Baluran National Park in East Java Off-limits to Tourists for 1 Month

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Baluran National Park in Situbondo, East Java, will be temporarily closed to tourists for one month, starting from January 15 to February 15, 2024. As stipulated in the circular letter, the park’s management head, Johan Setiawan, said the wildlife sanctuary area will be restored and evaluated.

“It will indeed be temporarily closed from January 15, 2024, for the upcoming month, after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays,” the park’s spokesperson, Joko Mulyono, said in Situbondo, on Thursday, January 11.

Apart from restoration and evaluation, the temporary closure of nature tourism in Sumberwaru Village, Banyuputih District, is also aimed at building or maintaining infrastructure to provide more comfort for visitors.

The construction project starts from the main gate on the route from Batangan to Padang Sabana (Bekol) and from Bekol to Bama Beach.

“So what will be temporarily closed to visitors is from the main entrance of the national park to Bama Beach. The western entrance from Watunumpuk [to Merak Beach] will remain open,” Joko added.

The construction projects include the place for MSMEs and signage along the entrance road to Bama Beach.

“During the Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 holidays, the number of tourist visits reached around 23,000, so the area needs to be restored,” Joko said.

Because of its savanna, Baluran National Park is comparable to Africa. Visitors can see unusual and rare species, such as partridges, peacocks, deer, leopards, and bulls from several observation towers.

ANTARA 

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