Plengkung beach: Beautiful, challenging and inconvenient

Plengkung beach: Beautiful, challenging and inconvenient

By Singgir Kartana

BANYUWANGI, East Java (JP): If you are keen on surfing, come
to Plengkung Beach, Banyuwangi, where you can find out whether
you really are a surfer good enough to ride on the raging waves.
It is also here, however, that you may savor the beautiful
coastal panorama and the green virgin forest.

This beach first became popular among surfers only five years
ago when in June 1995 it was picked up as a site for the
international Quicksilver Pro-Greenland surfing championship.
Apart from Plengkung, there are two other beaches which are good
surfing sites: the beach to the south of Nias island and Kuta
beach in Bali. Plengkung, however, is superior to these two
beaches.

One thing that makes Plengkung stand out as a surfing site is
that its waves are almost 9 meters high and about 700 meters
long. As such, it is considered the world's third best surfing
site after the Pipe Line in Hawaii and the Cape Town Beach in
South Africa. Besides, it is also surrounded by a thick virgin
forest called Alas Purwa and has beautiful natural caves
attractive to tourists.

"This beach is really a challenge to test your surfing
capability. I am impressed by the huge waves and the natural
beauty of the beach. I have been here three days learning how to
surf," Dutch tourist Amber Wrigthbende told The Jakarta Post.

Plengkung Beach is located in the south-eastern part of
Banyuwangi regency, to be exact in Blambangan Tip, about 54 km to
the south of Banyuwangi. It is not easy to get to this place,
which you can reach by sea or by land. If you go by land, you can
take a bus or a motorcycle taxi in Banyuwangi to come to
Trianggulasih village. From here you must walk about 14 km
through Alas Purwa forest. The unpaved path is usually slippery
and muddy as it usually rains in Banyuwangi every other day.

If you go there by sea, you can start from Grajagan Beach,
which is to the west of Plengkung. From there you take a
speedboat, which will take you to Plengkung in 45 minutes, or a
fisherman's boat, which will take about two hours.

Despite the great distance that one must cover to get there
and also despite the difficult terrain, Plengkung remains a
favorite site for surfers. A number of Japanese and Dutch
tourists were once seen enthusiastically walking through the
thick forest together to get to Plengkung.

"We have decided to walk because we are keen on enjoying the
scenery along the way to the beach. This shady and cool forest is
really a nice place. You feel really fresh to be in such a
place," said Yamashita, one of the group, wiping the perspiration
on his forehead once in a while.

How about the accommodation? There are a lot of hotels and
lodging places in Banyuwangi regency with affordable rates
ranging between Rp 20,000 - Rp 75,000 a night. Unfortunately they
are generally quite a long way away from tourist sites. Most
hotels have sprung up close to the city such as in Kalibaru,
Genteng and Banyuwangi sub-districts.

It is unfortunate for tourists that there is quite a distance
between a sub-district town and the beach while overland
transportation leading to the site is rare. As a result, many
tourists have been discouraged from visiting sites in Banyuwangi.

As a matter of fact, Plengkung Beach could be developed into a
prime tourist site. Because of its close proximity, Bali tourists
could easily be lured to the area. Besides, it also can boast
multiple attractions in addition to Plengkung Beach -- Sadangan
Beach, Rowo Bendo Beach, Pancur Beach, Istana Cave and Gajah
Cave.

In this context, Banyuwangi district administration,
particularly its tourism service, needs to improve supporting
facilities and infrastructure to provide tourists with easy
access. It is urgent that the authorities concerned provide the
area with adequate overland transportation and infrastructure.
The path now connecting Trianggulasih and Plengkung is far from
adequate not only because of its long distance but also because
there are no places to rest along the route.

As a result, Plengkung is only popular among a relatively
limited number of people. If the overland transportation and
infrastructure were adequate, Banyuwangi could be a very popular
tourist area, especially since it has all that tourists usually
look for: traditional arts, the beauty of nature and handicraft
items for souvenirs.