Rawa Danau Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Serang, Indonesia

Rawa Danau is a nature reserve covering roughly 3,500 hectares of freshwater swamp forest and interconnected lake systems in Banten province. The area spans three sub-districts and provides diverse habitats for plants and animals.

Rawa Danau was already a protected area under the Dutch East Indies administration, and in 1936 the ornithologist Hoogerwerf described its swamp forest as unique on Java and proposed its protection. It is now managed by the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency through its Serang regional section. In 2021 Presidential Regulation No. 60 listed it among Indonesia's 15 national priority lakes, citing damage to its catchment, declining water quality and loss of biodiversity.

Local communities around the reserve have long gathered medicinal plants like gaharu wood and carnivorous species for traditional healing practices. These activities remain woven into daily life and local knowledge.

Entry requires a permit from the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency for visits and observation activities. It is wise to contact local authorities in advance to arrange access and ensure a smooth visit.

The reserve holds the only mountainous swamp ecosystem on Java island and is home to rare species like estuarine crocodiles and black eagles. This combination of terrain and wildlife exists nowhere else on the island.