Selling the Charms of Bengawan Solo’s Estuary

Using village funds and a company’s CSR fund, Pangkahwetan village has been successful in driving the local economy.

Kompas/Adi Sucipto

Visitors explore the Bengawan Solo estuary on 21 Nov. 2017 in Pangkahwetan, Ujungpangkah district, Gresik regency, East Java. The tourist destination features a mangrove park, a walking tour of Gili Krasakan (Nyamukan) island, seafood culinary fare and selfie spots for group photos.

The people of Gresik at the estuary of Bengawan Solo have constructed a tourist area that combines water tourism, an island with white sands, swaths of mangrove forest, a selfie spot and a culinary center. Using village funds and a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund, Pangkahwetan village has been successful in driving the local economy and increasing its revenue.

When one hears about Bengawan Solo, sad images may come to mind — landslides, broken dams and floods inundating homes and rice fields. Locals living on the river’s estuary wish to change this image as Bengawan Solo has many hidden charms.

Bengawan Solo is a blessing for the people of Pangkahwetan in Ujungpangkah district, Gresik regency, East Java. Living on the river’s estuary, they wish to improve Bengawan Solo’s name and promote its charms as a tourist and culinary destination in a fishing village. They promote their initiatives under the name of Muara Bengawan Solo (MBS), or Bengawan Solo Estuary. They also hold the Bengawan Solo Estuary Festival.

On the MBS tour, visitors can sail on Bengawan Solo from Pangkahwetan to Java Sea. The estuary also has a mud delta that has formed an island.

On this new island, called Gili Grasakan, or Nyamukan Island, travelers can play on its white sandy beach or just enjoy the waves. They can also fly kites or play ball.

The location is just a 30-minute boat ride from the docks in Pangkahwetan. Along the way, travelers can watch herons, storks, seagulls and albatrosses flying over the river or perching on mangrove branches.

On the mangrove forest of Java’s northern shore near Gili Grasakan, a 250-meter-long jogging track has been built, with colorfully painted guardrails. Travelers can also find a selfie spot there. Amusing signs that read Malas pulang (“Don’t want to leave”), Cintai aku (“Love me”), and Biar jomblo yang penting piknik (“I’m single but I travel”) are perfect backgrounds for selfies. You can also find many types of mangrove plants at the site.

“The 30-minute journey to get here is worth it. It’s fun that we can choose selfie spots that suit our heart. The place has a contemporary theme,” said Kartika, 16, in late November last year.

In another part, a group of middle-aged women were posing together on a heart-shaped spot. They were holding the Cintai Aku sign. One of them, Siti Huda, 45, said the MBS area was a unique and educational tourist spot.

“There should be wood planks on the jogging track’s guardrails to make it safer for children. I also think there should be a sign explaining the different mangroves that they have here,” Siti said.

Her friend Mulikah, 52, said she was impressed by the sand and soil delta that had formed a new island. She was amazed that the new island could have a white sandy beach. The entry fee to the site is also cheap. For only Rp 10,000 (US 75 cents), visitors can enjoy the mangrove forest and the new island.

Unfortunately for Mulikah, she and her friends arrived at the site during high tide, which brought branches, trash and banana stems carried by Bengawan Solo to the estuary.

Village fund

Pangkahwetan village head Syaifullah Mahdi, or Sandi as he is often called, said construction on the MBS had begun earlier in 2017 and the place was opened on Nov. 10. The tourist site was constructed and managed using the village funds as well as the CSR fund from PT Saka Indonesia Pangkah. The area was constructed with a budget of around Rp 400 million.

Pangkahwetan was eligible for a village fund of Rp 720 million in 2015, Rp 880 million in 2016 and Rp 1.01 billion in 2017. The village funds were used to build local infrastructure, Taman Selamat Datang (Welcome Park) and to jumpstart a region-owned enterprise (BUMD).

In 2017, Rp 80 million of the village fund was used to procure a tour boat. Travelers can enjoy a boat ride for Rp 10,000 per person or for Rp 300,000 to charter the entire boat.

The 30-person boat is equipped with life jackets. “We want to show that tourism can be cheap. By sailing through the estuary, travelers can enjoy the mangrove forest and Nyamukan Island or Gili Grasakan,” Sandi said.

Thus far, the MBS receives between 20 and 50 visitors each day. In the holiday season, there can be 450 visitors each day.

Continuous improvements

Together with Pangkahwetan’s Padamu Negeri (For the Homeland) youth organization, the village administration continuously improved tourist facilities. The jogging track on the mangrove forest will be extended from 250 meters to 500 m. More selfie spots will also be built.

In 2018, more outbound facilities will be added to the area, including a flying fox (zip line) and a camp ground. A rest area with a cafeteria and a fishing pond will also be constructed.

Nowadays, travelers can enjoy local dishes in Pangkahwetan, including lobster, crab curry, eel-tailed catfish sour stew and grilled fish near the docks. “The fish is fresh and cooked on order,” Sandi said.

Apart from promoting the MBS’ charms, the village administration and tourism awareness group holds events to attract travelers, including the Bengawan Solo Estuary Festival in August last year. The festival included activities such as panjat pinang (climbing slipper areca nut poles), a decorative boat competition, a boat race and a Reang Eson tourism ambassador contest at the fishponds.

The festival is an attempt to promote the village’s potential. The goal is to promote Pangkahwetan not only as a fish producer but also its estuary’s charms.

“Once the rainy season is over, we will hold a kite festival. It is hoped it will increase locals’ earnings,” sandi said.

He said he hoped the tour boat would contribute Rp 40 million to the village’s revenue every year through a rent system. Renters can operate tour boat services.

Another village-owned enterprise in Pangkahwetan manages savings and loans with a fund transfer and payment services. The village-owned enterprise is currently managing transactions worth between Rp 5 million and Rp 10 million a day. Another village-owned enterprise manages a souvenir center to sell snacks, including crackers, fish crackers and shrimp paste.