The two-hour boat ride from Sleko port in Cilacap, Central Java, to Kampung Laut district is far from boring. Along the journey, mangrove lagoons and the ocean offer refreshing scenery as traditional jukung (fishing canoes) can be seen heading to the heart of the district.

But as soon as the boat docks, the excitement slowly fades away as tourists may find only little interest in what can be seen or enjoyed there.

Last year, the Cilacap regency administration declared that Kampung Laut, a district that appears surrounded by sea and borders on the Nusakambangan prison island, is open for foreign tourists to visit and stay.

The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry and the Research and Technology and Higher Education Ministry have also collaborated to preparing Kampung Laut to become a model and innovative fishing village.

Unfortunately, the tourism potential there has yet to be fully developed by the local administration. There are not enough proper boats that can take tourists to sightsee around the mangrove-surrounding Segara Anakan waters, as well as there are no restaurants that serve fresh seafood or lodgings for accommodation.

Cilacap Regent Ahmad Edi Susanto acknowledged the Kampung Laut tourism package had not been fully developed. '€œSo far, we are still concentrating on infrastructure development, such as repairing roads, but we plan to develop [Kampung Laut] in the future,'€ said Ahmad.

Cilacap administration'€™s spokesperson Ansar Basuki added that for visitors who wish to visit the island in groups could notify the administration in advance so they could prepare the necessary facilities.

'€œVisitors can try the fresh seafood while they'€™re here. But without giving early notice, not everything would be available,'€ Ansar said.

Kampung Laut is one of 24 districts in Cilacap. The district gives the impression of being located almost in the middle of the sea, as water borders separate it from other districts in the regency.

The only land, other than the mainland of Java, that borders Kampung Laut is the island of Nusakambangan, where a high-security prison for high-profile inmates is located.

To date, the Kampung Laut district has a population of around 14,000, most which are fishermen and farmers, who are spread across four subdistricts in Ujung Alang, Ujung Gagak, Klaces and Panikel.

All of the subdistricts are separated from each other by tidal waterways, which means residents use boats as their main means of transportation.

Local resident Rasino, 45, said Kampung Laut residents directly depended on the area'€™s natural resources for their livelihood.

'€œClean water is the most crucial issue here because the surrounding water source is brackish. Residents get their clean water from natural springs, especially on land connected to Nusakambangan Island,'€ said Rasino. Consequently, some Kampung Laut residents carry out farming in farmland on Nusakambangan.

According to Rasino, besides the natural marine and mangrove panorama, tourists can also enjoy angling.

'€œSea angling is [Kampung Laut'€™s] most exciting activity and mostly enjoyed by visitors up till now,'€ said Rasino. Tourists can fish from morning until the afternoon by hiring fishing boats. '€œThey can be hired from just Rp 250,000 (US$19),'€ he added.

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