Sukamade Beach
Sukamade Beach
4.5
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2 within 10 kms

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles218 reviews
Excellent
145
Very good
56
Average
10
Poor
6
Terrible
1

swisscheese
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
the trip to sukamade beach is definitely worth it. It is a beautiful natural stand where there are almost no other people. the journey there is a real jungle adventure. you can't go there with a normal car, you need to book a local driver with a jeep.

we had booked the tour with Sri and definitely recommend it. she was very friendly and did a grat job making this trip a great experience for us. she has a very nice homestay near sukamade where she cooked a delicious lunch for us and she showed us the fields around her village and explained a lot about the local cultivation methods before heading to sukamade. her homestay is called adventure homestay meru betiri.

in order to be able to watch the turtles laying eggs at night and to release the baby turtles in the morning, we spent the night at the ranger station. the the room there was pretty basic but that didn't bother us as its part of adventure holidays. since there were no blankets and shower towels, Sri packed us some. she was generally very friendly and helpful. she also told us about a beautiful secret beach on the way back from Sukamade. with her directions we found the green bay easily.

Sri knows all exciting and beautiful places in the area and loves to show them to tourists. she plans the excursions according to the individual wishes of her guests. if you want e special and authentic experience we definitely recommend Sri.
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kateřina M
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
We had a chance to see the turtles laying the eggs and than to release already hatched baby turtles to the sea.

It was once in a lifetime experience and the rangers were helpful a were able to explain everything in english.

Accommodation was basic, but offered everything we needed. Also we were able to see a lot of monkeys nearby.

For transport to the station in the national park you'll need a 4wd car or book a tour that offers one.

We went with private tour, that was organized by our host Sri from the Adventure Homestay Meru Betiri and we would definetely recommend this, because it was the easiest way to enjoy this experience. She also stopped with us at other nice places in the surroundings, for example the Green Bay. She also took us to the family, which made coconut sugar, which was very nice and authentic experience.

Written 15 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Yannick D
17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
This is an amazing experience !!!
We met Sri, an admirable woman from the village close to Sukamade beach. She organised everything for us ! From the bus to coming, the night in the village, the free walking tour into of the village, green bay, all the meal and of course the trip with the turtles and also some surprises. I recommend you to contact her on WhatsApp if you want to live an amazing experience at sukamade beach.

Sri : +62 821-4317-8673
Written 13 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jesper Rost V
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
Our family took the time to visit Sukamade beach.
It is a rough trip to get there, the road there is bad and bumpy.
But when we got there we where allowed to participate in the work to conserve the turtles.
We where out of season and did not get the chance to see egg laying, and digging up the eggs (no eggs), but during the night hundreds of small green sea turtles had hatched. And we got to release them.
We arranger the full package with the local homestay owner Hadi from Java Turtle Lodge Meru Betiri. This is a super nice place. Hadi arranged transport from Malang and to our next destination, green bay beach, the jungle lodge at Sukamade beach (very basic and not clean), and his own pace the turtle lodge.
We enjoyed 3 nights there, and where the only persons on the nice beach.
High recommendations from us.
Written 10 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ridho Wardana
3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
A long journey to reach the beach via the jungle of meru betiri .... but finally find the turtle at night and release tukik the next morning. Happy to see tukik walk to the sea .... Please use long sleeves and be prepared for adas (beach mosquito)
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sophie M
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Friends
Such an amazing experience to be a part of the turtle sanctuary in Sukamade. The whole trip was absolutely beautiful and high recommended, definitely a highlight of my time in Indonesia! If you decide to visit, I suggest staying at the Adventure Homestay Meru Betiri! Sri (the host) will set up the whole tour for you to Sukamade, which makes the trip stress free. She is absolutely wonderful and was an amazing person to be able to spend time with.
Written 2 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Beatrice C
Rome, Italy19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
The trip to sukamade was just amazing! We went on a tour with Sri (Sri : +62 821-4317-8673) and she was the perfect host, planning every little thing for us.

