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Jakarta Post

German real estate website offers rental island in Gorontalo

A website of German domain has advertised an island for rent that it says is part of the Saronde Islands in Kwandang Bay, North Gorontalo regency, Gorontalo province

Syamsul Huda M. Suhari (The Jakarta Post)
Gorontalo
Sat, August 30, 2014

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German real estate website  offers rental island in Gorontalo

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website of German domain has advertised an island for rent that it says is part of the Saronde Islands in Kwandang Bay, North Gorontalo regency, Gorontalo province.

The information on the website '€” vladi-private-islands.de '€” surprised the Gorontalo Provincial Investment Agency (BID).

'€œThere'€™s no island for sale in Gorontalo, nor is there an island with the name [as found on the website],'€ BID head Hendry Juuna said on Friday over the phone.

He promised to check the website but later said he could not access it due to Internet connection
problems.

The website speaks of a 12-hectare (ha) island called Sandy Beach Island, which is covered with tropical forests and with a 4-ha white sand coast.

It also dubs the island as a dream island, suitable for water sports and with a rich sea biota.

The site presents 14 pictures of the island from various angles, including its beautiful white
sand coast.

The site, however, also says that according to Indonesian law, the island can only be rented for 30 years and can be extended up to 60 years.

During that time, the renter can develop the island by building, for example, a resort, restaurant, pier and other facilities.

The island was said to be ideal for investment, which can break-even in 10-12 years and yield revenues for the 30 years of the rent period.

Those interested in the island were advised to contact the site administrator.

The website also said it had obtained information on the island from its owners or their representatives.

The administrator added that it had yet to verify the details of the island and therefore could not guarantee its status.

Other Indonesian islands advertised on the website include the Isle East Indies in the Java Sea near Jakarta, the Kura-Kura Resort in Karimunjawa (Central Java), the Misool Eco Resort in Raja Ampat (West Papua), Joyo Island in Riau Islands and the Amanjiwo Resort near Borobudur temple in Magelang (Central Java).

  • Information on the website catches Gorontalo Provincial Investment Agency unawares
  • Site says it obtains info on island from owners, their representatives
  • Local tourist resort staff say '€˜Sandy Beach Island'€™ does not exist

The website mentions that Vladi Private Island is a member of The International Real Estate Federation, owned by a mogul named Farhad Vladi, whose company is based in Hamburg, Germany.

Associated Press reported on May 10, 2011, that Vladi rented his North Island in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, for the honeymoon of the UK'€™s Prince William and his wife, formerly known as Kate Middleton.

However, Saronde tourist resort keeper Yamin Karim was convinced that there was no island named Sandy Beach Island in Kwandang Bay.

'€œThere are only six islands in Kwandang, namely Saronde, Bogasi, Lampu, Molinggito, Otilade and Huha,'€ said Yamin, adding that he could not recognize the characteristics of the so-called Sandy Beach Island, which was said to have a relatively long, white, sandy coast.

Previously, on Aug. 12, local daily Gorontalo Post reported that a number of foreigners were seen staying for several days on the uninhabited Huha Island, which went unnoticed by the local administration.

The BID'€™s Hendry said he had received the same report but added that after following it up, it turned out that the group was just camping and having fun on the island.

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