This seemingly to good to be true beach is called Bayah Bijou, and it is located in a remote area on Java's south coast, more precisely in the district of Lebak in Banten cities like Tanggerang or Serang. Even the celebrity patronage of Tan Malaka, a leader during Indonesia's struggle for independence who once made Bayah his personal hideout, has not boosted Bayah's popularity.
This seemingly to good to be true beach is called Bayah Bijou, and it is located in a remote area on Java's south coast, more precisely in the district of Lebak in Banten cities like Tanggerang or Serang. The beach is quite the hidden phenomenon in fact, and its existence is so little known that even on the domestic tourist circuit, only a select few are privy to its whereabouts. And as far as foreign tourism is concerned, Bayah is practically non-existent, except to all but the most adventurous and corious of nomads.
Visiting Bayah from Jakarta, Arriving at high noon, you will amazed to see that the local markets here were nearly empty. Even places that are normally hives of activity in a town the size of Bayah were almost at a standstill. The majority of resident here are fishermen, and their nocturnal line of work means that all activities virtually cease at noon. There men were conspicuous by their absence as they were already busy knitting dreams of their own at home. Only the woman were out, and the majority of these were mothers tending to their children.
It was truly amazing to observe this lonely little town. Climb the narrow winding road into Bayah from the better known coastal town of Pelabuhan Ratu, the now-familiar silence could already be felt. And it can be little wonder that so few people know of Bayah's existence, because although the road was fine and dandy from Jakarta to Pelabuhan Ratu, shortly after leaving Pelabuhan Ratu, the road become treacherously winding and narrow and studded with big holes. In fact, the steep inclines would perhaps have better been tackled in a four-wheel drive. The views along the way were quite stunning, with the highlight being a stretch of elevated road that afforded a bird's eye view over the sprawling ocean.
Although Bayah can be reached in just five hours from the capital, the name still rings unfamiliar to most ears. Even the celebrity patronage of Tan Malaka, a leader during Indonesia's struggle for independence who once made Bayah his personal hideout, has not boosted Bayah's popularity.
By late afternoon, residents who had previously been idling about began to gather around the beach, on the estuary of the Madur River, the area's main waterway.
They were readying themselves to celebrate the arrival of traditional festival known as "Ngala Impun Salawena" or nyalawean, as it's also known, means "to catch the impun -an anchovy-like species of small fish. This tradition is carried out on either the 25th day of the Maulud month, the third month in Javanese calendar or at Rabiul Awal (early Rabiul in the Islamic calendar system). Some months the impun do not appear and residents have to wait before trying again. When they do come however, the impun can be harvested for up to a week.
