Pulau Merah is a place that I heard about several years ago when I first moved to Indonesia, but until recently haven’t had the opportunity to visit. Now, having been there and spent some time exploring the area, I wish I had made it sooner. Better known as Red Island amongst visitors, what I found was probably the perfect, peaceful and quiet beach and surf location in this part of Indonesia.
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As is usual when I find a place that I fall in love with, I decided to write my Guide to Pulau Merah, Red Island. Other than the usual reasons though, I also decided to put together this guide simply due to the fact that there isn’t too much information already out there. There are also a few things about the place that visitors really need to know before they head there. Simple tips and hints that I will expand on a bit further into this article.
Table of Contents
- Where is Pulau Merah?
- How to get to Pulau Merah
- What to expect
- Things to know about Pulau Merah
- Things to do in Pulau Merah
- Places to eat in Pulau Merah
- Where to stay
- Summary
Where is Pulau Merah?
Pulau Merah, or Red Island is about 60 kilometers geographically from Banyuwangi in East Java. By road it’s more like about 73 kilometers and will take about 2 hours to travel by car or scooter.
Sitting on the southern coastline of Java, Pulau Merah is nicely situated between a couple of beautiful National Parks, the most famous of which would be Alas Purwo National Park, home to the surfing hot spot, G-Land.
How to get to Pulau Merah
Getting to Pulau Merah isn’t that easy unless you can organize your own transport. I wouldn’t call the area remote, but up until recently it probably was. As such, there is no public transport running this way, with the nearest bus or train station being a good 45 minute drive away.
So with that in mind, you have a couple of options to get to Pulau Merah, Red Island.
- Hire your own Car or Scooter. In this case the best would be a scooter, and the ride isn’t that hard by following Google Maps. Just remember to have the correct license, wear a helmet and use common sense when riding. If you are uncertain about the licensing requirements in Indonesia, then check out THIS article about riding in Bali. The rules are the same. Having your own transport also makes like easier when you are at Pulau Merah as you can explore around the area whilst there.
- Arrange a car and driver to transfer – This is a good option if you are in Banyuwangi. For example if you are coming from Bali by ferry, or have arrived in Banyuwangi by train or bus from Surabaya. If this is the case, my suggestion is to spent a night or two in Banyuwangi and climb Mount Ijen before heading out to Pulau Merah.
Pulau Merah may seem like a bit of a pain to get to, especially if you are backpacking or moving through Java on a budget. The upside though, is that it is QUIET. If you are a surfer, you won’t be fighting a crowd and life is simply peaceful.
Are you planning on renting a car or driving when you are overseas? Then make sure you are fully covered by having your International Driver’s Permit. Find out more, or pick one up easily at THIS LINK.
What to expect
Peace and quiet, great surf and a fantastic beach. That’s about it in a nutshell, but there is so much more to Pulau Merah than just that.
Coming from Bali, I was very very surprised to find how laid back and simple things in Pulau Merah, Red Island are. There aren’t any big resorts or hotels (yet) with mostly homestay and surf camp type accommodation available. Restaurants aren’t that big, with mostly local warungs being dominant. There are a couple of western food style restaurants, but these are really cheap, without having fallen to the temptation of upping the prices for the tourist market as yet.
The beach at Pulau Merah is beautiful and clean. The locals come to the beach, especially around sunset, which to me is a big thing. You don’t see this as much in places like Bali, because with all the tourists the locals are pretty much chased away. In Pulau Merah you will find that life is still rather normal.
Views at Pulau Merah, Red Island are incredible. The one dominant island is a large, rocky and jungle covered island at the southern end of the beach that is the most photographed and well known feature of the area. Technically I guess it is an island, as at high tide is DOES get cut off from the main beach.
Further afield the views of other islands make this place a photographers dream, and sunsets are extraordinary.
The surfing at Pulau Merah is famous amongst those in the know, especially for beginners and those seeking a wave that is not too much hard work. Unlike most places in Indonesia, this is a beach break, and not as dangerous as waves such as G-Land, not too far to the East of Red Island.
All in all, Pulau Merah is a quiet, beautiful place to visit. The only problem you will have here is leaving, as cliché as that sounds!
Things to know about Pulau Merah
So, as wonderful as Pulau Merah is, I feel that there are a couple of tips that I should put into this guide to Pulau Merah to make things a little easier on you, the visitor. I am a visitor to the area myself, when I head there, and am very happy to know these couple of things before I arrive.
The first thing I really have already covered, and that is your transport. If you can possibly hire your own scooter to get you there, you will be able to do a lot more when you are there. Not that it is a necessity, mind you, and if you are booked on a surf camp they may even have transfers available. Check with them before you come. And once again, if you are on a surf camp you will pretty much spend the majority of your time there anyway. For mine, I was happy to have my scooter with me to be able to explore further afield into National Parks, and seek out remote beaches that are hard to get to otherwise.
The second is to stock up on cash! There are NO ATM’s in Pulau Merah. The closest ATM’s that are probably guaranteed to allow you to use a foreign card are in Banyuwangi. Along the road in, in various small towns you will find a local ATM or two, but still no guarantee that you will be able to use a foreign card. There is ONE place in Pulau Merah, Red Island that you can withdraw cash over the counter. This is a local supermarket called Toko Plekkono at THIS location. Still, I am unsure about using foreign cards, as I had a local Indonesian card.
