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.