Lashed by huge, impressive waves that are for the most part too rough for swimming, the resort town of Pangandaran runs either side of a narrow isthmus connecting the mainland with a forested national park. Now virtually deserted owing to the recent economic and political turmoil in the country, Pangandaran has gone into virtual hibernation: many of the losmen have closed, as has the local cinema and even the town's only disco. Nevertheless, Pangandaran's beaches are still impressive, and the surrounding countryside offers a dizzying wealth of trips. The beach to the west is rent by powerful wind and waves, the eastern cove sheltered and quiet. There are a number of souvenir stalls on the seafront, many selling carcasses and shells from the once-abundant local population of turtles and monitor lizards. Every July and August, there's a kite-flying festival at the beach, with plenty of kite-fights: strings are treated with glue and ground glass so that they can sever rivals' lines.

About eighty percent of Pangandaran national park is secondary rainforest, and its most famous resident is the enormous Javanese rafflesia flower, which can grow to be the diameter of a car tyre. It's actually a parasite, flowering during the rainy season, and is pollinated not by bees but by a fly. Its relative, the Sumatran rafflesia, is the largest flower in the world and can grow up to 1m in diameter. Other occupants include Banteng oxen, mouse- and barking deer, armadillos, civets, flying lemurs, several species of primates and hornbills; the beaches are good places to spot turtles, coming ashore both to lay their eggs and bask in the sun. You can see the recreational area of the park by yourself, though to venture into the interior you must join a guided tour from one of the operators in town. Get your guide to show you the magnificent limestone caves and the fifty-metre waterfall that tumbles straight into the sea; there's a good pool for swimming at the top. Surfing off the park can be exceptional - there's a reef break on the Western border, though you are not, strictly speaking, supposed to be there. The coral here is razor-sharp, so bring a helmet and lots of iodine.

Buses into Pangandaran town stop at the terminal just beyond the isthmus on the mainland, and outside the town gates. The nearest train station on the main line is at Banjar . Banjar is two hours away by bus (Rp2000-Rp15,000). One of the most popular ways of getting between Pangandaran and Yogya is by a memorably picturesque riverboat trip . From Pangandaran, take a bus to the town of Kalipucang (45min; Rp1000), 15km east. Here, a regular ferry (7am, 9am and 1pm; 4hr; Rp3000) runs across the Segara Anakan Lagoon to Cilacap, from where there are buses on to Yogya and beyond; to get to Yogya or Wonosobo in one day, you'll need to catch the first boat. Many places in Pangandaran sell the whole bus/river/bus trip as a package. Otherwise, when the ferry stops at Cilacap harbour you'll need to catch a becak, bemo or ojek to the terminal, and then catch a bus on from there.

Pangandaran has most essentials for tourists, but is short of a bank . The BRI in town has lousy rates for exchanging foreign currency and is only open until lunchtime. At the time of writing, the best rates were to be found at the Chez Mama Cilacap. The tourist information booth next door is refreshingly impartial and can help with trips out of Pangandaran and into the national park. The twenty-four-hour Telkom office is on Jalan Kidang Panunjang as you head from town towards the gates. The post office is also on Jalan Kidang Panunjang, closer to the centre of town (Mon-Sat 8am-2pm, Fri & Sun 8am-11am).