Karimunjawa
Karimunjawa is a chain of 27 islands north of Semarang, off the coast of Central Java, Indonesia, that has been designated as a national marine park.
Understand
Karimunjawa consists of 27 small islands, the main ones being Karimunjawa, Kemujan, Menjangan Besar and Menjangan Kecil.
Since 2016, there has been 24-hour electricity in most places on Karimunjawa Island, though some other islands may receive as few as six hours per day.
Orientation
Most facilities for travelers are found on the largest island, also called Karimunjawa. The main settlement is at the southern end of that island. It is where ferries dock and most services are to be found. Accommodation is scattered across the island.
Travel out to the furthest islands in the archipelago will take two or more hours depending on the type of boat used.
Climate
Tropical. It is very hot here in the dry season (approximately April to October) and wet and humid in the rainy season (December till March).
History
According to a local legend, Karimun means not clear or obvious, because in clear weather the islands can be seen from the coast of mainland Java, but not clearly.
Karimunjawa was first settled by Sunan Nyamplungan, the son of Sunan Muria, one of the Muslim Saints (Sunan) who introduced Islam to Java.
Karimunjawa is more famous than Bali (who was only a base for pirates for long) since centuries. The island has been known by navigators worldwide as a haven on the trade roads trough java sea to Borneo or Spices Islands and can be found under different names (Tortuga, Chirimao, Carimon jawa...) on all antique portulans and maps of the area.
Historical sources relate the discovery of the Archipelago by Chinese Army sent by emperor Kubhilai Khan in 1293 (they named it CHI-LI-MEN), followed by Ottoman Turkish navigators in 1403, Portuguese, Dutch, French (Bouguinville), and English. Archeological researches have found porcelains from the Ming dynasty.
Many Yachtmen stop now in Karimunjawa on their way from Australia to Thailand or the China sea or back.
Landscape
Mostly low-lying islands with sandy beaches. There is some fringing mangrove around Kemujan. The highest point as Bukit Gajah at 506 meters (1,660 ft).
Flora and fauna
One can find various kinds of sea animals, like turtles, sharks, and fishes, in the watery territory of Karimunjawa. On land, there are birds, deer, monkeys and snakes. Entrance to the natural forest requires a National Park guide.
Talk
Javanese is the most common language of communication between local residents, with Indonesian widely used and understood as the national language. English is not widely understood, so knowledge of some Indonesian is recommended.
Get in
By boat
There are regular ferries from Jepara, Semarang and Kendal, except during the monsoon season from December to February when the waves may be too high for a day or two. There was a severe case on December 31, 2014 when about 500 tourists could not go back to Java due to 3.5-m-high waves and the ATMs ran out of money after 3 days, because some of the coal cargos also landed to avoid high waves and its crew also used the ATMs. Cash for at least 5 days should be prepared, because vendors still have their merchandise.
See also Weather wave forecast from Indonesia (only available in Indonesian – search “Prakiraan Tinggi Gelombang” (aka “Wave Height Forecast”).
From Jepara
- KMP Siginjai (slow boat, regular ferry, by ASDP). Monday 07:00, Wednesday 06:30, Friday 06:30, Saturday 07:00. Return Tuesday 07:00, Thursday 12:30, Friday 12:30, Sunday 07:00. 5 hours duration. Be at the Kartini port at least one hour before, as the ferry sometimes departs earlier than scheduled. It can be booked online with Indonesian bank account only (ask local friend or hotel). Book early if want economy class as it can get full. Economy ticket Rp 105,000, Vip ticket Rp 150,000 (better and numbered seat, AC, separate western toilets). If paying cash at counter, administrative fee Rp 9,000.
- Express Bahari (speed boat). M F 09:00-11:00, Sa 10:00-12:00. Return M 12:00, W 11:00, Sa 07:00, Su 11:00. In high season it may need to be booked in advance. Go to the office along the street to Jepara port or ask your hotel to do it for you. Rp 200,000-230,000.
All boats are only operational if the waves are none to medium.
Double-check latest schedule before travel.
From Semarang
The state-owned, PELNI provides two ships to go to Karimunjawa, KM. Lawit and KM. Kelimutu. The cheapest fare is Rp 90,000. You may check the schedule in the PELNI office Semarang Branch or by PELNI app.
There is also a fast boat, KMC. Kartini from Tanjung Emas Port.
Be aware that PELNI boats are using north island pier.
From Kendal
- Express Bahari, ☏ +62 822 4180-0700 (Kendal), +62 297 312333 (Karimunjawa). Departing Kendal for Karimunjawa at 08:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays. Departing Karimunjawa for Kendal at 12:00 on Wednesdays and Sundays. Kendal is the town immediately to the west of Semarang, reachable by bus and train. The crossing is scheduled to take two and a half hours; traveler feedback indicates three to four hours is more realistic. Schedules are not reliable and services may be cancelled at the last minute if there are not enough ticket sales. VIP tickets Rp 260,000.
