There are whispers amongst the local populace here that there exists a virgin beach somewhere on Java's south coast, a beach that is achingly beautiful and shorm of human pollution, a beach filled with white sand that stretches, for miles with nary a piece of litter in sight. Indeed, these whispers tell of a beach that matches, Bali's best, only this one is still devoid of any sign of tourism, noise and clutter.
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| BAYAH FISHERMEN HEAD OUT TO SEA |
This seemingly too good to be true beach is called Bayah, and it is located in a remote area on Java's south coast, more precisely in the district of Lebak in Banten Province. Bayah is the complete antithesis of crowded Banten cities like Tangerang or Serang. The beach is quite the hidden phenomenon in fact, and its existence is so little known that even on the domestic tourist circuit, only a select few are privy to its whereabouts. And as far as foreign tourism is concerned. Bayah is practically non-existent, except to all but the most adventurous and curious of nomads.
Visiting Bayah from Jakarta, I witnessed firsthand how the whispers about this little known place are no exaggertion. Arriving at high noon, I was amazed to see that the local markets here were nearly empty. Even places that are normally hives of activity in a town the size of Bayah were almost at a standstill. The majority of residents here are fishermen, and their nocturnal line of work means that all activities virtually cease at noon. When I took a walk around the main residential area, I noticed that men were conspicous by their absence as they were are already busy knitting dreams of their own at home. Only the women were out, and the majority of these were mothers tending to their children.
ALTHOUGH BAYAH CAN BE REACHED IN JUST FIVE HOURS FROM THE CAPITAL, THE NAME STILL RINGS UNFAMILIAR.
It was truly amazing to observe this lonely little town. An hour earlier, as I descended and climbed the narrow winding road into Bayah from the better known coastal town of Pelabuhan Ratu, the now - familiar silence could already be felt. And it can be little wonder that so few people know of Bayah's existence, because_although the road was fine and dandy from Jakarta to Pelabuhan Ratu, shortly after leaving Pelabuhan Ratu, the road became treacherously winding and narrow and studded with big holes. In fact, the steep inclines would perhaps have better been tackled in a four - wheel drive. The views along the way were quite stunning, with the highlight being a stretch of elevated road that afforded me a bird's eye view over the sprawling ocean.
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| CORAL REEFS AT TARAJE BEACH |
Although Bayah can be reached in just five hours from the capital, the name still rings unfamiliar to most ears. Even the celebrity patronage of Tan Malaka, a leader during Indonesia's struggle for independence who once made Bayah his personal hideout, hss not boosted Bayah's popularity. I was very fortunate to have visited Bayah mid-year though, as it is slightly livelier during this period.
By late afternoon, residents who had previously been idling about began to gather around the beach, on the estuary of the Madur River, the area's man waterway. They were readying themselves to celebrate the arrival of a traditional festival known as "Ngala Impun Salawena". Ngala Impun Salawena or Nyalawean, as it's also known, means "to catch the impun" - an anchovy - like species of small fish. This tradition is carried out on either the 25th day of the Maulud month, the third month in Javanese calendar or at Rabiul Awal (early Rabiul in the Islamic calendar system). Some months the impun do not appear and residents have to wait before trying again. When they do come however, the impun can be harvested for up to a week.
The impun harvesters span all age groups and old fishermen can frequently be seen manipulating their nets with impressive agility. I try my hand at the task, however it proves tricky, as catching impun involves a combination of precision timing and patience. I threw my net into the unpredictable ebb and flow of the waves and hoped for the best.
THE LATE AFTERNOON sun blushed in warm, orange - red hues as I rushed down to Taraje Coral Beach, which I had passed earlier in the day. Unlike Bayah Beach, the ocean currents here are very strong and its nickname of "Rock Stairs" is taken from an underwater layer of coral reefs that resemble ascending stairs up to the beach line (and which also render this beach unfit for swimming). Such rocky layers are a common feature along Banten's southern coastal region.
