Travelistar: Baluran in Different Frame

View from Tanjung Bilik, Baluran National Park

A Lifetime Adventure

This truly is an unforgettable journey of my own. How could it not? me and my friend, for the first time, ride a motorbike for a distance as far as 195 km. Moreover, we penetrated a narrow yet bumpy road in the middle of Baluran's wilderness, which was too my first time.

The Journey was inspired by an article from NatGeo Traveler magz Februari 2015 edition, telling a bit more than we know about Baluran National Park a.k.a a slice of Africa in Java. It shows a map of the National Park, which I found that there is another route in exploring Baluran which is different than the one I knew all along.

Baluran at NatGeo Traveler

NatGeo

I know not why it took me a year to write about this journey, which I place as one of my top travel stories. Maybe a year ago I wasn't sure of telling my story in English, I was afraid that my readers wouldn't get what I'm telling them, since my English writing skill was below average, as it is now.

A 7 hours ride marks the beginning of my journey from Surabaya to Situbondo Regency in the eastern tip of Java Island. A long and exhausting trip that started in midnight 29th of May 2016. I always choose midnight time for such journey, it gives us ease of travel since there will be less cars on the road and we can enjoy the destination earlier on the next day. But it didn't happen this time, coz we still had to take another narrow and ugly bumpy road to reach the destination in Baluran National Park.

Before troubles come

Ugly Road

Before entering the National Park

On The Road

As I said before, the path we took is different from the normal route we commonly take. If the normal route start from Batang Village on the western part. This time we had to take the left turn in the last village road before entering the National Park area. Some locals, with motorbike, took the same path too. I never knew that the same road has been explored by the locals from long ago. Sometimes they catch us a head in undoubtedly riding skill going through ugly bumpy road in the middle of the jungle. Me, on the other hand, had to struggle badly on this particular road. A lot of big rocks on both side of the road, as if I'm in the middle of drag race. I had to stop once at a time as I crash those rocks. what can I say, I'm an unskilled motorbike rider.

As we go through deeper in the National Park, the scenery is so satisfying. Most of it were savannas with some trees in irregular positions. Some savanna has a chest tall grasses. I never knew when the journey would ending as I go deeper in the dense jungle. I was blind too, not knowing where exactly my destination is or how far we had to take this bumpy road. Sometimes I asked those who passed me by whether the destination is already close or still far away from my spot.

Savanna

View in National Park

The name's Tanjung Bilik. A relatively small peninsula on the north of Baluran National Park. I was so eager to see the same scene as pictured in the magz, so wild and natural. Once the road turned from gravel road into soils, I imagined we already near to the destination, and so the locals said. We found a beach on our way, then continue to presumed to be the Tanjung Bilik Peninsula area. But, the further we go, the more confused we've got. Until we reached a village.

A Filthful Place

Yes you heard it right, a village, in the middle of nowhere. "How could people settle down in the place like this?" I thought. So I continue exploring the village, hoping that I will find someone to ask about the destination. Luckily, I met the same person we encountered before. I forgot his name. He works for Forestry Department and was visiting his relatives in that Village, namely Merak village. He offered me to rest and freshening up, I wouldn't say no. As we talked, he would take me to the location we wanted to reach.

Livestock Fence

In Village

One thing I have to tell you about this village. Its road is made of piles of livestock's shit, literally. I found this when I stopped my motorbike in front of the local's house. I, accidentally, stepped on the fresh cow's shit as I get down from my bike. OMG, it's horrible, it even on my bike. So I had to clean it up. Then the guy told me that each of the villagers have livestock on their own. They will take the livestock out to the savanna every morning, so that they can eat the grass. By evening, they will take back the livestock to the cages in front of their houses which only made of wooden fence just before the beach. I couldn't imagine how the road will be full of shit dust as the livestock moving.

The Beach, The Jungle and The Volcano

At about 03.00 pm, we departed. This time we were heading the right direction, lead by this man and his wife. We found a nice quite beach to settle our tent, and some locals were there too to fish. The view is jaw dropping. Here we can see Mount Baluran from the unusual angle. Just below it, a dense jungle and the sea lies in the same frame. Such a beauty I rarely encountered. Unfortunately, as the sun goes down, the water level is getting lower and lower. But, it didn't stop me to explore the shallow water and enjoy the sunset.

Mt.Baluran

Cloudy Day

Sunset

I made dinner which is the combination of rice, eggs and instant noodle. A typical Indonesian Campers food. Only that, my friend did not have appetite to eat dinner. He said he was too afraid of being in the middle of the jungle alone. I said not to worry, things are going to be fine. Let's just spend a night here and enjoy some more tomorrow. I planned to stay for two night, but He refused.

The next morning, we woke up in a very refreshed mind. We spent sometimes on the beach taking more pictures before heading back to civilization. I found an octopus as I explore the shallow water on the beach. The sun shine so brightly, adding the beauty of the beach even more. This is the peculiar beauty I ever wanted. So I said to myself "Mission Accomplished".

We moved back at around 09.00 am in the morning. Another bumpy road ahead, it took 2 hours to reach the main road, one hour less than the day before. We continued our journey to Banyuwangi Regency and stay overnight at homestay in Ketapang, nearby the Seaport for the ferrys going to Bali Island.