Things to do
5-
Park
Alas Purwo National Park
Rainforest and mangrove at the southeastern tip of Java, holding the Plengkung surf break known to surfers as G-Land, a Hindu temple used for night vigils, and a grazing meadow at Sadengan where banteng come out at either end of the day. Turtles nest on the Ngagelan shore. Swell for the surf camps runs from April to September, and the park entrance sits well off the main road.
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Baluran National Park
Dry savanna and monsoon forest under a dormant volcano, known locally as Africa van Java. Banteng, deer and water buffalo gather at the Bekol waterhole, while macaques work the shoreline at Bama Beach. Wildlife concentrates in the dry months from July to October, and the track in from the highway gate is rough and slow in a low car.
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Ijen
A volcanic complex straddling the Banyuwangi and Bondowoso borders, known for an acid crater lake that turns turquoise at dawn and for the blue flames of burning sulphur gas visible only in darkness. Miners carry baskets of yellow rock up from the crater floor. Climbs leave Paltuding in the small hours, and rangers close the trail without notice when gas readings rise.
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Meru Betiri National Park
Lowland rainforest running down to the Indian Ocean, and the last place the Javan tiger was recorded. Green turtles come ashore at Sukamade through the night, where rangers run a hatchery and take visitors to the beach after dark. Teluk Hijau, a green bay reached on foot, sits along the same coast. Getting in means river crossings and a high clearance vehicle, so most arrive on an overnight trip.
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Red Island Beach
Pulau Merah takes its name from a small conical islet just offshore, reachable across the sand at low tide. The break here is gentle and sandy bottomed, which is why surf schools put beginners on it and why competitions still run on the same stretch. West facing, so the sun sets over the water. Weekend crowds arrive from town in the afternoon.