We arrived by train, she picked us up and then we went to the national park.
Get prepared, the road is bumpy, but when you arrive in sukamade, you'll be happy!
In the night, right after dinner, you go to the beach to see big turtles lay down eggs (they said to us that this happens almost every day) and in the morning you will let go baby turtles in the see..

On the way, the jungle is really deep and there are also some nice beaches on the way. Just whatsapp Sri, she'll take care of everything!
Written 5 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rajahs P
Cozumel, Mexico216 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2013 • Family
Our family went to Sukamade in early October. We have two little boys aged 4 and 5. We organised the trip with Kalibaru Cottages, as well as a trip to Mount Ijen and transfer to Java Banana. This trip was the highlight of our 2 weeks in Bali and Java.

We left Kalibaru at 9am, and headed south. We asked our guide/driver team to stop off at a supermarket to stock up on snacks for the kids as we knew it was a long drive. Our guide Hari and driver Ono were brilliant. Hari was amazing with the kids and explained everything in detail to us. We learnt about rice and how it is farmed. We stopped at a rubber plantation and had a go at cutting a tree to produce latex. The kids loved sticking their fingers in the white liquid and smelling the plastic smell.

Next we watched a blacksmith heating up the metal and shaping it into knives. We passed through rural Indonesian villages where life was very basic. The people have no money but are very friendly. Even though we do not speak Indonesian and they had little English we could still communicate. When we stopped at a sugar plantation our kids played with the local children. Our youngest found himself a girlfriend :-) The men go out to cut the sugar cane and the woman tend the fires that burn the sugar which makes the sugar taste so rich, almost like toffee -very yummy!

We stopped for lunch by a beautiful beach filled with multicoloured boats and the children fed bread to the chickens, whilst we had a cold beer!

We took a stroll through the jungle and saw a hornbill, and black Javan monkeys. The last part of the track was very bumpy and we took it very slowly, crossed a couple of rivers which the kids thought was hilarious, finally arriving at Sukamade at about 4pm. We dumped our bags, and quickly went into a big shed where the turtle eggs were kept buried in sand. We saw some babies that had just hatched. Next we were shown the nursery where the turtles are fed for a few days before being released. We were given a bucket containing about 30-40 baby turtles and we walked about 500m to the beach where Hari drew a line in the sand and we all placed the babies behind the line and watched them race to the water. The kids loved this, as did we. Hari explained how the sea eagles come in and take the babies and as we saw one swoop down my husband was running around trying to keep it away.

After all the babies had gone we watched a beautiful sunset (and coming from Perth we are experienced in sunsets) this one was stunning. We then went back to the mess and had dinner, pretty basic food and accommodation. But then you are miles from anywhere. We took our sleeping bags, there are pillows and sheets on the bed but I would definitely take at least a sheet. Indonesian toilets, rooms a bit smelly. We did not have a problem with mozzies as the hundreds of geckos had eaten them all :-). The place was surrounded by monkeys, who were not aggressive and very polite around the food our kids gave them. Also lots of very vocal feral cats to feed.

About 8pm we went back to the beach with Hari and a national park guide. After about 30 mins we were called to follow a torch light to a turtle sighting. When we got there, there was a 1m turtle laying her eggs in a hole in the sand. It's was one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed and our boys were entranced with her. We watched her for about and hour and a half until she finished laying and went back to the sea. We gently held one of her eggs (still warm) as the national park rangers were relocating them to the safety of the shed away from pigs and lizards. As the turtle made her way back to the ocean my youngest bent down and gave her a kiss.

There were deer in the trees behind the beach and as we walked back we could see many turtle tracks suggesting there were many many turtles on the beach. The whole experience was magical for our family and will stay with the kids forever.

Kids were in bed by about 10pm tired but happy. Hari helped carry them back down the 500m track through the jungle in the dark.

