Watu Ulo Beach

Watu Ulo is one of the tourist objects which lies in the side of Indonesian ocean that has beautiful panorama and it is the right place for enjoying the sea. It is called "watu ulo" by the native inhabitants because in the former time there was a snake making asceticism. After succeeding his asceticism, it became a stone resembling a snake, sticking into the sea, and its body lied on the land. In the Japanese occupation period at the coastal area, the Japanese soldiers made fortresses which are used for fortifying against the attacking enemies and now some of the fortresses become tourist objects. The people in the coastal area called it Japanese fortress because beside the Japanese fortress, there is also a bat cave inhabited thousands of bats. The visitors can across along the shore and the sand to get to the cave. The lonely situation of the cave is often used for meditation by people, remembering that the cave has 100m depth. To get there, the visitors can use public transportation or rental car in 30 minutes from down town.

Gerbong Maut Monument

On November 23, 1947 the history has wrote with a golden pen about the heroically battle of Bondowoso society against the Dutch colony. 100 civil soldiers were carried by three cars. The car number GR.10152 contained 30 people, the car number GR.446 contained 32 people, and the car number GR5769 contained 38 people. The people were carried by train from Bondowoso station to the jail at Kalisosok Surabaya. Those carts departed from Bondowoso train station at 03.00 a.m. The soldiers who were in those cars felt hot and stuffy because the lack of air inside those cars and they pushed each other to get the air through the small holes on that broken cars. The worst thing was that those cars' walls were so hot because of the sunshine. The soldiers were dehydrated, and the result of this happened was 46 people of 100 people were dead. That historical moment had known as Gerbong Maut Incident, and Gerbong Maut Monument was built to memorize this deadly incident. It has become an important historical monument of Bondowoso. This monument is located in the heart of Bondowoso city and to remember the dedication of those heroes to this nation, it is held a ceremony on the hero day every year.

Bosamba Rafting

One of develop tourism object in Bondowoso is Bosamba rafting. It has full of adventures and challenge activity. Bosamba Rafting has complete equipment for rafting and Bondowoso has big river with beautiful nature scenery to support rafting activity. Visit and having rafting with Bosamba rafting, you will feel the real nature adventures.

The Ancient Heritage Sarcophagus

Sarcophagus is a part of Megalithic Sites. It is also known as “Keranda” which is made of stones or other kind of container, but it has a lid or cover as well. Remains from a megalithic period are found in the center of the town, on the slope of Besar Hill. There is a stone sarcophagus, stone statues and a stone chair.

Its function is the same as a stone grave / dolmen. It is appears in several villages, for example, one is found in Glinseran village, Wringin district, about 19 km west of Bondowoso town. The distance between Bondowoso to Wringin is about 17 km and can reached by public transportation.

Arak - Arak Natural View

Arak-arak is a tourism object that located on the road between Surabaya and Bondowoso, precisely in Sumber Canting village, Wringin district. The natural view of Arak-arak hill slope is very beautiful. It lies about 345 meters above sea level.

In this area, there is also some resting place of Arak-arak natural view. The tourists can enjoy the beauty of its natural panorama, and the fresh air. The interesting natural scenery is completed with the green forest and cold air. The tourists are commonly using transportation (Bus,

MPU) to visit this object.

Blawan Waterfall

Blawan Waterfall is located in Kalianyar village, Sempol district. It is about 52 km of Bondowoso town. Blawan Waterfall is the continuation of Kali Pahit River, which is also the disposal place of the water from Kawah Ijen, which contains of much sulfur. The water from Blawan Waterfall goes down to the earth then it shows up again in Asembagus, Situbondo district.

Blawan waterfall is surrounded by sharp cliffs and there is also stalagmite cave. It is believed that a long time ago this cave was often used for meditate. There are also macadamia plants in this area. Besides Blawan Waterfall, there is also a hot water spring for bathing in this tourism area. The tourism facilities are including; a shelter, hotels, etc.

Mount Raung

Mount Raung lies east of Bondowoso on the edge of the giant ancient Ijen Crater. It is located within the Sumber Wringin village, Sumber Wringin district. Mount Raung is a big mount that unique and different with the other mountain in Java Island. The unique thing of mount Raung is its caldera, which about 500 meters depth and always smoked with sprinkle the fire.

Mount Raung is an old mount with the caldera in its peak and surrounded by many small hills, makes its panorama looks beautiful and fantastic. The scenery is very interesting as there are many types of plants and animals. The tour activity in this area is very interesting and it will become a good opportunity for visitors, especially those interested in mountain climbing. The peak of this mountain lies at 3,332 meters above sea level. The tourist can begin climbing the mountain from Pos I (Pesanggrahan Sumber Wringin) which provides a number of guides who are ready to give services to hikers.

The easy way to climb Mount Raung is through Bondowoso direction. From Bondowoso continued to Sumber Waringin village by colt through Sukosani. The journey begins from Sumber Waringin village through Pinus forest and coffee plantation to go toward Pondok Motor or the climber post. Then the visitors can meet a guide in that place. The tourists can spend the night here, and then continue the journey to peak took about 9 hours.

