Mount Rakata (Greater Krakatau)

813m (2,667 ft)

This trail up Mount Rakata is not well worn – in fact, there isn’t much of a trail at all as the peak is not regularly climbed. Because of this, the vegetation crowds the trail, and it takes about 5 hours to reach the peak, including the time it takes to hack your way through the vegetation with a machete to clear the trail. If you happen to hike the trail shortly after another group, who already cleared the trail, then it could take you about 4 hours to reach the peak. The trip back down the mountain takes about 3 hours, so in total the hike takes 7-8 hours from the starting point, to the summit, and back to the starting point again.

Some people choose to camp at the starting point since this is a full-day hike. They stay at the camp for the night preceding the hike and/or the night following the hike. This particular beach is considered the safest and best beach to set up camp because the opposite beach (the north-facing beach facing Anak Krakatau) was destroyed by a tsunami in 2018.

This is one of the most challenging single-day hikes in Indonesia. There isn’t much of an existing trail up the mountain, due to the infrequency of climbers. If you decide to hike Rakata, you will need to navigate through dense vegetation, slashing away at the bush that covers the ungroomed ‘trail’ for most of the way up.

The starting point of the hike is on the coast that faces Java. The hike starts off on the beach (at sea level) and continues at an even gradient for about an hour through lots of trees and dense forest with vines hanging down from the trees that you can grab onto.

After the first hour, the elevation increases, and the ‘trail’ gets steeper and becomes even less of a defined trail. The vegetation changes from trees and forest to general shrubbery, bushes, and grass, still dense and taller than the average person. There are ravines here that you can follow up this part of the mountain, or crumbling narrow ridges situated just above them. There are some very challenging sections where you will need to watch your footing.

Nearing the last quarter of the hike (around 700+ meters/ 2,296+ ft above sea level) you will find a moss forest, sporting trees with moss hanging down around you like a weeping willow. The vegetation gets thicker the higher you get- you will get scratched and dirty from trying to get through it.

Almost at the top of Rakata (around 800m/2, 624 ft above sea level), you will come to another green ridge of vegetation and you will find yourself on a cliff that does not have a very distinct edge. It is therefore very important to take care where you step when on this ridge.

At the top, there is a view peeking through some trees of Anak Krakatau and the other islands.

Weather varies substantially between the wet season and the dry season. The dry season is from May to October, (the driest months being from July to September). This is the best time of year to embark on this particular excursion, however, it is also very humid and hot at this time of year, with temperatures ranging between 23˚C and 31˚C (73.4˚F and 87.8˚F)

The wet season spans from November to April, with January and February having the highest number of rainy days. It is still very hot and humid, with the temperature highs of these months averaging 30˚C (86˚F) and the lows averaging 23˚C (73.4˚F). Visiting during the wet season is allowed, but there is a higher risk of rain and choppy seas.

It is possible to do this hike with just a good set of hiking boots, however, it would be beneficial to hike with gloves as they could save your palms from damage when grabbing onto grass and vegetation while climbing the steep parts of the mountain and when braving the dense bush. It is also advisable to wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to protect you from getting very scratched.

Because this hike is challenging to navigate, and the trail is barely existent, you should also make sure you have a GPS with you. It is easy to lose your bearing when surrounded by greenery.

There is no water, food, or facilities on this hike. You will need to bring enough food and a minimum of 3 litres of water, (more if you choose to do the hike near midday), to prevent dehydration from the scorching sun and stifling humidity. You may also want to bring toilet paper in case you need to relieve yourself, as well as any camping gear if you are camping at the beach.

Since a trail essentially needs to be hacked away to climb the mountain, a guide is necessary. The guide should bring a machete and provide the service of clearing a path. The guide is also necessary to show you the way, as navigation can be tricky – from getting to the correct starting place to finding a safe way up to descending.

You also require a permit, which your guide or the skipper who brings you to the island will organise for you. You can also organise to go to the island through a tour operator who usually sorts out the guide, the permit, and the boat.

Rakata is an island between the bigger islands of Sumatra and Java and is only accessible by boat. It may require several days or weeks to arrange for and book your tour operator or guide, and a boat to take you to the island, usually from Java. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the starting point of the hike on Rakata by speedboat.

Rakata is very remote. It is not necessarily dangerous in the sense that you need to worry about other people, but it is only accessible in a group through tour operators or with a minimum of your guide and skipper if planned privately. The hike is for the advanced level hiker, and one should definitely take a first aid kit with them and preferably go with a group in case of injury or emergency.