This is my second visit to Slopeng Beach. On my first one, I didn’t reach the beach because my friends and I came late, but a friend of mine got a nice red sunset on the way.

Slopeng Beach is situated on Madura Island, on Jalan Raya Ambunten Km 17, Dasuk sub-district, Sumenep Regency.

This time, I headed to Madura by DAMRI bus from Jember to Kalianget. On Friday after work, I left, and arrived on the next morning at Arya Wiraja Bus Station in Sumenep. Unfortunately, my phone was out of battery, so I went to the office room to recharge. I called a friend, Hari. He went home here, to Sumenep. Waiting for a moment, finally, I got picked up to his house.

In his house, his parents had already made some hot coffee and lontong campur (a traditional dish contained of steamed rice and vegetables soup). I took a shower and nap for a while. Finally, Hari, his cousins, and I got ready to Slopeng Beach by motorbikes.

We went from Sumenep to a town namely Ambunten to reach Slopeng Beach. The road was good so we could easily go to the beach. It was strikingly hot when we were there.

There is good news about this place. It is that the government has already built some good infrastructures for visitors and the local people. There has already been a play ground, some gazebos to have some rest, toilet, and praying house.

I saw a gathering on the beach, with grilled fish; they joked around and tightened their social bond. I walked through the eastern part. There were kids playing with sand and water. Also, there are people renting their horses. The eastern part is still virgin; most of the shore was beautiful limestone mounds.

Then, I went to the western part. There are the fishermen’s houses here. Also there is a mosque, cemetery yard, and also toilets. Unfortunately, people still doesn’t have good knowledge of cleanness, because there can be found human waste around the beach. Thus, tourists from other areas don’t comfortable there.

But, above all, Slopeng Beach is a beautiful beach. People say the sunset is great but I still haven’t got any chance to see it. The beach’s sand is soft and has some colors; white, black, and yellowish. After being satisfied playing on the beach and became sweaty due to the sun, we had some rest in a gazebo while enjoying our lunch, Lontong Campur which is traditional food here in Madura, and es degan (iced young coconut). It was so great.

A learning I got from this place is it’s true that it’s hard to teach people about cleanness, but by giving the correct examples, sooner or later, they will realize it and naturally do it. We, then, left Slopeng Beach to the east to find the sandmen village.

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