De Djawatan Forest (Jawatan Perhutani)

A 9-hectare grove of ~800 giant trembesi (rain) trees, 100–150 years old, their massive 2-meter-thick trunks and wide canopies draped in moss, ferns and epiphytes. Everyone calls it the "Lord of the Rings forest" — it genuinely looks like Fangorn, and the light filtering through the canopy at the edges of the day is pure cinema. It's a relaxed photo-and-coffee stop rather than a hike; there are warungs and stalls on-site. Easy to fold into a Banyuwangi day alongside Ijen or the southern beaches.

Practical info

• Entry: Cheap but inconsistent — roughly IDR 6,000–15,000 for locals, with some sources listing ~IDR 20,000 for foreigners; parking ~IDR 2,000–5,000 (bike) / 10,000 (car). Verify at the gate.

• Hours: Commonly listed ~08:00–17:30 (last entry around 16:30); a couple of sources say 24h, but treat the daytime window as reliable.

• Getting there: Purwosari, Benculuk, Cluring District, Banyuwangi Regency. ~30–60 min (~33 km) west of Banyuwangi city, just off the Banyuwangi–Jember road. Signage at the entrance is poor — watch your map closely, people overshoot it.

• Best time: Early morning (soft light, light beams, fewest people) or golden hour. Weekdays only if you can — weekends and holidays pull 1,000+ visitors and kill the empty-forest look.

Photo tips

• Use the arching branches as natural framing and shoot down the pathways for depth; a person in a flowing dress/cloak at the end of a tunnel of trees nails the fairytale scale.

• Morning backlight creating god-rays through the canopy mist is the money shot — expose for the highlights and let the trunks go moody.

• A drone reveals just how small you are under the canopy spread, but the trees are dense and tall, so launch/land in the open clearings and mind the branches; check whether Perhutani permits it on the day.