Most travellers meet Banyuwangi in the dark. They roll off the ferry from Bali, climb into a car and are at the foot of Ijen before they have learned the name of the town they just crossed. That is a pity, because this corner of Java has its own language, its own music and a pace that feels a long way from the beach clubs across the water.
Why stay a night or two
- Ijen, without the rush. Sleep in town, leave around midnight, and arrive at the trailhead rested; our guide to staying near Ijen compares the town with the bases nearer the volcano.
- The Osing people. Banyuwangi's oldest community keeps its own dialect, dances and village festivals.
- Coffee on the volcano's slopes. Small farms around Licin and the Ijen plateau grow and roast their own beans.
- A coast that faces the sunrise. On clear mornings the light comes up over Bali's mountains.
What is there to see beyond Ijen?
- Kemiren, an Osing village. On the road from town towards Ijen, Kemiren is a customary village where Osing ways are kept alive: houses, food, music and ceremonies. It welcomes visitors every day, roughly from 7 am to 5 pm. Gandrung and Barong performances happen only on scheduled days, so ask before you go.
- Gandrung, the dance of Banyuwangi. The region's signature dance is performed at welcomes and festivals. At Taman Gandrung Terakota, on the way up to Ijen, thousands of clay statues of Gandrung dancers stand among the rice fields.
- De Djawatan. A forest of giant, moss-hung trembesi trees south of town, quiet in the morning and photographed by almost everyone.
- The south coast. Pulau Merah, the "red island" beach, is known for its sunsets and gentle surf.
- Baluran National Park. North of town, just across the border in Situbondo, its open savanna is often called the Africa of Java.
What should you eat?
- Sego tempong. Rice with fried fish or chicken, tofu, tempeh and vegetables, under a raw chilli sambal hot enough to explain the name: in Osing, tempong means a slap.
- Rujak soto. Two dishes in one bowl: a vegetable rujak with peanut sauce, drowned in beef soto broth.
- Pecel pitik. Shredded grilled free-range chicken with grated young coconut, an Osing ceremonial dish now served in some warungs.
Our guide to what to eat in Banyuwangi has more dishes and the Osing way with coffee.
How do you get to Banyuwangi?
Most visitors arrive from Bali by ferry from Gilimanuk to Ketapang. Our guide to getting from Bali to Ijen covers the ferry, the time zone change and the paperwork. From elsewhere in Java, the Probowangi train runs once a day between Surabaya and Ketapang station, near the ferry port, in about six to seven hours. Banyuwangi's airport has flights to Surabaya and Jakarta, but no direct flight from Bali at the moment.
Where to sleep in Banyuwangi
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