The next day we headed out about 8am after an Indonesian breakfast of rice. On the way back to Kalibaru we took a trail down to Green Bay. At the base of the track the beach was covered in rocks and the kids had a great time throwing them and bouncing rocks off other rocks into the water. So many rocks that the rocks jumped 3 or 4 times before landing in the sea. My husband carried on to Green Bay which was a little further, could not prise the kids away from rock beach!!

We got back to Kalibaru at about 3pm for shower and rest.

The trip was organised perfectly. Even though it was a long drive, it did not feel long as it was a fascinating insight into Indonesian life. The kids did have iPads to amuse themselves for some of the route and we made sure we were well stocked with snacks. Lunch, dinner and breakfast included in price of tour. The only thing I would caution is to be careful on Sukamade beach. There are some freak waves and whilst we were there another couple of tourists got into trouble and nearly got swept out to sea. Their guide was not even present. Make sure you stay with the guide and keep well back from the waters edge.

Definitely recommend this trip, if you can handle roughing it for a couple of days and want to soak up some amazing culture and see some incredible wildlife, this is a trip you will not forget in a hurry.
Written 15 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Myx2017
Antwerp, Belgium42 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Couples
It’s very hard to tell if it’s a good thing for the turtles to visit this “natural reserve” as a tourist. As I have watched turtles coming on shore in Australia (where they’re very strict about the rules for the public), I had a good reference of how things should be done.

Turtles coming on shore/egg laying (evening)
Firstly, the ranger tells the tourist the rules: always stay behind the turtle, don’t make noise, only whisper and dont shine with your torch (these creatures are under huge stress while laying their eggs - imagine 50 people or more standing around it). So far so good.

But when it comes to the reality, rules are ignored, the indonesian rangers don’t enforce them! While you watch the turtle laying its eggs, people are laughing, coming very close to it, shining with their phone torch... it’s bad. In addition, what really broke our heart is the fact that the turtle is digging through trash in order to lay its eggs. Glass bottles, plastic bags, shoes, you name it... the turtle is burrying its eggs in trash.

We told the ranger he should bring a trash bag and ask every tourist to pick up one or 2 items on the beach. If they do this every night with every group of tourists (10-20 pax per night in low season, almost 100 pax per night in high season), then the beach would be cleaned very fast! Please remind them of this idea if you go there!!

Secondly, as compared to Australia, the Indonesian ranger removed the eggs from the nest (digged hole by the turtle) while the turtle was laying its eggs (so they need to get under the turtle with their arms). In Australia they don’t want to disturb the process and just mark the nest spot and take the eggs out after the turtle has gone back to the sea.

New-born Turtle release (morning)
First of all, the ranger says eggs naturally hatch at night and so small turtles go to the sea at night. Hence, they release 80% of the new-borns of their hatchery at night. However, the ranger admits they keep 20% of the young turtles for the tourists so they can release them to the sea in the morning... So actually, you’re doing something which isn’t natural, just for tourism amusement. Let recapitulate - the turtle is an endangered species, but let’s release 20% during the day which makes it even worse-. Moreover, in Australia they urge you shouldn’t touch the small turtles! Here you get your bucket of young turtles that you carry to the beach, you can pose with them, cuddle them, rangers don’t care... as I said, it’s bad.

So, to conclude, the rangers are doing their best effort and they do really care for the best interest of the animal, and above all, they need the money for the hatchery. But some of their practices are just not right. Some tourists just don’t respect nature, they think it’s just another tourist attraction; that’s why rangers need to enforce the rules and put the animal first, the tourist second and not the other way around!!! Please remind your ranger of this!
Written 26 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Monggo Tour Bali
Bali, Indonesia28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Friends
Contact in whatsapp +6281353321500 for information about Java special East Java, Best destination is is Java Kawah ijen, Bromo montain, and national park.
Written 28 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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SUKAMADE BEACH (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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