From Yogyakarta
- Day Trans, Jl. Letjen Suprapto No.55, Rw. I, Bulu, Kec. Jepara, Kabupaten Jepara, ☏ +62 851-0132-6868. Daytrans ticket can be bought on tiket.com too. Stop at Semarang, Jepara bus shop and Jepara Kartini Ferry Terminal. From Yogyakarta Rp 165,000-190,000.
By plane
- 1 Dewandaru Airport (KWB IATA) (on Kemujan). There are flights with Airfast from Surabaya. Travel from the airport to town takes about 45 minutes.
- Airfast, ☏ +62 812 3777-9610 (Surabaya), +62 812 3777-9614 (Karimunjawa). Departing Surabaya for Karimunjawa at 11:31 on Tuesdays and 11:40 on Thursdays, arriving 1 hr 20 min later; departing Karimunjawa for Surabaya at 08:00 on Wednesdays and 13:45 on Thursdays. Tickets may be ordered over the phone but must be paid for and collected in person at the airport of departure. The system seems to be the one who pays first gets the ticket, so even if you order a ticket over the phone, it is not yours until you pay for it. Cost for a taxi from the airport to the Karimunjawa town is around Rp350,000. Rp 379,900 single for flights from Surabaya to Karimunjawa; Rp 309,900 single for flights from Karimunjawa to Surabaya.
- There are direct flights from Jakarta to Karimunjawa and flights via Semarang. The second option is considered to be cheaper.
Get around
On Karimunjawa and Kemujan islands you can rent cars or motorcycles. Boats are available to get to the other islands. It might be a good idea to book a rental car before you arrive in Karimunjawa because there are few cars.
Fees and permits
Entrance ticket to Karimunjawa National Park to pay on arrival (at pier after boat offboarding, keep ticket):
- Mancanegara (Wna) Foreign Tourist
- Weekdays Rp 150,000
- Weekends Rp 250,000
- Wisatawan Nusantara (Wni) Domestic Tourist
- Weekdays Rp 5,000
- Weekends Rp 7,500
Some charges for natural tourism activities in the National Park:
- Snorkeling: weekday Rp 15,000/day
- Scuba diving: weekday Rp 25,000/day
- Wildlife observations: weekday Rp 10,000/activity
- Tracking, hiking, climbing: weekday Rp 5,000/day
See
Beaches and beautiful coral reefs.
Beaches
- 1 Alano Beach (Pantai Alano).
- 2 Batu Putih Beach (Pantai Batu Putih) (near the airport).
- 3 Batu Topeng Beach (Pantai Batu Topeng).
- 4 Bobby Beach (Pantai Bobby).
- 5 Cemara Besar Island (Pulau Cemara Besar).
- 6 Menjangan Kecil Island (Pulau Menjangan Kecil).
- 7 Seruni Island (Pulau Seruni).
- 8 Sintok Island (Pulau Sintok).
- 9 Ujung Gantungan Beach (Pantai Ujung Gantungan) (In Menjangan Besar Island).
- 10 Ujung Gelam Beach (Pantai Ujung Gelam).
Wildlife
Do
Diving & snorkelling
- Snorkelling day tour, Pelabuhan Wisata (Pier near Alun Alun). Typical tour includes one snorkel (near Pulau Menjangan Kecil, 1 hr), one island stop for lunch and leasure (Pulau Cemara Besar, Rp 5,000), another snorkel (sea but nearest Pulau Cemara Kecil, 1 hr) and another island stop (Pulau Cemara Kecil) from 09:00 to 17:00. Staff usually has a waterproof camera and will share photos after, usually through hotel. Group up to 12 persons. May try to get your own boat/group if want specific highlight or avoid more crowded hours. Snorkelling day tour Rp 200,000-250,000 including equipment and lunch but excluding one island entrance Rp 5,000.
- Kemujan divers (PT. Kemujan Indah Resort), Karimunjawa Dive Resort, Kemojan RT. 3 RW. 2, Kec. (North part of the island), ☏ +62 821 2130 3005, kemujan-divers@kj-dr.com. Snorkelling excursion with divers Rp 400,000, PADI fun scuba diving Rp 1,600,000, PADI discover scuba diving Rp 1,800,000 (each includes 2 spots or dives).
Diving and snorkelling. There are many interesting spots for diving like Taka Panyawangan and Gosong Cemara. There are some shipwrecks that attract fish and divers alike.
Hiking
You can also go hiking around the island to find many places where there is a beautiful panorama.
- 4 Love Hill (Bukit Love).
Mangrove trekking
It's unclear if still possible. Some report main site has closed.
- 5 Mangrove Area Tourism (Kawasan Wisata Mangrove).
Stargazing
- DeepSky villa astro night, Ds. Legon Goprak, Dk. Alang-Alang, RT.02/RW.04, ☏ +62 81392859191, deepskyvilla@gmail.com. Rp 100,000.
