We recommend you to read the general comments on this page also. They can be useful and make your planning more worthwhile.

SEASONS

The dry season is the best time for wildlife observation, but the rainy season can be just as good if you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of comfort. It is still possible to get good sightings of wildlife on the savanna in January and February (weather permitting).

The grass is then still short enough, but soil conditions and torrential rain will sometimes make it hard to proceed off-road and actually see wildlife for photographing. The Baluran National Park is an arid area and even in the rainy season there are both sunny and cloudy days without rain.

In March to June, the high grass and shrubs will in general obstruct good sightings of wildlife when staying on the road. But going off-road into the savanna will create better opportunities.

June to October are the ideal months for wildlife observation, photography and shooting video.

November and December, have normally some days with rain. This changes the barren landscape to a fresh and green panorama.

ADVICE

If you plan trekking bring good shoes, thick socks, long-sleeve shirt, and long trousers. Camouflage shirt and trousers will give the photographer an added advantage to get closer to the animals. Warm clothes are recommended for overnight-stays on the mountain. A flashlight also comes handy. A cap and sun lotion is good relieve in the hot sun. Don’t forget film, batteries and appropriate lenses for your camera and video equipment.

The local community is Muslim. They very much appreciate “decent” dressing in the village. Ask us if you feel you would need advice.

“Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints”

Rosa’s Ecolodge will be a pleasant surprise for you. Well-equipped and clean bungalows in a romantic garden setting and a old-fashioned main building with a restaurant serving great Indonesian food will let you live in comfort at a low cost.

The main building at Rosa’s Ecolodge is the reception and restaurant. It is built in old “Tempoe Doeloe”-style, i.e. the style of the Dutch colonial era.

The restaurant is furnished and decorated in this style and some artifacts are even for sale. The building sits beautifully at one end of the garden. This garden has a big variety of flowers and trees and gives a lovely atmosphere to the whole compound.

The restaurant normally serves buffets, however ala carte is also available. The selection of dishes give a good introduction to the fine Indonesian kitchen. Western dishes, especially breakfast, are also available.

All bungalows are built in traditional Madurese style, however furnished and equipped in a modern way. With air conditioning and hot water.

Each room has its own veranda facing the colorful garden and an attached bathroom with a shower and a water closet. Two beds, or one double bed, will give you a comfortable sleep.

TOUR PROGRAMS

The Savanna Dusk Safari is a “soft-core” excursion that brings you an unique thrill of close encounters with wildlife at dark that you only see at a distance of several hundred meters during day-light hours.

It all looks different in the dark, even if you have already seen it during the daytime. Indonesian wildlife is typically nocturnal which is the reason that you probably will see more and different species of animals at night.

And do not forget the glorious expanse of million stars overhead, which is much more enjoyable than the hot sun.

At the Bama beach, make acquaintance with the macaque gang that come out of the trees and hear scores of birds singing their song.

On the trip to Bama Beach, the glorious Baluran mountain is begging to be photographed as a natural setting for the colorful sunset.

The access road to Bekol in the afternoon offers opportunities of viewing peafowl, green and red jungle fowl and sometimes banteng crossing the road on their way to their favorite locations on the savanna. With the Dusk Safari, you will have experienced the excitement of evening/afternoon and sunset conditions on the Savanna, which is exclusively packaged only by Rosa’s Ecolodge & EcoSafaris. Total Actual Safari Time = 6 hours.

Facilities:

• English speaking guide
• Safari Car plus Driver
• Snack & Hot Beverages
• Special equipment
• Entrance Fee and special permit of the Baluran National Park.
• Guide, Asst Guide and Ranger Fees

What to bring:

• Light clothing
• A jacket against the sometimes chilly East monsoon air.
• Light walking shoes and socks are fine.
• A small backpack with your personal belongings (if necessary).
• A Camera and / or Video Recorder
• A flashlight
• A hat or cap, if you want it.

