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Citizen journalism: A wild ride to Karimunjawa
Coconut land: A boat sits idle at Menjangan Besar Island, Karimunjawa
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Coconut land: A boat sits idle at Menjangan Besar Island, Karimunjawa. (Courtesy of Peter Milne) (Courtesy of Peter Milne)
Coconut land: A boat sits idle at Menjangan Besar Island, Karimunjawa. (Courtesy of Peter Milne)
Ever given a thought to traveling with a bunch of strangers? Scared? Too shy? Or have too little courage to do such a crazy thing? Well, you might want to think it over again. Who knows? You might have some fun and make new friends.
To get a taste of such a feeling, I decided to join a backpacking community offering two days' adventure in Karimunjawa. Without thinking too much, I joined the group despite my lack of experience in backpacking. It cost me only around Rp. 850,000 (US$87).
The meeting point was at Senen Station. We boarded the economy train to Semarang at 10 p.m. Arriving in Semarang at 7 a.m., we headed to Jepara. And then, we continued our journey by boat.
Karimunjawa archipelago consists of 27 islands scattered along the Java Sea. Five of them; Karimunjawa, Kemujan, Parang, Nyamuk and Genting are inhabited while other smaller islands are vacant. Most of these islands are untouched and beautiful.
Ibu Nurul, the landlady of our guesthouse said state-owned electricity company PT PLN still hadn't fully reached there. Electricity services in Karimunjawa are supplied by local community generators. She uses an artesian well, the water from which is perfectly safe to drink after boiling. The water in some areas still tastes pleasant and fresh as it comes from the hills in the national park.
The local people were amazing. They were friendly, helpful, honest and dignified. Being Javanese myself, I felt at home.
The voyage to the snorkeling spots was thrilling. To rent a fishing boat to explore the wealth of marine life in these islands costs Rp 350,000 per boat. The boats can accommodate 15 to 20 people. We rented two boats.
As we had rough seas during the excursion, some suffered from sea sickness. I thought I was tough but my stomach revolted. My head got fuzzy from the heavy swaying of the boat. It was like we were on a paper boat rocking back and forth in the middle of the vast sea. We screamed, laughed, and then threw up. I was glad I made it in one piece.
The snorkeling itself was amazing. I found it much more alluring than Thousands Island. We were shepherded to Menjangan Kecil, Cemara Besar and Kecil Islands, which provided us with breathtaking undersea views. These islands offer a diverse variety of fish, coral, sea plants and other marine creatures.
During your dive, you'll be accompanied by an amazing 240 or more varieties of fish. Their various colors and sizes will give you the feeling that you're swimming in a giant aquarium. Unfortunately, too many snorkelers sometimes drive these beautiful fish away. The water around this resort island is pristine and the reef is clearly visible from the surface.
The light green color can be seen from around the beaches. Further away, the color turns to a darker blue. I was amazed to see the abundance of colorful coral, fish and other underwater species living there, imagining I was able to dance and play hide-and-seek among the wonderful underwater corals.
On closer inspection, my eyes caught a glimpse of a sea urchin or bulk baby. This marine animal has a round shape, prickly thorns and is black in color. They hide underneath the coral. The guide told us these creatures came various colors like black, green, brown, purple and red. However, a single prick from its sharp thorns can result in instantaneous throbbing pain. We were well warned!
If diving and snorkeling are not enough for you, swimming with sharks may give you more of an adrenalin rush. Our guide took us to see the captive sharks near the Ramah Aping resort.
Various sharks swam around the reservation; the keepers kept assuring the visitors that it was OK to swim near them as long as no one was bleeding. That's the reason why I was disappointed at not being able to have the adrenalin pumped up to the highest level. I definitely envied those who dared diving into that spot! Most of the backpackers were much younger than me but they had far more experience in backpacking.
Overall, however, it was a totally awesome experience. I will forever cherish this adventure.
Herlina
Citizen journalist
Jakarta
