East Java Tourism News

Tourism Object In Bondowoso II

Arabica Coffee Garden
The Arabica Coffee Garden Tourism object belongs to BUMN PT Perkebunan XXVI, it is 4,000 hectares, and 900 height from the bottom of the sea. Arabica coffee has a typical taste with a good smell and a delicious taste. The tourists can also see the coffee grinding process. The tourists can also do the garden area tour by bicycles or by cars (which is coordinated by PT. TIMUR CIPTA PESONA AGROWISATA). This car coordinator also provides the transportation to other tourism objects, such as :
- Blawan-Sempol hot water bathing garden
- Kawah Wurung in Jampit-Sempol
- Blawan-Sempol waterfall
- Flower garden in Jampit

Arak - Arak Natural View
The natural view of Arak-arak hill slope is very beautiful. In this area, there is also a resting place of Arak-arak natural view which is located in Canting village-Wringin subdistrict, at the height of 345 meters from the bottom of the sea. The tourists can enjoy the beauty of the below scene, and the fresh air. In the below scene, the tourists can see the white sand sea (and the beautiful wave) which is located in Situbondo district area.

Blawan Waterfall
The Blawan Waterfall Tourism Object is located in Kalianyar village, Klabang subdistrict. Blawan Waterfall is the continuation of Kali Pahit River which is also the disposal place of the water from Kawah Ijen. The water from Kawah Ijen contains of much sulfur. Blawan waterfall is surrounded by sharp cliffs and there is also stalagmite cave. It is believed that a long time ago this cave was oftenly used to meditate.The water from Blawan Waterfall goes down to earth then it shows up again in Asembagus, Situbondo district.

Bull Fighting

Bondowoso is best known for its brassware and its traditional and interesting even, in which bull fights against gull. Events which are usually held in Tapen, Bendungan and Sampean Baru, about 15 km from Bondowoso, last from 8 a.m. till 3 p.m. Bull fighting is a traditional event and among others airns to improve the quality of cattle-breeding. The events never result in death, as the defeated bull runs way from its opponent. Bull Fighting is a traditional and interesting event with the aim to improve the quality of cowbreeding. This event is very attractive to see, and it’s usually presented on Tapen, Bendungan Sampean Baru (6 km from Bondowoso at 08.00 am. - 03.00 pm) See East Java’s Calendar of events. Some archaelogists pay a visit to the great sarcophagus from prehistoric period, stone age, at Grujungan 3 km south of the town.

Coffee Factory

The opening of Arabica Coffee Grinding is started by a ritual ceremony. This ceremony is meant to bring safety and wealth for the society and the workers. The tourists can see the grinding process and the checking/ dividing process in PT. Perkebunan Nusantara XII Kalisat/ Jampit and Blawan.   

Gerbong Maut Monument
On November 23, 1947 the history wrote with a golden pen about the heroical 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. Those carts departed from Bondowoso train station at 03.00 a.m. according to Kali Sosok Jail. 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’ wall were so hot because of the sunshine. The soldiers were dehydrated, and the result of this was 46 people form 100 people were dead. That historical moment was known by Gerbong Maut Incident, and Gerbong Maut Monument was built as the remembrance of this deadly incident. 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.

Add comment June 22nd, 2006

Tourism Object In Bondowoso

As dawn approached we set up cameras overlooking the plateau to the west. Immediately in front of us stood the monstrous crater of Mt. Raung, which at 3,332m is the highest peak in the vicinity and among the tallest in Java. Raung is an active and dangerous volcano, which is known to erupt regularly*.Prior to 1838 the crater probably contained a lake, which would havecaused extensive flood damage during eruptions. Nowadays, however, the crater floor is dry. From the air, the gaping summit of Raung presents an awesome spectacle, the sheer crater walls plunging half a kilometer into the heart of the mountain.

After photographing the changing colours of the early morning sky, from deep purple/blue/grey to golden yellow, we focused on the mountain peaks. Raung, Pendil, Suket and, far to the west, the faint outline of Mt.Argopura and the Iyang plateau, lay like so many islands floating on a sea of cloud. As the first rays of the sun lit up the peaks, we set off on the last stage of the journey, a 45 minute climb to the crater rim of Ijen.

“If you lose your way, just look out for the sulphur trail”, someone had advised us the day before. Now the meaning was clear. A continuous flow of two way traffic, carrying the sulphur down the mountainside from the lake and trudging up again to re-load, had left a yellow trail on the well worn path. Work obviously started early, since already at first light the men who had shared our accommodation had left for the lake shore to load up their baskets.

The Ijen crater lies at approximately 2,300 meters above sea level. It forms a twin volcano with the now extinct Mt. Merapi. The enormous crater lake, which is 200 metres deep and covers an area of more than half a million square meters, contains about 36 million cubic meters of steaming, acid water. A walk around the lake takes a full day.

We arrived at the crater rim just as the sun appeared over the summit of Merapi. The sight was breathtaking. From the still, deep blue surface of the lake, heavily fissured white rock walls rose about 200 meters, enclosing the crater. To the north east we could see the distant peak of Mt. Baluran. Below, at the lake’s edge, was a scene from Dante’s inferno. Small figures could be seen labouring amidst billowing clouds of smoke in the sulphur quarry. As we descended towards the mine, the rising sun began to warm the surface of the lake, which soon changed to a sinister milky turquoise colour. Ripples appeared in the water, disturbing the bright yellow, amoeba-like streaks of sulphur, which until that moment had rested motionless. Half an hour later, when we arrived at the lake shore, the water had begun steaming.

The sulphur, we learned, is transported entirely on foot. In the past, horses were used but they were found to be less practical on the hazardous terrain. Today, the mine yields nine to twelve tons of sulphur per day. Individual loads of up to 70 kgs are carried by men, often barefooted, up to the rim of the crater and then 17 km down the mountainside to a factory near Banyuwangi. The porters are paid by weight. After arrival at the factory, the sulphur is treated before being used in the production of medicines and as an important element in the processing of sugar.

Add comment June 22nd, 2006