Baluran National Park

Baluran covers about two hundred and fifty square kilometres at the north-eastern corner of Java in the rain shadow of Mount Baluran, and the dry monsoon climate produces something that looks nothing like the rest of the island: open savanna grassland with scattered trees and a long dry season, which is why it is marketed as Africa van Java. Bekol savanna is the core, with a watchtower and grazing herds of banteng - the wild cattle of Southeast Asia, endangered and one of the species the park exists for - along with rusa deer, water buffalo, peafowl and macaques. Bama beach on the coast has mangrove and a troop of long-tailed macaques that fish. The park's persistent problem is Acacia nilotica, an introduced tree that has invaded the savanna and is cleared continuously.

Highlights

• Savanna in Java - open grassland in the rain shadow, dry for months.
• Banteng herds - the endangered wild cattle grazing at Bekol.
• Bama beach - mangrove coast with macaques that fish in the shallows.
• Acacia invasion - the introduced tree taking over the grassland, cleared continuously.

When to go

June to October, when the savanna is dry and animals concentrate at water. Two days.

Things to know

In the wet season the grass grows high and animals are hard to see. The access track is rough. Facilities at Bekol are basic. It is hot and shadeless on the savanna.

Nearby

Banyuwangi and Ijen are south; the Bali ferry is at Ketapang.

Key facts