Clear Sea Aquarium: Karimun Jawa (1/2)
8:00 PM
It is a fact that Indonesia — being an archipelago in the tropics — is no stranger to beautiful beaches, vast seas, and endless blue skies. This begs the question: among numerous islands in Indonesia that have become tourist magnets, what makes Karimun Jawa islands special? The sea around Karimun Jawa is only 3-5 metres deep, making corals, fishes, and other sea creatures visible to the naked eye, even without snorkelling.
Since I have a long story to tell, I will divide the Karimun Jawa stories into two parts. The first post — this one — mainly deals with the technical stuffs and how to get there. The second post, hopefully will be posted in a couple of days, will tell more about the experience. Jump below the line to read more!
WHEN TO VISIT KARIMUN JAWA
The best time to travel to Karimun Jawa is between April and August, when the weather is friendlier. The islands remain open throughout the year, but when the weather is bad, prepare yourself for cancelled tours — or worse: getting stuck in Karimun Jawa for a couple of days.
HOW TO GET THERE: JAKARTA - SEMARANG - JEPARA - KARIMUN JAWA
* Jakarta - Semarang : car or train or plane
* Semarang - Jepara : rent a car or shuttle bus (2-3 hours, depending on the traffic)
* Jepara - Karimun Jawa : ferry boat (4 hours; operates daily at 07:00 AM; plus 11:00 AM during high season) or express boat (2 hours)
The mode of transportation that you choose to travel from Jakarta to Semarang will determine the rest of your journey. For example, if you travelled by plane, you would have to spend the night at Jepara, because there was no way you would make it to the ferry in the morning. On the plus side, you could also spend a couple of hours to explore Semarang.
However, when you’re tight on budget, train is the way to go. Besides the cheaper ticket price, you could also choose to go to Jepara as soon as you arrive at Semarang, as most trains from Jakarta arrive at dawn. This way, you don’t have to spend money on lodging in Jepara. On the downside, some of my friends have claimed that it is indeed very tiring.
LODGING AT JEPARA: KOTABARU HOMESTAY
It was my second time staying at Kotabaru Homestay (Click Here); the place is quite good, definitely worth the inexpensive price tag. It is located in front of Kartini Beach near the huge turtle statue, which marks the “Kura-Kura Ocean Park” building. Kartini Beach is not far from the harbour where the boats to Karimun Jawa dock; it takes approximately 10-20 minutes by foot.
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| Kura-Kura Ocean Park |
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| Statue of Jepara-born Kartini: the namesake of the beach and our national hero |
Kotabaru Homestay’s overall look somewhat reminds me of a Balinese house. They have three floors: the first and the second floor are the guests’ rooms, while the third floor is called the “sun room”, where guests can gaze at Kartini beach, preferably during the sunrise or sunset. There are three types of room: standard AC and standard fan (each with either private bathroom or shared bathroom), and VIP (a family room).
The homestay don’t provide breakfast, but they provide you with some hot water for cooking simple meals (I’m talking about instant noodle). There are also some instant coffees and teas, for times when you need that extra caffeine boost.
I really suggest staying at Kota Baru Homestay when you need to stay in Jepara before going to Karimun on the next morning. The proximity to the harbour is extremely convenient, and the price is not bad either. There are also some lovely spots to take pictures around the homestay.
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| The harbour in Jepara |
TO KARIMUN JAWA
Travelling to and around Karimun Jawa would be much easier with the help from a local tour, because it would be very hard to get a boat ticket from Karimun Jawa to Jepara during high season. Please come as soon as possible to the harbour in the morning and expect crammed boats! The guide told me that the daily number of visitors may reach 800.
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| Express boat |
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| The harbour in Karimun Jawa |
I’m going to end this post with a picture of the tree that welcomes you to Karimun Jawa. This tree, located at the main square of the island, has lived for a hundred years. People go as far as saying “you haven’t been to Karimun if you haven’t seen this tree!”.
See you at the next post, still about Karimun Jawa!
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