Bondowoso Regency

Bondowoso is a small provincial town and regency in East Java, Indonesia.^[1] The common languages are Madurese and Javanese, although Madurese is the majority. The nearest largest city is Surabaya, approximately five hours' drive away. Common in most provincial towns is a park in the city center, called "Alun-Alun". Bondowoso is no exception. In the backdrop of the park is a magnificent view of a mountain ("gunung").

Tourist spots include Kawah Ijen, a crater lake. For hiking enthusiasts and those game to view natural sceneries, the climb to the crater is around 1.5 to 3 hours (depending on one's fitness). Other spots are Gunung Merapi and waterfalls.

Bondowoso is known for its dessert, "tape" (pronounced "tah-peh"), to the extent that it is fondly named "Tape city". Essentially, tape is tapioca added with a special kind of flour that acts as a preservative. Medium-sized slices of tape is wrapped in banana leaves, kept in a light container for 5 days to be fermented. Once opened, the rich intoxicating aroma of the tape giddies the senses. And they are now ready to be consumed.

Furthermore, Bondowoso involves many cultures from different nations. There is a big Arabic community living there for long time, since before the Dutch occupation. They live in a place called "Kampung Arab" (Arabs Compound) on Imam Bonjol Street.

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