Karimun Jawa's coral reefs, white sands lure tourists

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Jepara

"Let's swim with Nemo," Budi said, enjoying the clear water of Cemara Island sea park.

Budi, a tourist from Bandung, West Java, had invited his friends to come snorkeling at Cemara, home to many decorative species of fish and beautiful coral reefs.

Within seconds, Budi's friends had jumped into the water to join him chasing "Nemo", the colorful fish belonging to the clown fish family featured in the movie Finding Nemo.

Many tourists enjoy snorkeling at Cemara, one of the 26 Karimun Jawa islands in Central Java's Jepara regency, which show relatively little environmental damage.

Most of the islands are untouched, remote and beautiful. Only four of the islands are inhabited. One island is owned privately and has been turned into a holiday retreat.

On the main island, Karimun, there are some 15 homestays, each with up to 10 rooms, which are often fully booked on weekends.

People who are not able to swim can still enjoy snorkeling in safety on one of the extensive shallow reefs there with a depth of only 1.5 meters.

"I can not swim, but I enjoy snorkling very much," a tourist from Boyolali in Central Java, Okie Setiawan, said.

He said he was happy seeing various colorful fish in the reef and he enjoyed every minute he spent snorkling.

"This is my first experience snorkling, and I will never forget it. I was really amazed when I saw beautiful yellow, pink and purple coral," he added.

Tourists who do not have their own equipment can hire snorkling gear from local residents.

"I charge Rp 35,000 for snorkling gear for a day," a local resident, Arif, told The Jakarta Post.

Diving equipment is also available for hire for those who want to experience the beauty of the deep sea, but for safety reasons they must be accompanied by an instructor.

Visitors to the Karimun Jawa islands, located some 50 miles north of Semarang, can also enjoy sunbathing or fishing. The area is famous as a haven for keen anglers because of its many fish.

To experience the Karimun islands with their white sandy beaches visitors can cruise around the islands by boat, with fares ranging from Rp 100,000 to Rp 250,000 depending on the vessel.

A boat which holds up to 10 people costs Rp 100,000, and for 20 people, Rp 250,000 a day" said Jasamni, a local resident who rents out boats.

Visitors can reach Karimun Jawa by ship, departing from Kartini harbor in Jepara or Tanjung Emas in Semarang.

The Muria boat goes from Jepara to Karimun Jawa every Wednesday and Saturday at 9 a.m. and returns every Monday and Thursday at 8 a.m. The journey takes six hours and costs Rp 24,000 for economy class or Rp 48,000 for business class.

The Kartini goes from Semarang to Karimun Jawa every Saturday and returns on Sundays at 4 p.m. The ride takes only three to four hours but it costs up to Rp 100,000.

There are many hotels on the island, with rooms from Rp 250,000 to US$500 a night.

Visitors may choose to rent a bungalow for Rp 50,000 a night, and order from the sea food menu with meals starting at Rp 15,000.