Banyuwangi is one of the most underrated yet beautiful places in Indonesia which is soon blossoming into an amazing destination to explore especially on your way to the famous island of Bali. Banyuwangi is a great place for all those who are on the lookout to embark on an adventurous journey.
Kawah Ijen
Kawah Ijen is the world’s largest acidic volcanic crater lake located at the Ijen volcano complex at the eastern end of Java. Kawah Ijen is filled with sulfur, when these sulfurous gases enter Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere they ignite as they burn with an electric blue flame. It is a spectacular sight to watch the blue flames burn and that view is only available at night. The flames disappear as soon as the sun comes up!
The hike takes almost 2 hours one way and usually starts at 02:00 AM from the base. It is important that you take along a local guide as the path is unmarked and steep at a lot of places. Also, it is necessary to wear a high-quality gas mask that would protect you from the gas fumes and clouds.
Please note, fumes from the lake can be highly irritating to eyes, nose, and throat—even worse when they’re absorbed into the mist.
Carry warm clothes and gloves as it tends to get chilly up there. Tours are priced around IDR 150,000; this price may vary depending on the tour operator and inclusions offered.
Jagir Waterfall
Also known as Kampung Anyar, the twin waterfalls of Jagir Waterfall are situated in the village of Tamansuruh, Glagah, Banyuwangi’s sub-district. The exquisite quality of the place is how one can simultaneously enjoy the scene of three waterfalls that emerges from the three springs on the top of a cliff. The weather is mostly on the cold side, and people can reach here in merely 20 minutes when driving from Banyuwangi. After parking the vehicles, walk down 100 meters to witness the beauty of the place.
Pulau Tabuhan
Pulau Tabuhan is a small uninhabited island with beautiful untouched scenery, sandy beaches, and stunning underwater life. This secluded island can be accessed by taking a boat ride of 20-30 minutes from Bangsring beach. Pulau Tabuhan is considered as the best kitesurfing destination in Indonesia and one of the best in Asia due to its consistent wind speeds between 20-25 knots. The island also hosted the Professional Kiteboarding championship in August 2015.
Apart from that, Pulau Tabuhan is popular for snorkeling and scuba diving because of the incredible marine life found there. The underwater beauty around the island is bright and multicolored making it popular with sub-marine photographers. Apart from that, Pulau Tabuhan is also home to protected endangered animals like hornbill and maleo bird.
Baluran National Park
Baluran National Park stretches across 25,000 hectares area and is home to endangered bull banteng, peafowls, and more. The locals refer to this place as the African van Java as the vast savanna and dry cracked earth is very similar to those in Africa. Baluran National Park has five zones: Main, Wilderness, Intensive Utilization, Specific Utilization, and Rehabilitation. The Wilderness Zone is the largest one that spreads across nearly 12,000 hectares which is almost half of the park’s territory.
When you take the safari here you will see pastures of grass that changes its color depending on the season. It is green during the wet season and it is golden during the dry season. You will spot a parade of its wild inhabitants such as Javan mouse-deer, they usually are busy grazing or playing around in a group under the shady trees.
You can also spot Sumatran wild dogs, Javan long-tailed primate lutung, even Javan leopards. The park has a total of 26 species of mammals and 155 species of birds and 44 kinds of trees and plants.
According to holidify.com
