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Memorable moments on Green Bay Beach
A stony, dusty and damaged asphalt road welcomes visitors as they enter Sarongan village, located some 80 kilometers south of the East Javanese city of Banyuwangi
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A stony, dusty and damaged asphalt road welcomes visitors as they enter Sarongan village, located some 80 kilometers south of the East Javanese city of Banyuwangi.
With coffee, rubber and cacao plantations on both sides of the way, tourists can watch villagers tapping rubber sap or splitting cacao beans.
Arriving at the Meru Betiri National Park and paying admission fees, visitors are already within the zone of Teluk Hijau beach. It takes just a few minutes to reach the main gate of the Rajegwesi coastal village, leading to the beachfront some five kilometers away.
Village residents affiliated with Karang Taruna Masyarakat Ekowisata Rajegwesi (KATAMER), a local ecotourism youth club, offer roundtrip transportation by boat and motorcycle taxi for Rp 35,000 and
Rp 20,000 per person respectively.
'All the costs paid by visitors are spent on insurance against accidents, security maintenance and additional tourist infrastructure,' says Nurhayati, a club member.
'We're fishermen and this activity is our part-time job by using 80 boats,' says Zaid, another member of the club.
By boat, a 15 minutes' sail will confront the high waves of the southern sea, requiring life jackets.
By going on foot, the first destination is Sukamade Beach before reaching a steep-bank track in the hilly part of Meru Betiri. Visitors generally take two hours to go from the parking lot and back.
The green and whitish waters begin to appear, indicating that the beach of Green Bay is getting near. Although not as popular as Plengkung Beach (for surfing) or Sukamade Beach (for turtle conservation), this beach has its own distinctive beauty. Also known as Teluk Ijo (Green Bay), the bay does indeed look green from a distance rather than blue.
This color results from the existence of green algae growing in the shallow coastal waters. The beach also offers the view of soft white sand stretching along 400 meters from the west to the east, in addition to an 8-meter-high waterfall and gorgeous coral reefs.
Like most bays, the waves on the beach of Green Bay are gentle, allowing people to go swimming or play in the water along the shoreline. The adjacent area is also a very convenient place for camping and other nature-based activities.
After about two hours, park officers take a roll call to confirm the number of passengers who wish to return by boat and also to mark down those who choose to take a boat trip back after their arduous trek through the hill down to the beach.
Tourists will miss the beach of Green Bay as long as it preserves its beauty and security.
' Photos by Aman Rochman