Remarks:

• Rain is the only obstructing factor.
• January & February are normally less favorable for obtaining good sightings of wildlife because of torrential rains which makes access into the savanna impossible.
• In March to April with much less rain, it is possible to traverse the savanna after one good sunny day and get satisfactory sightings during the afternoon and evening.
• June to October is the ideal months of wildlife observing, photographing and video-recording.
• In November and December the rainy season has arrived, but many sunny days still makes savanna traversing and good wildlife sightings possible.
• The Baluran is an arid area and even in the rainy season there are many sunny and heavy cloudy days without rain.

This safari is basically a short hiking trip to experience traditional Madurese rural and village life.

Observe local house industries like the blacksmith who makes sickle knives and the fabrication of tiles the traditional way for local use.

Interact with the friendly villagers during your walk in the village.
 

Later on Observe how villagers plough their fields, while walking through pretty rice-paddies, peanut and chili fields.

Learn something about the way Madurese farmers irrigate and cultivate their fields. Enjoy a grand view of the Baluran mountain on the horizon (weather permitting in the rainy season), while sitting in our shelter.

Enjoy sunset conditions, fireflies, the starry sky, the crickets and frogs starting their evening chorus.

Total Actual Safari Time = 3 hours.

Facilities: English speaking guide. Hot Beverages and snacks. What to bring: Walking shoes Light but acceptable clothing to the Islamic villagers Camera and / or Video Recorder

Notes: RVS is usually carried out in the afternoon depending on whether guests arrive not too late in the afternoon.

Next to exciting Wildlife Observation, Baluran offers phenomenal Birdwatching. In fact, it is a World class Attraction to observe the Green Peafowl (Pavo Muticus), the mystical bird of the Hindu Religion.

Baluran is at present the only place in the world to see ten peafowl roosting in a single tree and it is so easy to see them on the savanna in flocks of 4 – 6 birds.


Wake-up call at 04.00 ; leaving the Ecolodge at 04.30. Arrival at the first birdwatching station at 05.00 at the evergreen forest, exploring dry riverbeds and scrub.

Banded Pitta, Black naped Oriole, Ruddy Cuckoo-dove, Green Imperial Pigeon, Emerald Dove, Black-naped Monarch, Racked-tailed Treepe, Large-tailed Nightjar and various woodpeckers are all present in this area, including the rarely seen Red Junglefowl.

During the wet (West) season (December – March) Javan King fisher, and White-breasted Waterhen are attracted to seasonal pools in this forest. There is also a chance to encounter big mammals like the banteng, buffalo and the shy barking deer.

The half asphalted road to the Bekol Tower Compound is the playing ground of the Jungle Fowl (Gallus Varius) from which all the existing village-chickens of Java are originating.

They can be seen at relatively short distances, either in groups or alone.

Later on, the party moves to the coastal forest where White-bellied Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Banded Pitta, Grey-checked Tit-babbler, Great-Bulled Heron, Asian Pied Hornbill, Lesser Adjutant and Spotted Wood-owl are present and are heard frequently.

The birdwatching party will return to the Ecolodge at 11.00 after half a day in the bush. Actually to be able to enjoy the full potential of birdwatching in Baluran National Park one should stay at least two days.

The savanna also hosts many bird-species, most of them insect-eaters, but it is impossible to explore three ecosystems in one day. In addition, there are also numerous small bays and inlets where good and easy birding is to be enjoyed.

Rosa’s Ecolodge / EcoSafaris are able to package Birdwatching Safaris anywhere in Baluran, which might include camping out in the bush for minimal two days when preferred by guests.

Total Actual Safari Time = 6 hours.

Facilities:

• English speaking guide
• Safari Car plus Driver
• One Binocular
• Snacks & hot beverages
• Entrance Fee and special permit of the Baluran National Park.
• Ranger fee

What to bring: Good walking shoes, preferably ankle-high. Good quality rather thick socks. Long sleeve camo shirt and trousers, preferably with a large content of cotton. A jungle hat or straw hat against the sun and the thorny branches. A backpack with your personal belongings. Camera or Video Recorder and binoculars.

