Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine May 2018 | Page 101

Travel | Banyuwangi 99 1 A view of Mount Baluran in Java, Indonesia. First I head off on a safari in Baluran National Park. Nicknamed ‘Little Africa in Java’, there are 511 plant species, 28 mammal species and 234 bird species in the 25,000ha expanse. 2 A long-tailed monkey playing on Bama beach. When the tide is out, monkeys search for food in the sea. 3 Green peafowls and their beautiful plumage are often found in the Bekol savannah of Baluran National Park. 4 A teenage Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) relaxing in the branches of a pilang tree (Acacia leucophloea) in Baluran’s Popongan Valley. 5 Senses – Taste SLAPPING RICE century. The plantation and cocoa-processing factory can be visited at Doesoen Kakao. Two types of cocoa are produced at the 1,500ha plantation, fine-flavoured Criollo and the more common Forastero. “Criollo is the best type of cocoa in the world. Growing it is very difficult, but it has the highest price. It can be worth three times more than Forastero,” explains Indah Novita, Marketing Manager at Doesoen Kakao. The seed is dried, roasted, separated from its skin, the fat and dregs are removed, ground into powder and it is then processed into cocoa powder or chocolate. Around 90 per cent of the cocoa is exported to Europe and Asia. I enjoy a mug of Glen’s Choco Hot chocolate drink in the café for only Rp 10,000. The aroma is fragrant, the chocolate is frothy, the flavour lingers pleasantly in my mouth and there are no dregs at the bottom of the mug. A popular culinary speciality is sego tempong, literally ‘slapping rice’. It consists of hot rice with boiled vegetables such as cabbage, green beans and cassava leaves. Side dishes include squid in black sauce, omelette, fried chicken, fried prawns, tofu and tempeh. What makes this dish special is the super-spicy raw chilli sauce that accompanies it, made with rose tomato (tomat ranti). This is where the dish’s name comes from: the sauce is so spicy, it feels like one is b eing slapped (ditempong). Kuliner khas Banyuwangi yang populer adalah Sego Tempong. Isinya adalah sego (nasi) panas dengan sayuran rebus seperti kubis, kacang panjang dan daun singkong. Lauknya boleh pilih sendiri seperti cumi kuah hitam, telur dadar, ayam goreng, udang goreng tepung, tahu dan tempe. Yang membuatnya istimewa adalah sambal mentahnya yang super pedas terbuat dari cabai dan tomat ranti. Dari sinilah nama itu berasal: saking pedasnya, rasanya seperti di-tempong atau ditampar. Most Instagrammable Spots Instagrammers are drawn to De Djawatan forest, near Benculuk town centre on the edge of the main road. In the past, it was used for railway management, but it has now been transformed into a visitor destination because of its hundred-year-old raintree (trembesi) forest, which resembles Fangorn Forest from Lord of the Rings, or the Dark Hedges from Game of Thrones. Young people arrive with selfie sticks, and couples come for their pre-wedding photo shoots, while children ride around the forest on rented horse-drawn carriages. I have to venture to the middle of the forest just to take photos away from other people. 3 Banyuwangi is nicknamed ‘The Sunrise of Java’ because the sun’s rays first hit the island each morning at this special destination. I get up early to witness the first sun at Syariah beach, a memorable moment during my trip and an energising way to start a day of sightseeing. In the past, this area was called Santen Island, but last year the local government changed its name in order to create a halal visiting area, with separate places for men and women, no alcohol on sale and facilities for Muslim prayer. For the adventurous, the electric-blue fire of Ijen crater and its one-kilometre-wide intense turquoise lake are not to be missed. There are midnight hikes to fully appreciate the magic of Ijen, where flames fuelled by sulphuric gas leap up to five metres into the air in the largest blue-flame area in the world. Expect a two-hour hike to reach the rim of the crater, followed by a 45-minute journey down to the bank. The volcano’s stunning turquoise lake is recognised as the largest highly acidic crater lake in the world. Another photogenic destination is Muncar Harbour, the second largest fishing harbour in Indonesia after Bagansiapiapi and home to colourfully decorated traditional fishing vessels of all sizes. More than 90 per cent of the fisheries production in Banyuwangi is from here. On the large ships, the captain’s seat at the top is carved like a king’s throne, while the back of the seat is decorated with a face, commonly of an Islamic cleric, a president or a child of the ship’s owner. Also popular is Bangsring Underwater, known as ‘Bunder’, where visitors can enjoy the beauty 4