In the months after a tsunami devastated the Pangandaran coast, the white sand beach in West Java was deserted.
Now, almost three years later, the area in Ciamis regency bears little trace of the disaster; hotels, entertainment venues and markets are lively again, especially during holiday periods.
Indeed, the number of visitors to the beach has increased by 70 percent since then, according to the head of the South Ciamis tourism office's technical management unit, Haryono. "Our target in 2009 is for a full recovery," he said.
Many NGOs and community groups lent a helping hand to clean up the devastation left in the wake of the tidal wave, restoring the beach to its previous beauty.
"In the morning, visitors can watch the sunrise from the east part of the beach and in the afternoon they can watch the sunset on the west side," Haryono said.
Another attraction is the nearby Pananjung forest, home to scores of tame monkeys that will come close if tempted with peanuts but tend to behave themselvesas long as they're not touched.
"At first I was afraid but after giving them peanuts, they didn't bother me. They're funny, especially the small ones," said Hesti, 35, a tourist from the nearby town of Banyumas.
Tourists can also visit a marine park, reached by farmer's boat for Rp 75,000 (US$7) per boat.
In the marine park, about one kilometer from the beach, tourists can view the colorful coral and rock from the boat. Those wanting more adventure can ask to sail further out to sea, cutting through the high waves, a trip that "is very exciting...," according to Lilik Dharmawan, a visitor from Purwokerto.
For a longer if tamer boat ride, visitors can head to the Green Canyon River, named for its green water, which has great stalactites and stalagmites.
Tourists also can take in the sight of sea waves from Batu Hiu beach - named after the nearby stone that resembles a shark (hiu).
With these attractions and the tsunami a fading memory, crowds of domestic and international tourists are returning to the beach; 10 percent of tourists are from overseas, according to Haryono.
Around 300,000 people visited Pangandaran in 2007, he said. There were 400,000 visitors in 2008 by November. year, we have a target to show that we have fully recovered, attracting more than 500,000 people, back to the way it was before the tsunami."
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