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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Banyuwangi
Stay 2 nights: one for the Ijen midnight hike, one to recover. Skip the town itself; base near the centre or Ketapang.
Banyuwangi sits at Java's eastern tip, 45 minutes by ferry from Bali. Almost everyone treats it as a transit point, but the Ijen crater, Baluran savanna and Alas Purwo forest are all within a day's drive. Two nights covers Ijen plus one park; three nights lets you add surfing at G-Land or the turtle beach at Sukamade. The town is functional rather than pretty, and the real draw is the landscape around it.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry season)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (rain; Ijen paths can close)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- IDR
- Money
- Rupiah (Rp) in small notes for warungs, parking, offerings and drivers; large cards are common in tourist restaurants but not everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rp 350,000–600,000 excl. bed · Mid Rp 600,000–1,200,000 excl. bed · High Rp 1,200,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at airports; foreign phones must be IMEI-registered if staying over 90 days — check.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 113
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round pins.
- Tipping
- Warung: Nothing.; Restaurants: Often 10% service + tax on the bill; nothing more needed.; Drivers and guides: Rp50,000–100,000 a day.; Spa: Rp20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations common in Bali.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop elsewhere; paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (kopi ijen) at a local café | Rp 10,000–25,000 |
| Warung meal (sego tempong, pecel rawon) | Rp 15,000–35,000 |
| Bottle of water | Rp 5,000–10,000 |
| Bemo or becak ride in town | Rp 5,000–15,000 |
| Scooter rental, per day | Rp 75,000–150,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | Rp 100,000–200,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BWX · Blimbingsari Airport
- About 15 km south of town; flights from Jakarta, Surabaya and Kuala Lumpur (check schedules)About 9.3 mi south of town; flights from Jakarta, Surabaya and Kuala Lumpur (check schedules)
Typical fares
- Ketapang → Gilimanuk ferry, foot passenger
- about Rp 7,500, 45 min, every 30 min (check)
- Ketapang port → Banyuwangi town, taxi
- Rp 50,000–80,000 (check)
- Banyuwangi → Surabaya, train
- about Rp 290,000, 6 h (check)
Get around
No useful public transport for the sights: Ijen, Baluran and Alas Purwo all need a car, jeep or organised tour. In town, bemos and becaks cover short hops; agree the fare before you get in. Trains run to Surabaya (about 6 h) and Yogyakarta (about 13 h); the Bali ferry leaves Ketapang every 30 min, 24 h.
See and do
Known for
- Ijen crater and its blue fire
- Baluran National Park savanna
- Alas Purwo National Park
- G-Land surf break
- Gandrung dance
- Kopi Ijen coffee
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ijen crater | Private jeep or tour from town, about 1.5 h to the Paltuding gate, then a 3 km hikePrivate jeep or tour from town, about 1.5 h to the Paltuding gate, then a 1.9 mi hike | 6–8 h including the midnight start |
| Baluran National Park | Car or scooter north on the Situbondo road, about 1.5 h to the entrance | 5–6 h |
| Alas Purwo National Park | Car south, about 2.5 h to the park office, then rough tracks | Full day |
| Sukamade turtle beach | Car south via Sarongan, about 3 h on rough road | Overnight |
| G-Land (Grajagan) | Bus to Benculuk (1 h), then another bus to Grajagan (30 min) | 3–4 h |
Sleep
- Banyuwangi town centre
- Around Taman Blambangan park: warungs, cafés and the train station within walking distance. Best for a two-night Ijen trip.
- Ketapang (ferry port)
- 10 km north of town, next to the Bali ferry and Ketapang train station. Choose this only if you arrive late or leave early.6.2 mi north of town, next to the Bali ferry and Ketapang train station. Choose this only if you arrive late or leave early.
- Licin and Glagah (Ijen side)
- Villages on the road up to Ijen, 30–60 min from town. Quieter, closer to the crater gate, fewer eating options.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Permisiper-mee-see |
| Thank you | Terima kasihter-ee-ma ka-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?be-ra-pa har-ga-nya |
| Too expensive | Terlalu mahalter-la-lu ma-hal |
| Where is the toilet? | Di mana toilet?dee ma-na toy-let |
| Help | Tolongto-long |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Light handshake then hand to chest; smile; avoid: Firm grips
- Left hand: Give and receive with the right; avoid: Passing anything with the left
- Temples: Sarong and sash; step around offerings; avoid: Standing higher than priests
- Keeping calm: Patience; indirect requests; avoid: Anger in public
- Pointing: Thumb; avoid: Index finger
Scams and watch-outs
- Ijen's blue fire and crater rim are only reachable with a guide and a pre-dawn start; the gate opens around 01:00 and the hike is 3 km up, then 1 km down into the crater.
- Sulphur smoke at Ijen is toxic: bring a proper mask, not a cloth, and turn back if the wind shifts.
- The Bali ferry fare must be loaded onto a smartcard before the turnstile; buy the card at the desk first.
- Bemos and becaks quote two or three times the real fare to foreigners: walk away and the price drops.
- Ijen access can be closed by volcanic activity or rain: check the official status the day before.
- The nearest hyperbaric chamber for diving accidents is in Surabaya, hours away: dive conservatively.
The town is calm and the main risks are on the road and the volcano: unlit mountain roads at night, sulphur smoke at Ijen, and rip currents on the south-coast beaches. Use a licensed guide for Ijen and never swim alone at Grajagan.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Banyuwangi yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ijen crater and its blue fire
- Baluran National Park savanna
- Alas Purwo National Park
- G-Land surf break
- Gandrung dance
- Kopi Ijen coffee
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Alas Purwo National Park: tnalaspurwo.org/
- Kereta Api Indonesia: kai.id
- Ferizy (ASDP ferry booking): www.ferizy.com/
- Wikivoyage: Banyuwangi, revision 5311870 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5311870
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Banyuwangi
Ke alamat ini, tolong
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Banyuwangi; the US, UK, Australian and Canadian missions are in Jakarta, with consulates in Surabaya and Bali (check the address).
Ijen gate hours and ferry fares change; confirm locally before you commit.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/banyuwangi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.