Travel Guide Parc National De Meru Betiri

The park stretches over 600 km between Jember and Sukamade, on the south coast. It takes its name from some of its surrounding mountains, such as Mount Meru and Mount Betiri. The roads leading to it are quite bad, so tourists are rare. Wild animals too, decimated by the poachers who plague the park. However, the protected beach of Sukamade, 100 km south-west of Banyuwangi, is home to giant leatherbacks and green turtles during the egg-laying season (in fact, almost every evening). Their population is constantly monitored by specialists. You can observe them, with all due precautions, at night between around 9pm and midnight. This discovery is done with the greatest respect for the animals, and the observation conditions will be in the presence of rangers, so as not to disturb the turtles. Once the eggs have been laid, the turtles' guardian angels collect them and place them in incubators, safe from predators, mainly monitor lizards. Depending on the date of your stay, you can witness the release of the baby turtles in the early hours of the morning. Superb.The forest, located in a tropical zone with abundant rainfall, is inaccessible during the summer monsoon (November to March), as the roads become impassable. It is inhabited by deer and fallow deer, squirrels and speckled civets, and leopards.The beaches and coastline of Meru Betiri are magnificent. The village of Lampon, very busy at weekends, regains its serenity during the week. The village of Pancer also boasts a beautiful beach.