 40 km west of Banten.
 * Serang — in the nearby provincial capital there are various hotels, shopping malls, and restaurants.