From Pondok Motor to Mount Raung, we will pass coffee plantation, Pinus forest, spruce-fir forest, and then the tourists arrive in a campground. The journey continued through sedge grass field about 1 hour, to Mount Raung peak that sandy and stony. It will take about 2 hours.

Mount Of Ijen

Ijen Crater or Kawah Ijen is another volcanic tourism attraction in Indonesia. Ijen Crater (Kawah Ijen) is a famous tourism object, which has been known by the domestic and foreign tourists because of the beautiful and charming nature. It is 5,466 hectares, 2,386 meters high from the depth of the sea, with a 92 hectares tourism forest. Its temperature is between 2 to 8 degree centigrade and the crater area lies at 2.386 meters above sea level (mdpl).

There are many beautiful species of plants that can be found there, such as; the edelweiss flower and the Casuarina Junghu (cemara gunung), etc. Various animals can also be seen in the area like jungle fowl (ayam hutan) and porcupine (landak).

The Ijen Crater lies about 68km from the town center. There are some of facilities here such as: a campground, a shelter and Tourist Information Center (TIC) etc.

The best time to enjoy the crater scenery is at morning, when the yellow sunlight glows the yellow water and shines the surrounding mountain like mount Merapi, the sister of Mount Ijen. Morning haze is creating a tranquility that we don’t get at the metropolitan towns. At 2 pm, the crater is closed for the reason that the thick smoke from the crater that is poisonous.

How to get to Ijen Crater
There are two alternatives route to get to Ijen Crater, the first is from Banyuwangi to Licin – Jambu – Patulding. Its about 38 kilometers from Banyuwangi, but the road is bad. The second is from Bondowoso – Wonosari – Sempol – Patulding, about 70 kilometers with better road. It is suggested to go from Bondowoso.

Visiting from Bondowoso route, the tourists will travel across a coffee plantation. It has beautiful view either. The green of Arabica coffee trees are really an exciting scene to enjoy.

To reach Ijen Crater from Surabaya, we can use the public transportation with the route as follow:
- Surabaya – Bondowoso : 180 km with public bus
- Bondowoso – Paltuding : 68 km with public transport
- Paltuding - to the location : 2 km on foot

Balekambang Beach in South of Malang

The beach possessing three islands with distance of about one hundred meters each, two of which have been connected with one meter-wide bridge to the shore, Balekambang offers a different atmosphere of beach resorts in the Southern part of Malang. One of the three islands called Ismoyo island has a Hindu temple, established by local Hinduists.

Annually, the ritual and traditional ceremonies Jalanidhipuja (Hindu ceremony) and Suran (Javanese New Year ceremony) are held here every year. The parking area, stalls, inns, souvenir shops, and the others tourism facilities has provided for the visitors. This beautiful beach is located at Srigonco village, Bantur district, about 57 km away to the south from Malang and accessible by public transportation.

Visit Balekambang Beach tourism and enjoy its wonderfull waves with softe sea wind. Watch the sunset and sunrise in this beach and do some of beach activities, such as; swimming, sun bathing, fishing, etc.

KELUD, another Beautiful Mount

MOUNT KELUD WITH CRATER-LAKE (Before Erupted in November 2007)

Mount Kelud tourism area is about 40 km, 45 Minutes from Kediri City. Kelud is a volcano. Breezes of fresh air and charming scenery make this area interesting for ecotourism, adventuring, and health purposes. Here we can enjoy the shady cool plantation, an area for rock climbing, jogging, cross country, and camping ground, a channel to the crater through the mountain, sulfur lake down the mountain volcanology information service, and entertainment performances on weekends / holidays.

Mount Kelud is a relatively small stratovolcano with a summit elevation at 1731m above sea level or 1650m above the densely populated and fertile plains of Kediri and Blitar that surround the volcano. Kelud volcano is located at about 27 km from Kediri city and lies between the volcanic massif of Mount Wilis to the West and the complex of Kawi and Butak volcanoes to the East.

Kelud volcano is considered as one of the most dangerous volcanoes of Java because of its frequent eruptions. The eruptive activity has typically generated deadly lahars, pyroclastic flows and surges that have claimed more than 15,000 lives since 1500 AD and caused widespread fatalities and destruction. The crater lake of Kelud is famous for its potential to release devastating lahars whenever an eruption occurs.
The 1586 eruption produced one of the worst lahar in the historical record of volcanic eruptions and took the lives of about 10,000 people. Extensive works to control lahars have been achieved around the volcano. A system of drainage of the Crater Lake was completed in 1926. Today, this drainage tunnel still works and maintains the volume of the lake at a low level (2 million m3). Several dams were also built on the slopes of this volcano in order to protect the largest towns. The tourism objects of mount Kelud:
- Ampera tunnel 110 m comes out at the Gajah Mungkur top was built in 1940 by Japanese; the function is to drain the lava.
- The cauldron of Mount Kelud that is believed by society can make peaceful and prosperity.
- The top of Sumbing, which was the characteristic of slope rocks structure with 90 % declining, used as medium for wall climbing.
- The observation posts of mount Kelud.
-The ritual ceremony of Larung Sesaji in cauldron of Mount Kelud is held every September.

