Here's why Banyuwangi is perfect for nature and culture lovers

Jejer Gandrung dancers are known to raise the entertainment value of their performance by inviting the audience to join them. Photos: Azman Jumat

Almost 200 models, in a variety of colourful ensembles, gyrated in a well-choreographed dance routine at an open space. It’s not a scene to be imagined, but one to be experienced. The Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival (BEC) on the eastern tip of Java, Indonesia, is a celebration which presents both local and foreign tourists with a fantastic cultural show.

The carnival has a different theme each year, and the one that our group of journalists was privy to was inspired by the Usingnese Royal Wedding (the Using are the indigenous people of the Kabupaten region).