Taraje Coral Beach's main attraction is its beautiful and hauntingly harsh landscape, which offers visitors a uniquely twisted charm. In fact, the rocks here look as if they have been carved by a supernatural artist. In reality of course, the artist is none other than the fierce waves that relentlessly pound the rocks year in, year out, carving out unique shapes and froms imaginable only in one's wildest reveries.
It was dark by the time I returned to Bayah to find a place to stay. There isn't much of a choice of accommodation available here, let alone a five - star hotel, however I finally found a simple inn with correspondingly simple facilities. It was clean though, and the owner proved to be very friendly. The next day I woke up early and Odoy, a supervisor at the hotel, invited me to visit Sawarna with him, a place still within the administrative region of Bayah. We sputtered along the main road to Sawarna on his trusty motorcyle as Bayah's residents were still deep in the land of nod.
If the streets here are quiet during the day, then in the morning they are virtually deserted. Seeing another vehicle is a rarity. This is especially true when passing through the lush, green area that runs towards Sawarna, an area which is basically a dense wood comprising of a mixture of rubber plantations and natural forest.
Sawarna proved to be even more desolate than Bayah, but the trip was well worth the effort. Normally, the road to Sawarna involves passing through an entrance gate followed by another 30 to 45 minute ride through more woods, however Odoy knew a shortcut. I tagged along happily with him until we reached this shortcut a creaky, wobbly suspension bridge. Passing across this brigde would land us on the shores of Sawarna, but it was definitely no feat for the faint of heart. Odoy, however, deftly balanced his motorcyle on the swaying bridge and still had time to unceremoniously laugh at my not unreasonable distress.
Thankfully, the crossing was very brief and a few seconds later I emerged on sunny Tanjung Layar Beach. Tanjung Layar is so called because of its two iconic big black rocks which stand 15 metres high on the beach, giving it the appearance of a sailing ship - hence the "Layar" name (which means "sail" in English). The beach is Sawarna's main landmark, although Lagun Pari Beach is also popular due to its relatively calm waters, which make it a safe place to swim. Lagun Pari is situated a little farther away up the coast and, while in Sawarna, it's best to first tackle Lagun Pari after lunch and then continue down to Tanjung Layar in order to catch the mind blowing late afternoon sunset.
The whole area that Sawarna and Bayah reside in is amazing in fact. The whispers were right ! Both beaches boast riveting vistas of surf, spary and green hills and both are also very clean, further evidence of a lack of human presence and commercialisation. In fact, I didn't encounter a single piece of rubbish on the pristine sands on my strolls.
Sawarna though, with its quality waves, is quite popular with surfers who claim that the breaks here are some of the best in Indonesia, and certainly better than those found just down the coast in the much better known Pelabuhan Ratu area. Bayah, on the other hand, can proudly boast Manuk Island, a tourist attraction in the form of a giant hunk of coral which can be found 200 metres from the shore.
Both Bayah and Sawarna possess incredible tourism potential, as both areas offer dazzling scenery and plenty of hidden surprises such as caves (some popular and some relatively unexplored). Even fragments of history that not many people area aware of can be unearthed down here, such as the fact that the freedom fighter Tan Malaka once made Bayah his home, or how Sawarna houses the tomb of Jean Louis Van Gogh, who, according to records, was the nephew of Vincent Van Gogh, the legendary Dutch painter. Jeans Louis Van Gogh was the former owner of a Sawarna coconut plantation, which is now being run by a state - owned enterprise. Jeans Louis Van Gogh requested that he be buried in the town and his tomb was only discovered in 2000.
Sawarna also holds another secret site Gua Lalay (Lalay Cave). "Lalsy" is a Sundanese word meaning "bat" and the cave is indeed filled with these nocturnal creatures. However, it's not the bats that Lalay Cave is primarily famous for, its the treasure ! Rumours have it that gold, jade and weapons dating back to World War II lurk in the cave, the plunder of Japanese occupying soldiers who hid there during the war. If you're extremely luck, you may stumble across such treasure when you spelunk at this cave. Intrigued ?
Belum ada tanggapan untuk "BAYAH BIJOU"
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