Buy
The best known handicrafts in Karimunjawa are its wood carvings, and many shops sell them.
Many people also go to Karimunjawa to find the dewandaru plant, believing it can prolong life.
Eat
Karimunjawa cuisine
- Bakso ikan ekor kuning, a fish ball soup.
- Lontong krubyuk, a rice cake with chicken, cabbage, tofu, and bean sprout in a brown soup.
- Tongseng cumi, squid in a sweet and spicy gravy.
Food stalls
Surrounded by sea, Karimunjawa offers lots of seafood. Fresh fish and prawns are staples in the island diet. Restaurants are located within hotels. Other eateries, or warungs, provide decent cheap food like fried rice, fish, or an assortment of veggies. Be flexible and you'll do fine.
- 1 Alun-alun Karimunjawa. In the alun-alun (town public park), there are a lot of seafood stalls. They serve grilled fish and the local dish tongseng cumi.
- 2 Bakso Ikan Ekor Kuning Bu Daton, Karimunjawa. Serves bakso ikan ekor kuning.
- 3 Eat & Meet, Jl H Dr Soetomo RT01 RW02 (near the ATM), ☏ +62 297 319-1103. Wood-fired pizza, pasta, beer, ice cream.
- 4 Warung Makan Sami Roso, Jl. Dr. Sutomo. 05:00-11:00. Serves lontong krubyuk.
- 5 Warung Makan Ester Simple Fresh (Warung Ibu Esther), Kabupaten Jepara (On Alun Alun). 06:00-22:00. Do your own plate, usually Rp 20,000-30,000.
Drink
There are no clubs and only one lounge bar, the Cumibar. It is difficult to find alcohol, but it can be found at Breve Azurine (Cumibar & Lumba Beach Snack Bar), the Eat & Meet restaurant and The Happinezz hostel. A beer costs about Rp45,000.
Bottled water can be bought readily. At meals, seasonal fresh fruit juice is a treat (mango, orange, avocado). The whole coconut drink is very common with a reasonable price of Rp10,000-20,000.
Sleep
There are various kinds of accommodation, from four star hotels to homestays and campsites.
Hotel
- 1 The Happinezz Hills, Jl. I. J. Kasimo (on a hill near viewpoint Bukit Love), ☏ +62 877-3779-3332, Info@thehappinezzhills.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Offers 12 double rooms, 4 twin rooms, and 1 family bungalow. Every room has been decorated in one of these four themes: beach, ocean, nature or sunset, based on the beautiful surroundings. The swimming pool includes a pool bar. A daily Western and Asian breakfast is served in the onsite restaurant. Scooters for rent.
Budget
- 2 Mulya Indah Homestay, Jl. Pemuda, ☏ +62 812 260 06329. From Rp80,000.
- 3 Arriani Homestay, Jl. Pangeran Diponegoro (near the main mosque), ☏ +62 818 086 56588. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. room fan Rp 115,000-135,000, ac Rp 225,000-250,000.
- 4 The Bodhi Tree Hostel & Chill, Karimunjawa, Kabupaten Jepara, Jawa Tengah, ☏ +62 812-3922-2203. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 10:00. shared/private bathroom+toilet (dorm attached cold water only, other one with hot water, toilet paper, toilet gun), towel, soap, wifi, rooftop. dorm Rp 80,000, double room Rp 400,000, snorkelling day tour Rp 250,000, breakfast Rp 35,000, main course Rp 35,000-60,000, drink Rp 25,000.
- 5 L'isola che... Hostel - rooms & dormitory, Jl. Perintis, Karimunjawa, Kabupaten Jepara, Jawa Tengah, ☏ +62 812-3962-4782. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. shared/private bathroom, wifi. dorm Rp 170,000, double room Rp 300,000-415,000 including breakfast, snorkelling day tour Rp 250,000.
Lodging
- 6 Roemah Emak Villa. A relaxing home for family, next to the beach.
Mid-range
- 7 Blue Laguna Inn.
- 8 Dewadaru Resort.
- 9 Wisma Apung Karimunjawa. A hotel in the middle of the sea.
- 10 Escape Beach hotel.
- 11 Halo Sustainable Resort, Jl. Kemojan, ☏ +62 812 222 33979. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From Rp668,801.
Splurge
- 12 Kura-kura Resort, ☏ +62 24 7663-2510, info@kurakuraresort.com. On Menyawakan Island. Shaded by coconut trees and surrounded by white sand beaches and pristine coral reefs. A high class hotel with scuba facilities.
- 13 Breve Azurine Lagoon Resort (Jiwaquest), ☏ +62 297 319-1059, breveazurine@gmail.com. Five minutes to the east of Karimunjawa town, on Lele lagoon. Twelve rooms, 2 restaurants and bars.
Stay safe
For beginner snorkelers, it is recommended to wear a life jacket.
Go next
In practice, the only option is to go back to the mainland of Java: either by ferry to Jepara, Kendal or Semarang, or by plane to Surabaya.