Remarks: Although the dry season is the best time for birdwatching, the rainy season can be just as good when you are willing to sacrifice a little bit of comfort. The rainy season is from January to March. The Baluran is an arid area and even in the rainy season there will be many sunny and heavy cloudy days without rain.

This event is basically beach recreation and snorkeling in the traditional style, that means no water scooters or other mechanized noisy equipment.

But imagine of having your own isolated private beach in the mangrove. With sparkling blue water and coarse sand and with nobody around but the birds.

The Baluran coral reefs are famous for the following reasons:

• The trip to the beach is only 5 minutes by car through open terrain with orchards and the Baluran mountain as a backdrop.
• The sea voyage to the coral reefs by traditional fishing proa is around ten minutes.
• The coral reef is offshore where the water is very clear because it is outside the pollution-zone of the coastline. Even in the rainy season it is still possible to enjoy snorkeling and swimming.
• The corals are spectacular including the rare blue coral and many colorful fishes, among others the Lion fish, but also the blue sea star. Unlike in some places in Bali, Baluran beaches offer a totally natural panorama with the Baluran mountain and savanna at the horizon.
• You can also enjoy a colorful setting sun on the return trip to the Ecolodge.
• People who have been there, say the Baluran corals are better than those in the Maldives and Venezuela.
• Like many of our guests have said “It is like swimming in an aquarium”. Other comments were : “this is paradise and in the world nowadays is very rare and should therefore be protected”. And that is exactly what we are doing now !

Total Actual Safari Time = 9 hours.

Facilities: English speaking guide. Safari car plus driver. One motorized traditional Madurese Proa. Snorkeling equipments, towel, etc. Barbecue, Snacks and one cold soft drink. Entrance Fee and special permit of the Baluran National Park. Porters

What to bring:

• Your bathing suit and trunks.
• Casual wear and sandals, unless you want to hike and explore the landscape.
• Straw sun-hat plus sunglasses
• Sun-lotion/cream against sunburn.

Basically this Safari is a cross-Savanna Safari-Car and hiking trip. The trip proceeds by car along the coastline till it reaches a dry riverbed or curah.

The trail follows this winding curah only partly and then goes cross-Savanna towards the Baluran-mountain. Near the entrance of the caldera, the party has to go on foot as a rocky hill stops further use of the Safari-Car.

Entering the Caldera from the sunbaked Savanna is like entering a cathedral, where the air is cool and conditions are semi-dark. On both sides the mountain walls are towering above and the party follows a small winding creek into the innards of the Baluran mountain.

Finding your way into the gorge will be interrupted by a group of silverleaf-monkeys (presbytis cristata), who have a dark (almost black) coat. Sometimes one can see the red coloured variety of this species jumping from tree to tree. Explore the gorge until one can go no further and where the steep and bare crater walls surround you. After lunch, guest hike back towards the Safari Car on the return trip.

Total Actual Safari Time = 12 hours.

Facilities: English speaking guide. Safari Car plus driver. One Lunch in the field. Entrance Fee and special permit of the Baluran National Park. Ranger fee Porters

What to bring:

• Good walking shoes, preferably ankle high.
• Good quality rather thick socks.
• Long sleeve shirt and trousers preferably with a large content of cotton (light weight khaki is fine).
• A jungle hat or straw hat against the sun and thorny twigs.
• A backpack with your personal belongings.
• Camera and / or Video Recorder and binoculars.
• A Flashlight.

 

This Tour will start immediately after breakfast and will end at lunchtime. The route will take you through 2 – 3 villages, open country side and seashore. You will be accompanied by a local guide and have refreshment on the way. Total Actual Safari Time = 6 hours.

Facilities:

• English speaking guide.
• Bicycle
• Cold Beverages and snacks.

What to bring:

• Walking shoes
• Light but acceptable clothing to the Islamic villagers.
• Camera and / or Video Recorder.

For more information, please call us at +62 338 453005 or simply send us an e-mail.