Bojonegoro is a city in East Java, in Indonesia. My older sister has been living there with her husband since she works as a stated-owned junior high school teacher. I think it seems good if I take my blog readers to explore tourism natural objects in this city.

Bojonegoro actually has a lot of tourism objects. One of the most famous tourism places in Bojonegoro is eternal fire spot, which is the biggest in Asia.

Local people name the place Kayangan Api or fire heaven. Kayangan Api is the source of fire which never die. It is located in Sendangharjo, a village forest, kecamatan Ngasem. The forest in the village has covered at least 42,29% of its area.

According to the old story, Kayangan Api was the rest place of Mbah Kriyo Kusumo or Mpu Supa. He was also known as Mbah Pandhe of Majapahit old kingdom. On the west of Kayangan Api, there is a pond of mud containing sulfur.

Kayangan Api is categorized as a sacred place. In the old time, it was the place to make many sacred traditional weapons such as keris, spear, cundrik, etc. Today many people still think that the fire of Kayangan Api is sacred. Some of important traditional Javanese' ceremonies use its fire as a requirements. For example traditional Javanese event Jumenengan in Yogyakarta. Jumenengan is a program to establish new king in Yogyakarta kingdom.

Do you know about shark? One of fiercest predators in the sea? Do you dare swimming with sharks around you? If you want to try to test your adrenalin, a tourism place at Menjangan Besar island at Karimun Jawa, Jepara district perhaps is suitable for you. You can swim with several white sharks (carcharodon carsharias) with no fear.

"As long as you do not hold on their tail, they don't bite. If you want to touch them, you just can stroke their head," said Karso, one of crewman of the boat who also become a guide to visit one of floating inn at Menjangan Besar island, Karimun Jawa National Park, Jepara, Java.

At this floating inn, many sharks with length between 1 - 1,5 metre are kept. The owner uses sharks as entertainment object for tourists who stay at his inn. When the tourists who come increase, he let visitors to try to test their adrenalin with the sharks.

To enter the object, there is no fixed price ticket. "A group of tourists usually pay 20000 rupiahs only for entrance," said Karso. It is of cource very cheap, because this fare is included the rent of snorkling means, such as google, snorkle and fin.

Many foreign tourists have also ever try to go into the shark pond which has diameter 9m x 9m. One of them is Lisa, a Dutch student who studies in Indonesia as a part of student exchange program. "First time I'm very scared, but I think it is an extraordinary adventure, why not to try?" said her in English.

There are two shark ponds at the floating inn owned by Mr. Yakobus which was built since 18 years ago. The first pond has a size of 3m x 7m, located exactly in front of the inn facing to the sea. Yet ones are not allowed to swim at the pond, because besides white sharks, there are also fierce barracudas there.

Tourists or visitors just can swim at the second pond which located on the left of the inn. Besides sharks, there is also a giant turtle in the left pond. The turtle was there since 5 years ago.

Besides Mr. Yakobus' floating inn, there is also shark pond at the Jaya Karimun floating inn, owned by the late Mr. Ismarjoko.The inn keeps several kind of sharks at various size.

According to Diah, one of the manager of the inn, sharks are categorized fierce animal. But if they are fed enough and regularly, they do not attack anyone who swim at the pond. "But if you have wound, you are not allowed," said Diah. "Usually most of foreign visitors dare to swim here."

If you don not want to try the challenge, the beauty of natural scenery can you enjoy during your visit there.

It is not difficult to reach the floating inns at Menjangan Besar island. From the fisherman port at Karimun Jawa village, we just take a time of 10 minutes using the fisherman's boat. The fare is between 250000 - 300000 rupiahs a day.

Karimun Jawa archipelago consist of 27 islets. It is located at 83 km north of Jepara. There are only 5 island which has people live in it, that is Karimun Jawa, Kemujan, Paran, Nyamuk and Genting.

"Afirca in Java", this is a popular term described by people about Baluran National Park which is located at Situbondo regency, East Java province, Indonesia. When we step our feet there, Africa nuance will strike our eyes. Wide savannas and amazing panorama will refresh heart and eyes.

Savanna is the most characteristic of Baluran National Park. In dry season, the savannah in Baluran are always visited by wild animals. The total wide of savannah is 40% of the wide of The National Park, which is 25.000 hectare. At this place, you will feel like visiting the beauty of Africa open area, which is green in rainy season and is gold-like in dry season. Sometimes you will see a group of deers in the middle of grass. We occasionally hear the unique voice of patridge, which is like a certain music completed with the beauty of savannah. If we are lucy, we will witness a group of peacocks which is slyly appeared themselves.

