Krui & Tanjung Setia area South Sumatra

Updated: March 2025

Krui and Tanjung Setia are located in Pesisir Barat regency of South Sumatra. A large agricultural area with an amazing coastline that stretches 150km from Rata Agung in the north to Way Haru in the south. The 4th most poverty stricken district of South Sumatra with 17% of children living below the poverty line, lack of education, health services and opportunities underline life in Pesisir Barat.

Tourism is not a primary industry and it's economic contribution to the area is minimal. Small pockets of development have taken place at Tanjung Setia beach, Mandiri beach and Krui. Once catering almost exclusively to international surfers recent years have seen a rapid shift toward domestic tourism and as predicted cracks in the industries economic and environmental sustainability are appearing.

If your expecting to find Bali as it was 40 years ago ... think again. Ninety six percent of the population are conservative Muslims and the vast majority do not rely on the tourist dollar.

The local people

Indonesian's Transmigration Program initiated by the Dutch colonialists and continued by post-independence Indonesian governments has been significant in shaping the South Sumatra of today. With a primary objective of balancing population density accross Indonesia and secondary objective of replacing regional indigenous identities with a single Indonesian national identity landless settlers from Java, Bali and Madura are given real estate and employment opportunities in less populated areas like South Sumatra.

To date approx 2.2 million Transmigrants have been relocated to South Sumatra. Consequentially many indigenous Lampungese remain suspicious and intolerant of outsiders and foreigners due to marginalization and loss of access to natural resources and land that were historically important parts of their lives.

Krui

Krui is the largest town in the area and the capital of Pesisir Barat. It's a port town with many small stores, a large central market and an Immigration Office. There are a number of beaches close by including Labuhan Jukung which is home to the well known surf break Krui Left.

Tanjung Setia

Tanjung Setia is a small town on the W Trans-Sumatran Hwy ( Jalan Lintas Barat ) located 30 min south of Krui. It's best known for the surf break Ujung Bocur / Karang Nyimbur. It has a few small stores, Alfamart (Indonesia's equivilent to a 7/11), and local market up the road in Sumur Jaya on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Biha

Biha is a small town south of the entrance to Tanjung Setia beach. It has an Indomaret, pharmacy (apotek), medical clinic, police station, doctors, scooter mechanic, electrical appliance store, barber, tailor, a few clothes shops and small warungs.