Sukamade: Turtle Beach

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To see these extraordinary creatures, we faced a rough road and rivers to cross. We were told that we needed a four-wheel drive vehicle and were strongly advised against taking our old Toyota Kijang. As it turned out, the difficulty only added to the overall experience of visiting this wild, totally undisturbed, empty and inhospitable three-kilometer-long stretch of coastline pounded by the dangerous deep green surf of the Indian Ocean.

Traveling east on the main highway from Banyuwangi to Jember, we turned south at the town of Kaliburu. We first passed through a hot, flat countryside of schoolchildren walking and biking, then vast undulating estates of rubber, coffee and cocoa trees before arriving at the first of many guard posts (pos pemeriksaan) set up to control the movement of the area's highly prized timber. We crawled tortuously through rainforests with wonderful views high above the southern coast. Though unbelievably rough, pitching us wildly back and forth, we were grateful that the road was constructed of rock as it would be non-negotiable after a heavy downpour.

We stopped and turned off the engine to listen to the sharp cries of jungle birds piercing the air, monkeys chortling and a pair of unseen hornbills passing overhead sounding like locomotives. Strangler figs silently choked the life out of trees whose massive 35-meter-high canopies blocked out the sun. Like being inside a cement mixer, we took the last part of the track very slowly, finally arriving at 4pm in the fishing village of Rajegwesi, the entrance to the park.

Beyond, the road climbed up to vantage points from which to view spectacular Teluk Hijau (Green Bay), 20 kilometers before Sukamade. A trail from the road led down to the unspoiled white sand beach surrounded by cliffs. Further on we got stuck in a river. With the help of a few local farmers, our Kijang was hauled out of the water in full working order, sparing us the need to walk the remaining 2 kilometers to Sukamade. Never underestimate the capability of a robust 15-year-old Toyota!

Before dark, we checked into Mess Pantai, beautifully located in the forest only 600 meters behind the beach. Extremely basic with simple yet comfortable cottages, the only sounds heard were birds, feral cats, monkeys and scurrying monitor lizards. We signed the guestbook and joined our signatures with those of people from all over the world.

Though only the size of New York state but with a population of around 145 million, the far reaches of Java can feel like Kalimantan or even the jungles of Sumatra if you travel long and hard enough. A case in point is the magnificent 5,580 square-kilometer Meru Betiri National Park, between Jember and Banyuwangi districts. Much of the environment is similar to its sister national park, Alas Purwo to the east, but Meru Betiri has even more going for it. Some sections have the appearance of being straight out of Africa or Australia, thickly wooded rainforests rise steeply to over 1,000 meters, while plantations cover an area of 1,200 hectares.

Unfortunately, illegal loggers, farmers, hunters and gold miners continually encroach on its territory, but difficult access guarantees that the number of visitors is kept to a minimum. The park is of considerable botanical importance as one of Java's few remaining areas of relatively undisturbed primal montane habitat where such exotica as deep purple bunga bangkai (corpse plant) and two of the island's most remarkable endemic plant species, the Rafflesia zollingeriana and the Batanphora fungosa can still be found.

Best known as the last refuge of the Javan tiger, a unique diminutive species now believed to be extinct, the park is host to sleek long-bodied panthers (macan tutul), wild boars, muncak deer, civets, black and silver-leaf monkeys, the long-tailed macaque and two species of hornbill (wreathed and the smaller pied hornbill), Javanese eagles, monitor lizards and the world's longest snake, the reticulated python, are just a few members of the abundant wildlife inhabiting the reserve.

The turtle nesting grounds of the huge, lonely stretch of beach at Sukamade, a globally important turtle spawning site, attracts most nights of the year five species of sea turtle: green, loggerhead, hawksbill, olive Pacific Ridley and giant leatherback turtles. Guided by pure instinct, they have arrived to this spot alone after embarking on a migration of thousands of kilometers across the massive ocean to breed and lay eggs, a rare and unforgettable sight.

We had dinner, paid our fee, hung out for a while and after the light rain let up a ranger accompanied our small group on the short trail to the beach. Wands of light from our flashlights picked our way through the darkness with mounds of sand looming up. Immediately upon entering the beach, we saw the distinctive notched tracks made by turtles' flippers that crisscrossed the sand like the tracks of a miniature bulldozer.

For a while we stargazed and listened to the rumble of the waves. Hundreds of stars filled the sky and the silence was overwhelming. The group moved off without us, so we ran to catch up in the dark. Up ahead, we heard the sound of sand being scooped up and thrown outward to form walls. Our guide had us crouch around the dark shape of a turtle deep in its nesting pit. He estimated that it would take about an hour for her to lay up to 140 leathery, golf ball-sized eggs. We saw a few baby turtles (tukik) hatch and climb out. The ranger took out one of the eggs for us to hold. Nasty flies plagued us as we waited in the darkness. After depositing her eggs, the mother turtle headed out to sea again, its flippers propelling itself resolutely into the surf, the top of its carapace gradually disappearing under the waves and into the immense, pitch dark and unforgiving ocean.

Practicalities

If you work it right, this overland journey could be a highlight of your visit to Java and one of your life's most memorable. But it's 'off the beaten track' in the extreme. Pack motion sickness pills, insect repellant, good footwear and iPads and snacks for the kids to amuse themselves on the long drive. Stop at a market along the way to stock up on food supplies to help variegate the monotonous meals at Sukamade.

The Meru Betiri National Park office (Jl. Sriwijaya 53, tel. 0331-321-530) in Jember dispenses information on visiting the turtle conservation facility at Sukamade. The entrance fee is Rp70,000 per person. Though there is rain year round, try to visit in the 'dry' season (April to October). November to March is a turtle-nesting season. If you visit in the off-season, you'll have the place to yourself but may not see any turtles, however the rangers will give you a bucket of 20-30 baby turtles to release in the late afternoon or early morning (Rp100,000/group).

To get to Sukamade, use either public or private vehicle for 4-6 hours (depending on season) from Banyuwangi to East Java's south coast. Something more substantial than a light Toyota Kijang compact is in order. More like a FWD jeep or Landrover with big tires and high wheelbase. Do not use Matic motorcycle; a motorized regular Manual or dirt bike is preferable. The Satu Dunia agency (Jl.Prawirotaman I-44, Yogyakarta, tel. 0274-852-7888, email: satudunia_yogyakarta@yahoo.com; open 9am-9pm) offers tours to Meru Betiri from Yogyakarta.

If traveling alone, the most direct way is from Banyuwangi Pesanggaran (97 km), Sarongan (20 km) and then Sarongan-Rajegwesi-Sukamade (27 km). First take a bus to Jajag, then a minibus one hour to Pesanggaran (Rp10,000), then change to another bus to Sarongan (Rp15,000, one hour), a small town with warung and toko, the last place you can stock up. 4WD vehicles and ojek motorcycle taxis (Rp100,000) to Sukamade can be chartered from here. Trucks depart Sarongan for Sukamade (Rp25,000 per passenger) but not on a regular schedule. A few plain penginapan (boarding places) in Sukamade and in Rajegwesi charge Rp75,000 per room (no breakfast), but are too far from the beach. Visitors are welcome to pitch a tent in camping areas. Mess Pantai (Rp100,000 without mandi, Rp200,000 with mandi) is the best place to stay. For Rp150,000 per person, Mess Pantai arranges a ranger to lead you to the beach at night for turtle watching. Cameras and flashlights are banned as lights distract the turtles. Because of freak waves, keep well back from water's edge.

Bill Dalton