There are 444 kind of plants in the forest at the Park, including native plants, like Widoro Bukol (Ziziphus rotundifolia), mimba (Azadirachta indica), and pilang (Acacia leucophloea). Widoro Bukol, mimba and pilang are plants that can adapt themselves in the very dry environment (when they are still green). Other plants are asam (Tamarindus indica), gadung (Dioscorea hispida), kemiri (Aleurites moluccana), gebang (Corypha utan), api-api (Avicennia sp.), kendal (Cordia obliqua), manting (Syzygium polyanthum), dan kepuh (Sterculia foetida).

There are also 26 kinds of mammalia there. Some of them are java bull (Bos javanicus javanicus), wild buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), ajag (Cuon alpinus javanicus), antelope (Muntiacus muntjak muntjak), deer (Cervus timorensis russa), leopard (Panthera pardus melas), kancil (Tragulus javanicus pelandoc), dan kucing bakau (Prionailurus viverrinus). Java bull is a mascot of Baluran National Park.


Summary about Baluran
The most worth seeing places in Baluran:
Batangan area: There is japanese cave and the cemetry of the son of Maulana Malik Ibrahim. The visitors also can watch the dance of peacock at their breeding time in October / November and also go camping.
Facilities: information center, camping field.

Bekol and Semiang areas: animal observation such as forest chicken, peacock, antelope, deer, bull, bird.
Facilities: researcher's bungalow, guest house, observation tower.

Bama, Balanan, Bilik areas: maritime tourism, fishing, snorkeling. In July and August, we can see the fighting of male deers. There is time that we can see a group of grey monkeys looking for crabs using their tails at low tide.

Manting, Air Kacip areas: we witness springs that never dry. There are leopard habitats here.

Popongan, Sejile, Sirontoh, Kalitopo areas: Visitor can rent a boat to enjoy calm sea, looking at many kind of fishes. Observation of bird migration.

Curah Tangis areas: rock climbing at the height of 10 - 30 meter, with a slope of 85%.

Candi Bang, Labuan Merak, Kramat areas: there is cultural tourism.

The best time for visiting: Between March until August, every year.

To reach Baluran: The distance between Banyuwangi - Batangan is 35 km. Batangan to Bekol is 12 km (45 minutes). Baluran also can be reached through Situbondo to Batangan with the distance of 60 km.

Indonesia is a country which is rich of tourism places, one of them is Tanjung papuma beach or called Papuma. Not many people know about the beach, but the natural beauty of the beach makes it become one of places worth looking if you are coming to Indonesia.

Papuma beach is located at Sumberejo village, Ambulu subdistrict, Jember regency, East Java. The beach which has white sand is located more or less 37 km southern of Jember city, or more or less 235 km from Surabaya. Papuma has white sand landscape with a circle cape as long as 1,5 km. There is also a forested hill range along the beach, green caused by dense trees. Moreover, tourists can also watch wild animals which often come in and out of the forest.

It is no difficult to reach Papuma beach. we can go by AC bus which has destination Surabaya - Jember. After we arrive Jember city, papuma beach can be reached by a taxi.

Along the way up to papuma, we can see landscape of rice fields and corn belt which can pacify our heart and eyes. When we arrive at the beach gate, the scent of sea will strike our nose. the natural nuance will be felt because there are still not many people visiting here.

Papuma cape beach actually is one of 16 choiced tourism objects promoted by Unit II Perhutani Company, East Java area. The natural beauty of the beach is still genuine, with just a few of concrete buildings. Even, some restaurants built around the beach have very simple construction.

When the clock is near 12.00, the perfect beaty of the beach will appear. Sunshine touches blue water surface, giving similar colour with the blue of the sky. Our eyes will also be spoiled with the contrast colour of the greenish trees standing along the beach. However, the worthest thing you must be found in Papuma is Malikan stone. The stone can sound off specific musical instrument if they are hit by the wave.

Malikan stones are a name of flate reef stones, shell-shaped, which become the bottom of the big reefs. The reefs are not far from the shoreside. --- There are seven big reefes around Papuma beach. Those seven reefes are often called isle by local citizen. Six of seven of those reefes have a name matching with their form. Purportedly, one of the seven islands is dwelt by hundreds of rattlers so there are no persons daring to visit of the island.

The name of those reef islands are Batara Guru, Kresna, Narodo, Nusa Barong, Kajang and Kodok (frog). The form of each islands are different from each other. Kodok (frog) island has a form like giant frog, and Narodo island has a form like the hat of Narada god. The visitors are allowed to visit to the reef islands and sit on the Malikan stone as long as the sea wave is not high.

Besides serving natural beauty and consecution of small islands, Papuma are also dwelt by wild animal, like deer, monkey, long-tailed monkey, yellow monkey, iguana, partridge, etc. The wild animals are intentionally permitted living at the forest at papuma beach. Usually, they will appear at sunset or at sunrise.