Karimunjawa Island is a tropical paradise about a 2 hour boat ride north of Java.
Or it’s supposed to be if you look on Google.
Unfortunately when I arrived it was during a monsoon, and most days were spent sheltering from the torrential rain, thunder and lightening.
There’s a lot of activities available on the island. The usual snorkelling, diving, kayaking, paddle boarding, and scooter tours are being advertised by most hostels.
One morning I woke up to a fraction of blue sky and decided to book on to the snorkelling tour. You get a few hours snorkelling in the morning, lunch and a chance to explore an island, then more snorkelling before heading to another island to watch sunset.
The conditions for snorkelling were some of the best I have experienced. Colourful marine life, different coral, a few turtles and even a small shark were all spotted.
The lunch consists of fresh fish (basically what you have just been swimming with 😬), rice and some veg.
Unfortunately we didn’t see a sunset as the rain and wind had picked up again and we were all frozen on the boat so just headed home.
The beaches on Karimunjawa itself aren’t really that great. To get to them you would need to hire a scooter, and most have entrance fees which go towards cleaning the beach (considering how much litter there was, I don’t think so).
There’s a cool viewpoint called Bukit Love which has a great view out over the ocean. This is another good spot for sunset.
To get on and off the island is relatively easy, as long as you research beforehand. You could go by boat or plane, but only on certain days and from certain places. I would recommend the plane if it’s not fully booked. It’s the tiniest little thing, only 15 seats and you can’t stand up in it. But you can see everything the pilots do which is cool.
I stayed at a place called Happinezz. The bedrooms are basic, but all you need. There’s a big social area and the owners, Joyce and Sudar, are great. Nothing is too much trouble and they will help you with onward travel plans. If you’re lucky Joyce will make you some Poffertjes!
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