Bromo, the Beautiful Mount in East Java

Tengger Range

Bromo have known by all of visitor of the worlds. They come to Bromo to watch the sunrise. The visitor also can look down to the crater that full of its smoke, and feel the cold of the air, is probably could only be done in Bromo. Our eyes will also completed by the sea of sand that the way to reach Bromo’s peak.

Bromo is actually just one crater in the vast, 800 km2 Tengger massif, which forms the largest of East Java’s five main volcanic ranges. Although by no means the highest mountain in the region (2392m), it has gained its reputation partly because of its unique location and partly through the reverence shown to it by the local inhabitants.

A legend connected with Mt Bromo tells of the origin of the Tenggerese people. According to the story, it was during the closing years of the 15th century, when the East Javanese empire of Majapahit was in decline, that a princess of the kingdom, named Roro Anteng, and her husband Joko Seger, retreated to the Bromo region and established a separate principality, which they named Tengger, a combination of the last syllables of each of their names. The region, it is said, de veloped and prospered, yet no descendants were born to the ruling couple.

In despair, Roro Anteng and Joko Seger climbed to the top of Mt Bromo and prayed to the gods, asking for their help. The gods consented to the request on the condition that the last child born be sacrificed in the crater of the mountain. This agreed, the royal couple returned home happily and it wasn’t long before the princess gave birth to their first child. In fact, the gods turned out to be more than generous and in the following years 24 more children were born.

However, when the princess learned that the twenty fifth child, named Kesuma, was to be the last and thus the one to be sacrificed, she could not bring herself to fulfil her part of the bargain. In anger, the gods threatened fire and brimstone from the smoking volcano and eventually there was no alternative but to throw the child into the crater.
Shortly after the sacrifice had been made, the child’s voice was heard, ordering the Tengger people and their descendants to perform an annual ceremony at Mt Bromo, to commemorate the event and to appease the anger of the gods.

To this day, the Kasodo ceremony, held on the 14th day of the Tenggerese month of Kasodo (December), is the biggest event of the year for the people of Mt Bromo. Ritual prayers and traditional performances are held at the village of Ngadisari, after which crowds gather on the sand sea surrounding the mountain for the climax of the ceremony at midnight, when livestock and agricultural produce are flung into the crater. Now a days, as an additional attraction arranged to coincide with the Kasodo ceremony, bull races are organized at the village of Muneng Probolinggo

Bromo Mountain

The Tengger Range is one of eight official nature reserves in East Java and centres around the peaks of Mts. Bromo and Semeru. Most of the area is more than 2000 metres above sea level, Mt Semeru itself being Java’s highest mountain at 3,676m.
There are several ways to get to the Bromo/Semeru Reserve. The well worn route is from the north coastal town of Probolinggo, 60 km away. A reasonably good road winds its way south and up into the hills via Sukapura, ending at Ngadisari, one of the largest of the 38 traditional Tenggerese villages.

For those wishing specifically to visit Mt Bromo, this is the best route, since there is accommodation at Ngadisari, as well as at Cemara Lawang on the edge of the sand sea above the village. The most comfortable place to stay is at the brand new Hotel Grand Bromo at Sukapura, which was officially opened early in 1990. Thoughtfully designed to blend in with the contours of the landscape, the hotel offers pleasantly furnished rooms and a very efficient hot water system. Organized tours are available from here to Mt Bromo and other places of interest nearby.
An alternative route, from the north west, leads from Pasuruan on the coast through Wonokitri and Tosari, to the summit of Mt Penanjakan on the edge of the sand sea. This is rapidly becoming the favoured spot to welcome the dawn, since it is the highest point in the vicinity and offers a spectacular view of Mt Semeru and the entire Bromo caldera. As yet, however, there is only limited simple accommodation at Tosari.

The main gate to the sea of sand and mount Bromo is through Cemorolawang. This is the most crowded visiting area, espesially on holidays. There are many kinds activities that could be carried on this area such as; Camping, watching the scenery, horse riding to sea of sand or walking.
To get to the peak Bromo with its largely open crater, which belch of smoke expelling from its bottom.

Mount Bromo has settled by Tenggerese for about thousands years. They who are good of God follower and always do their custom strickly, has historical relationship with Majapahit. The Antropologist from our country or other country are interesting to do some research, because the Tenggerese are strickly in keeping custom for centuries, without influenced by world’s change. So there so many version of the unique of Tenggerese in Probolinggo, it can be in the forth of tale, folktale, serat and kidung, legend and science report.

Tengger People

As a good follower of God, which have Hinduism belief, they have many kinds of traditional ceremony such as; marriage ceremony, Entas-entas, Wilujengan Karo, Wilujengan Kapat, Wilujengan Kapitu, Wilujengan Kawolu, Wilujengan Kasanga, Wilujengan Kasada. Those of ceremony are lead by a person who supposed to have a magic power to make a communication with powerful things (roh halus) that called ‘Dukun’.