Bercak – a small settlement in Kecamatan Cermee, East Java
Bercak is an Indonesian small community belonging to the Kecamatan Cermee administrative district, within Kabupaten Bondowoso regency, in East Java (Jawa Timur) province. Based on its geographic coordinates (-7,7789; 114,0637), the settlement is located in the eastern corner of Java, in a hilly and mountainous area extending toward the island's interior. The capital of East Java province is Surabaya, one of Indonesia's most populous major cities, from which the Bondowoso region lies approximately 200 kilometers to the east. Direct settlement-level statistical sources are not available; therefore, the following sections present known data and relationships of the broader region, with clear indication of the data limitations at each level.
General overview
Bercak is a small rural community with little recognition at the international or national level, belonging to the Kecamatan Cermee territorial unit. The Cermee district is located in the southeastern part of Kabupaten Bondowoso, where the landscape is characteristically volcanic, hilly and mountainous in nature. It is typical of Bondowoso regency as a whole to be a relatively low-density area with an agriculture-based economy, where coffee and tobacco cultivation have traditionally played a defining role. East Java province as a whole encompasses 48,033 km² and had a population of approximately 41.9 million by the end of 2024, demonstrating the exceptional population density and economic weight of the entire Jawa Timur region — however, this context applies to Bercak only indirectly, as the small community itself is part of a much quieter, rural world. Within the Cermee kecamatan area, the local administrative structure is built on a network of villages (desa) and smaller communities; Bercak is one of the basic units in this structure.
Real estate and investment
Verifiable, itemized real estate market data is not available at the Bercak level. The real estate market of the broader Kabupaten Bondowoso region is generally characterized by significantly lower land prices and property values compared to major Javanese urban centers (Surabaya, Malang), with a typically lower number of transactions. Under Indonesian law, foreign citizens cannot acquire direct ownership (Hak Milik) of Indonesian property; instead, the Hak Pakai (usage rights) or Hak Sewa (lease rights) forms are primarily available to them, offering time-limited solutions. In rural areas, including within Bondowoso regency, real estate development activity is considerably lower than in tourism-developed coastal regions. Based on all this, Bercak is primarily relevant for local agricultural purposes and domestic property owners connected to neighboring towns; foreign investors typically do not actively seek this area, as neither tourism infrastructure nor commercial pulling power justifies this to any significant degree.
Safety and security
Independent, itemized public safety data specific to Bercak is not available from public sources. Rural and small-town areas of East Java province can generally be characterized by relatively stable public safety conditions, where the proportion of serious violent crimes is lower than in major cities. In rural districts covered by Bondowoso regency, including areas of Kecamatan Cermee, community traditions, close neighborhood relationships, and relatively small-sized communities generally act as public safety-enhancing factors. Nevertheless, in the absence of unique statistics or specific local public safety indicators, these remain merely generalizable observations applicable to the broader region, and cannot be considered verified, specific findings for Bercak.
Tourist attractions
No publicly accessible, verified sources identified named tourist attractions specifically in Bercak. The broader Kabupaten Bondowoso region, however, contains several better-known natural and cultural sites: the Ijen crater (Kawah Ijen) near the regency area is one of the most visited natural locations in the eastern Javanese volcanic landscape, where the unique blue flame phenomenon and acidic crater lake provide a distinctive spectacle — however, this is administratively connected primarily to Banyuwangi regency and lies at considerable distance from Bercak, in the southeastern part of the region. Bondowoso itself possesses local cultural heritage, and the area's coffee plantations (particularly the Java Ijen Raung coffee region) attract some agro-tourism interest. All of these, however, are linked to the broader district, not to Bercak's immediate area; the small community itself presents the image of a characteristically rural settlement without identified attractions capable of drawing visitors.
Summary
Bercak is a quiet, rural small community in East Java province, within the Kecamatan Cermee administrative district, part of Kabupaten Bondowoso. In the absence of direct, itemized data, the settlement's characteristics can be inferred mainly from the general economic, social and natural endowments of the broader region — Bondowoso regency and Jawa Timur province. From an infrastructural and tourism perspective, the area is rural in character; its real estate market activity and foreign visitor numbers are minimal. The province-level data for East Java (population of 41.9 million, 48,033 km² area) indicates the broader context of which Bercak forms a small but integral part.
