Way Kambas National Park

Officially established in 1985, the Elephant Training Center, located 9 km from the park’s Plang Ijo entrance, is an establishment aimed to protect the existence of the elephant and at the same time create mutual benefit for both the elephants and men. The training center is also a reminiscent of the time when kings or sultans ruled Sumatra, when elephants were trained and deployed in warfare and also for ceremonial purposes. Here, visitors can observe elephants perform various tasks such as transporting lumber or plowing fields. They can also perform peculiar activities such as playing football or other entertaining performances.

Get There

If you are using public transport, the simplest route is taking a bus from Rajabasa Terminal in Bandar Lampung in the direction of Way Jepara. Get off at the stone elephant at Rajabasa Lama Village, Way Jepara, and resume by an ojek or motorbike taxi ride to the Way Kanan or the Elephant Training Centre (ETC), which is the entrance to WKNP. Keep in mind that the last direct bus back to Rajabasa Lama returns at 03:00 pm Western Indonesia Time, and it is best if you arrive before dusk, since the ojek driver won’t drive you there after this time. The whole trip would take approximately around 2-3 hours. Alternatively, from Bandar Lampung, you can catch a bus to Metro and subsequently another bus to Rajabasa Lama which also last around 2-3 hours.

If you happen to use or rent a car, from Bandar Lampung take the Kota Bumi Road northward and just follow the serial elephant signs that will easily take you to WKNP. It is possible to hire a taxi from Bandar Lampung to Way Kambas but it is considerably more expensive. From Bandarlampung to east Lampung district, the roads are relatively in good condition. However, as you enter Sukadana area the trip will get a little bumpy since some parts of the road are in poor condition. From Way Jepara market to the entrance of WKNP the poorly condition road last for about 5 km.