Visitors enjoy the beautiful sunset over Serang Beach in Blitar regency, East Java, Friday (25/8).
Dusk falling on Serang Beach in Blitar regency is like a perfect blend of bliss and hope. Fishermen come ashore contently with their abundant catch, and adventurous souls can be seen playing in the sand, the wind and the waves. The beach stretches endlessly and greets the incoming waves. All of this kindles the hope of finding a similarly beautiful dusk tomorrow.
On the western horizon, the sun reluctantly returns to its humble abode. It still wants to play with the floating white clouds. Its reddish-orange hues wash over the clouds and the southern hills.
Dusk on Serang Beach in Panggungrejo district, Blitar regency, East Java, on Friday (25/8/2017), is like a piece of heaven hidden behind the southern hills of Blitar. The beach is located 50 kilometers to the south of Blitar.
Unfortunately, no public vehicle goes to Serang Beach. Visitors need to take their own cars or motorcycles to reach the area. That day, we departed from Malang, some 84 kilometers from the beach. Our journey began as the sun rose higher in the sky.
We chose the route through Kanigoro, Malang, as it was quicker to reach southern Blitar this way. Along the road, we saw vast teak forests and the arid, deforested hills of southern Blitar. These hills were witnesses to the tragedy of past deforestations.
One could only imagine how green the forests and hills of southern Blitar must have been before the Reform era. The remnants of the forests’ golden age could still be seen in the clusters of teak between the limestone hills that were growing warm and turning yellow beneath the sun’s rays.
After passing through the arid teak forest in Panggungrejo district, 2 kilometers of severely damaged road undergoing repairs by Blitar regency, and a few twists and turns around the mountain, we arrived in Serang village.
Splendor
Go to Serang village in August, and you will be greeted by the vibrant scene of Red-and-White flags and banners along every inch of the road. When we arrived, colorful lights added to the splendor of the 72nd anniversary of the nation’s independence. The enthusiasm in the village of 4,718 people was higher than those in cities, whose residents sometimes even forgot to hoist the national flag on their front lawns.
We stopped at the village hall for a while. A 1-meter-long kentongan (traditional bamboo knocker) hung in front of its office. A group of children played with their cellphones. “They are using the village’s internet connection,” Serang village chief Dwi Handoko said.
While waiting for dusk, Handoko said that Serang Beach was a tourism site managed by the Blitar administration. The area also falls within the concession area of state-owned forestry company Perhutani. Consequently, the regency could not manage the beach optimally. It could only charge visitor’s fees and repair the road leading to Serang village. Parking is managed independently by the village tourism group (pokdarwis).
Handoko said that a cooperation agreement was currently under discussion to delegate the beach’s management to the village, which plans to develop infrastructure at the tourism site using the village fund. In 2017, Serang village received Rp 790 million (US$58,453.60) in village funds. Profits from the beach tourism will be split between the village administration, Perhutani and the regency.
“If the cooperation agreement to manage Serang beach is completed this year, the tourist area will become a unit of Serang’s village-owned enterprises. We will able to allocate our village fund to develop the beach tourism infrastructure,” Handoko said.
Thus far, the villagers have earned money from cleaning the beach from visitors’ trash, selling food and drinks, and running homestays charging daily rates of Rp 100,000 to Rp 150,000 per room or Rp 250,000 per house.
Releasing baby turtles
Serang Beach is around a kilometer long. On the sandy beach, visitors can sit back and enjoy the sunset. October is the peak of beautiful sunsets at Serang Beach, with the sun looking as though it is being swallowed up by the southern sea. In other months, the sun sets behind the hills.
Lucky visitors can also release the baby turtles raised by villagers while enjoying the sunset. The villagers currently have 2,700 baby turtles for releasing into the ocean.
Another wonderful thing about the beach is that it is particularly deep, stretching almost 30 meters to the shoreline. Visitors can sit under coconut trees while enjoying iced coconut water, build sand castles or ride ATVs without any worry of being hit by the waves.
Apart from the gorgeous sunset, we also witnessed fishermen coming home from sea. Before the boats have reached the shore, the fishermen’s families have already gathered on the shoreline – worrying over their catch.
Our colleague Rino helped push the boats ashore, along with other fishermen. “I want to feel what it is like to be a fisherman. Apparently, boats are heavy,” said Rino, who lives in an industrial neighborhood in Malang.
Another unique fact about Serang Beach is that it is known in connection with Supriyadi, a member of the Homeland Defenders (PETA) volunteer army during the independence war against Japan. A monument to Supriyadi stands on the beach.
