Alas Purwo National Park

Alas Purwo National Park is situated on Blambangan Peninsula, at the south eastern tip of East Java. The park's name means "First Forest", in accordance with a Javanese legend that says the earth first emerged from the ocean here. With an area of 434 kmē, the park is made up of mangroves, savanna, lowland monsoon forests and coral-fringed beaches. An internationally renowned surf break peels along the edge of the park at Plengkung, on the Bay of Grajagan. Mount Linggamanis (322m) is also located in this national park. Between the months of April and September, thousands of surfers from all over the world visit G-Land, which is about half a day's travel from Bali.

There are some endangered flora, which are protected in this national park, such as: Terminalia catappa, Calophyllum inophyllum, Sterculia foetida, Baringtonia asiatica and Manikara kauki.

Some endangered animals are also protected here, such as: Bos javanicus, Cuon alpinus, Muntiacus muntjak, Cervus timorensis, Presbytis cristata, Pavo muticus, Gallus sp., Olive ridely turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, Eretmochelys imbricata and Chelonia mydas.

Plengkung, in the southern part of the Park, is almost legendary among the world's top surfers. They call it "G-Land". The name is derived from its location in Teluk Grajagan (Grajagan Bay), which resembles the letter "G". Moreover, it is located a short distance from a stretch of tropical rain forest which always looks green (hence green land or "G-land"). Plengkung is one of the top four locations for surfing in the world and can be ranked alongside surf sites in Hawaii, Australia, and South Africa.

Walking along the white sand beach from Trianggulasi to Plengkung, visitors will come across an area of buckshot-like sand. The grains are yellow in colour and have a diameter of around 2.5 mm.



The communities living around the Park are very typical of the "Blambangan" culture. They believe that what is now the Park was the last stopover of the Majapahit people who were escaping the onslaught of the Mataram kingdom, and they are convinced that hidden somewhere in the park is a sacred kris, or dagger, named "Keris Pusaka Sumelang Gandring". For this reason, it is not unusual for people to meditate or hold religious ceremonies in the Park, particularly in Goa Padepokan and Goa Istana.

Near the Rowobendo entrance gate there are historical remains in the form of "Pura Agung", a Hindu temple, where a Hindu ceremony, "Pagerwesi", is held every 210 days.

This Park has a diversity of ecotourism and cultural tourism attractions (sea, sand, sun, forest, wild animals and traditional cultures) which are located in close proximity to one another.

Flora and Fauna

The area is dominated by low land tropical forest along the shore is arow of coastal forest, ketapang (Terminalia cattapa), nyamplung (Colophylum inophylum), kepuh (Sterculia foetida), keben (Barringtoni asiatica).

The endangered fauna is Banteng (Bos javanicus) and ajag (Cuon alpinus), as well as wildpig (Sus sp), kijang (Muntiacus Muntjak), rusa (Cervus timorensis), lutung (Presbytis cristata), kera abu-abu (Macaca fascicularis), merak (Pavo muticus), and ayam hutan (Gallus sp) in the period October - December the full length of Segoro Anak can be found more than 16 species of immigration birds from Australia. This coastal zone is an ideal place for species of turtles to lie the egg, e.g. green turtle (Chelonia mydas), leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), hawkbill turtle (Erithmochelys imbricata) and olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).


In the period from October to December, some 16 species of migrant bird from Australia such as the sacred kingfisher (Halcyon chloris/Todirhampus sanctus), blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus), common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), and wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola) can be seen in Bedul Segoro Anak.

Interesting locations/attractions:

Sadengan: located 12 km (30 minutes) from the Pasaranyar entrance gate. This is a grazing area for banteng, barking deer, mouse deer, wild pigs, and birds.

Trianggulasi: located 13 km from the Pasaranyar entrance gate, a white sand beach with a coastal forest, suitable for marine recreation and camping.

Ngagelan Beach: located 7 km from Trianggulasi. Visitors can watch several species of turtle landing on the beach to lay their eggs, and other turtle breeding activities.

Plengkung: a good place to watch professional world-class surfers perform, and to explore the forest.

Bedul Segoro Anak: boating, swimming and water skiing on the lake, and watching migrant birds flock in from Australia.

Caves: there are 40 cave sites, both natural and artificial, including a Japanese cave where a pair of old 6-metre long cannons can be seen, Istana Cave, Padepokan Cave, and other caves for both cultural interest and caving.

Best time of year to visit: March to October.


How to reach the Park:

Banyuwangi-Pasaranyar, 65 km, then Pasaranyar-Trianggulasi, 12 km by car. Trianggulasi-Plengkung, a 10-km drive along the beach. Other locations like Segoro Anak, Sadengan and Rowobendo can be reached on foot from Trianggulasi.

The Savannah Of Sadengan

Sadengan is the feeding ground for wild animals in the area of Alas Purwo National Park. The visitors can see the wild animals such as wild bull, barking deer, wild pig, peacock, jungle fowl and many kind of birds. The wild animals are grassing and can be seen in the morning and afternoon from the viewing tower.