If you pay for your accommodation in advance, you shouldn’t need TOO much cash in Pulau Merah. It isn’t really that expensive for a beachside location, but best to be prepared.
Things to do in Pulau Merah
So what is there to do in Pulau Merah, Red Island? Well this wouldn’t be a good guide to Pulau Merah without coming up with a list of few things, would it? As laid back and quiet as it is though, here are a few ways that pass the time.
- Surf – Do I need to say more? Most of the visitors to Pulau Merah will be here to surf, and the waves are beautiful and uncrowded. I honestly believe that any more than 5 people is considered a crowd in Red Island.
- Catch the sunset – Sunsets are extraordinary at Pulau Merah, setting beautifully over the ocean or the distant islands, depending upon the time of year.
- Explore the rockpools – At the “island” end of the beach at low tide there are some beautiful rockpools alive with all sorts of marine creatures. Spend a couple of hours exploring them, but keep an eye on the incoming tide.
- Visit the fishing village – At the opposite end of the beach is a local fishing village. It’s about a 4km walk one way, but early in the morning I enjoy walking down there and back, watching them unload the traditional fishing boats and admiring the daily catch in the markets.
- Discover remote beaches – There are other beaches in the area, but they take a bit of finding. My favorite is Wedi Ireng Beach which you will be almost guaranteed to have to yourself. Check out THIS article for full details on how to find it.
- Visit the National Parks – There are a few wonderful National Parks around the area, but you will probably need your down transport to head out and explore them. Be aware that they charge 150k Rupe for foreigners to enter the parks.
- Head down to G-Land – Once again you will need to find transport, but one of the top surfing breaks in the world is only a 90 minute drive away.
- Watch the Green Turtles at Sukamade – Sukamade Beach is in Meru Betiri National Park. You can head down there and see them at night time if you time it right. There is a turtle lodge and other places to stay. The best idea would be to call ahead and make enquiries.
- Climb Mount Ijen – The most popular and recommended thing to do in this part of Java is climbing Mount Ijen and witnessing the famous Blue Fire. You are best to do this from Banyuwangi, but I couldn’t leave it off this list as it is extraordinary! Read more in THIS article.
- Just relax – If I haven’t said it before I will say it now. Pulau Merah is very quiet and laid back. Just enjoy the peace and quiet to sit on the beach, relax and enjoy sipping on a local coconut.
Places to eat in Pulau Merah
Most of the places to eat in Pulau Merah are local warungs. There are a couple of other options, but you will be best to go hunting around. Here are a couple of suggestions to get you started. They may seem simple, but they certainly helped me out!
- Wisma Restaurant – The Wisma Homestay has a nice little restaurant that does Western Food. Their Nasi Goreng is great and only costs 25k Rupe, and I couldn’t get enough of their club sandwich for lunch which was only 35k rupe. These prices are correct at time of writing. Find it at THIS location.
- Toko Plekkono – I mentioned this supermarket earlier, but don’t worry, I’m not sending you to the actual supermarket. Outside the supermarket is a small cart that sells kebabs, burgers and other nice western style food. It’s cheap too! HERE is the location again.
- Bakso – Ok – so this location is a little dodgy, but there is a wonderful little local Bakso place on the main road just before you enter under the welcome sign. HERE is a google maps location. The building is off to the left as you face toward the beach, is blue and has BAKSO in large letters. Try the Bakso Daging for a large beef Bakso that has other meat inside it, guaranteed to fill you up.
- Pandan Arum – Located on the beachhead at THIS location. Very popular place that gets lit up nicely at night. Has great views of the beach and island. Good place to eat around sunset.
Where to stay
Most of the accommodation around the Pulau Merah, Red Island area is home stay or surf camp style accommodation. Don’t come expecting 5 star. In fact, don’t even expect 3 or 4 star in most circumstances. If you can rough it a little, you will be happy, but for the most part the places here are clean, have hot showers and comfortable beds.
Let’s take a look at the Guide to Pulau Merah list of recommended places to stay in Red Island.
SHANUM HOMESTAY PALAU MERAH
Basic homestay that has all the facilities you will need during your Red Island stay. The host here is amazing, with a lot of local connections to assist with anything you need. He even arranges and hosts personalized tours all over East Java.
MOJO SURF CAMP
If you are after a surf camp experience, then the Mojo Surf Camp at Pulau Merah could be the answer. Great staff, basic but comfortable rooms, and good surf instructors are all you need when you are living on the beach.
RED BEACH HOMESTAY
Basic accommodation that has clean rooms, comfortable beds and a shared but hot shower. Walking distance to the beach, this homestay has a wonderful owner who will go out of his way to assist you with anything you need. Great home cooked breakfasts every day is a bonus too!
Summary
I hope you enjoyed this guide to Pulau Merah, Red Island. This is a wonderful, beautiful place to visit, and although it may not be a 5 star holiday, the peace, seclusion and laid back beach holiday with million dollar views makes up for it. It is worth stopping by even just for a night or two to witness what everyone is sure to start talking about in a few years when the crowds arrive!
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