Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine May 2018 | Page 101
Travel | Banyuwangi
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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.
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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
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