Banyuwangi: A Hidden Gem

Indonesia. A word that means a lot to me. I started breathing, growing, and writing this blog in Indonesia. Such a sentimental feeling when I hear the word. Its richness cannot be beaten by anything else. 

Indonesia has a lot to offer when it comes to tourism. Mountains, seas, savanna, and everything in between, literally. People, you don't have any idea how much it has to satisfy all of you. On of the hidden gem that is on its pathway to raise is Banyuwangi. Banyuwangi is a resident which located in the edge of Java Island, it has direct link to your favorite getaway place, Bali. 

This January, I got a chance to visit Banyuwangi with some of fellows from Pamflet, Indonesian youth NGO. They have  a program named 'Seperlima', a program that focuses on advocating and raising awareness about sexual and reproductive health for youth. In Banyuwangi, our purpose is to give information about those things to some Islamic boarding school (we call it 'pesantren' here). We had so much fun, for the people there are way too kind.

Well, back to Banyuwangi and its tourism. Actually, Banyuwangi has A LOT tourism places. Yet we have only little time to visit them all, so we find some of accessible place there. I once found on instagram that Banyuwangi has a beach named Pantai Pulau Merah (Red Island Beach), so I looked for it on google and decided to go there together with all of Pamflet crews. Actually, the red island thing refers to a small hill in the middle of the sea. It has reddish soil so people call it that way. 

I was mesmerized by the view. Not so many people at the time I visited, seems like I came at the right time. Nothing so expensive, all is in moderation. We took the entrance ticket for IDR 10k for each person. You will find as well some street food stalls with affordable price. I brought my own beers from local minimarket before heading to this beach. Anyway, I bought that swimwear at the local stalls that sell various swimwear. Got it only for IDR 20k, I felt blessed that moment lol. What's good is that I still use it up until now. Couldn't believe it stays this long hahaha.

 So people, enjoy the sun, and you will get one of the best time of your life!