PLENGKUNG BEACH, THE MARVEL OF A WAVE

Located within the Alas Purwo national Park, Plengkung Beach is well-known by surfers as “G-Land”. The “G” in this nickname is derived from a number of the beach’s key aspects.

First, the “G” stands for “Great”, referring to the beach’s appropriately named waves. The waves here rip after 1 to 2 meters from east to west, with heights reaching 4 to 6 meters, at 5 minute intervals. Under these conditions, professional surfers an ride longer barrels. The beach’s reputation as a prime surfing spot precedes it, as it has been hosting various international surfing event for years.

Second, ‘G’ stand for ‘Green’, or sometimes ‘Green Land’. This refers to the offshore areas, not far from a tropical jungle within the Alas Purwo National Park. ‘G’ is also to the first initial of Garajagan, the name of the bay and harbor where tourist boats usually take port, and as a final touchm Plengkung is also located in a gulf that takes the shape of a ‘G’.

The formation of giant waves in plengkung consists of up to seven layers and a leftward tier, which makes it perfect for a left-handed surfers. Hawai, Australia, and South Africa are the only places where you can find the world’s most demanding surfing spot, and the waves in Plengkung come second only to Hawai, which has great usually come from April through August.

Bob Laverty and Bill Boyum first popularized Plengkung and its waves in 1972. They built a surf camp on the shore, which became well-known amongst surfers from all over the world. Bobby Radiasa, a surfer from Bali, later developed this surf camp and has been managing it ever since.

The vast, white, sandy area is covered in natural forest, isolated from the bustle of the city. As such, don’t expect great cell phone service or television reception out here. There isn’t even single roadside food stall to be found. This beach is a perfect place to simply surf and take a nice break from civilization.

To reach Plengkung, you can travel on land via Banyuwangi – Kalipahit for 59km by bus. Continue on to the kalipahit – Pasaranyar route for 3km by ojek (motor taxi) or rented car. Follow the Pasaranyar Trianggulasi – Pancur route for 15km, then finally Pancur-Plengkung for 9km. Alternatively, you can travel from Banyuwangi to benculuk for about 3km by bus or other public transportation. Continue to Grajagan for 18km before you ride a speedboat to Plengkung.

The route from Perhutani post to Plengkung takes about an hour and a half, through asphalt road for the first 2km and dirt trails for the remaining 8km. if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of some wild monkeys, peacocks, and many other birds as you pass through alas Purwo National Park. The trees in this area tend to grow on very large scale.

DO & DON’TS

• May through October is the best time to surf, particularly from July through September, when foreign surfers flock the beach to ride its highest and longest waves.
• If you’re hoping to watch the surfers, be sure to bring along some binoculars, and perhaps even a telescope to see them surfing farther out in the middle of the sea.