Hello to everybody!
After so long time I am back to write more about JAVA of Indonesia.
Banyuwangi is basically the main town of East Java region, the four places which you should dedicate four days at least of your Indonesian journey are:
- Trekking to Ijen volcano crater with blue fire (if lucky to see it).
- Exploration of Baluran national park
- Exploration of Pulau Merah (Red Island)
- Exploration of Alas Purwo national park
The list above is based on what I personally managed to visit out of four days, however be aware that the list could become longer since there are more (hidden) spots that could be visited or even found out 🙂
Here below I state four reasons to visit those amazing attractions:
Why Ijen?
Even it is touristically advertised, if you like to enjoy a night trekking experience then it is 100% worthy, just before booking it with any tour agent be aware that the price of the package should be max. 400.000IDR (about 24€), if more then they are likely raping the pockets of the foreign western tourist. Me and a two German guys managed to get a negotiation for 250k IDR (about 15€). If you want to hear more about the tour agent details feel free to contact me and I will share the details.
The trekking itself takes apx. one hour but it is very intensive since the uphill path is aggressively steep, you will be hiking from about 1600mt of altitude up to about 2400mt, and the highest peak is 2799mt, so before going for the night trekking is recommended to take a nap 😉
Once you reach the top point you will enjoy a gorgeous scenery over the sunrise, so be provided with a camera and proper trekking shoes since you will get to walk quite a long way along the perimeter of the crater! Last thing but not the least keep in mind that you are supposed to wear the gas mask since the smell of sulfide is heavy to be breathed by your naked nose; the mask is provided by the tour agent or at the entrance point if you get there by yourselves.
Just take a look at the below pictures:
Why Baluran national park ?
If you like exploring a savanna which is full of buffaloes and colorful birds; in addition, you have opportunity snorkeling on the coral reef which is 100mt from the beach at the edge of the park then do not miss it! You need to rent a motorbike to get there unless you want to go by a tour agent.
Why Red Island?
This spot is really chilling and ideal for enjoying one of the best sunset when in Java, all you need is patience to get there, it is two hours and half of riding from Banyuwangi.
If you are curious to see monkey taking a bath on the water streams just get there and record some funny movies (I will soon upload one), this park compared to the Baluran one is much bigger, I personally did not manage to get to the very end point because it was getting late and the off-road was muddier and muddier so ride carefully!
Of course there is more and more to talk about East Java, just it is too long to just fit it in a single article, however if you are curious about any detail, I will be glad to provide you with the needed information(s) as long as my knowledges support me 😀
Every comment is welcomed!
Giuseppe
PathsUnbeaten@Blog - Travel challenges off the beaten path 