I always told my friends that this place is my secret paradise. Living in the Capital City of Jakarta means dealing with lots of people, traffic, and (let's say) "pollution" 24/7. Jakarta definitely is a big city. It's really hard (for me) to find a quiet place to do my zen.
But I'm lucky enough to find this place. I was working as a "tour guide" at some local tourist agency in Jakarta. They have a package tour called "Hopping Island in Thousand Island, Jakarta". One of the destinations is this island: Pulau Kelor.
After that, it's become my "secret" hidden paradise.
To go to Kelor Island, we need to take a traditional fishing boat. We can easily found it on the pier. Jakarta has several harbors. But today, we'll heading to Kelor Island through Muara Kamal Harbor, in West Jakarta.
Once we get to the pier, we have to ask the local fishermen if they are willing to rent them out during the day. After haggling over the price, we finally got a price of IDR 250,000 to rent a boat for the whole day. This is cheap because at that time I invited three of my friends. So each has to pay around Rp. 62,500.
This traditional ship is made of wood and using diesel engine power. Usually, this ship can carry 10 passengers, not including one captain and one crew member. If the wind is strong, they can put up a sail.
The trip to Kelor Island can be reached in 15-20 minutes. This wooden ship can't sail fast.
After a few minutes, we were able to see the island reclamation project which was still in progress at that time. In Jakarta, there are actually pros and cons to this project. So I wonder, how is the progress of this project now?
Actually, we are not too far from Java Island. As you can see, that skyscraper is from the central of Jakarta. Even though it's not far from Jakarta, but the atmosphere is very different.
And I know, you might be wondering, what's that things on the surface of the water?
It's Keramba or a fish cage. The traditional fisherman in Jakarta (or in Indonesia, I think) usually uses this keramba to save and cultivate the fish they catch.
They build it just from bamboo! I'm always wondering, how to make it? I mean, it's in the middle of the sea. How to stick bamboo to the seabed? And believe it or not, this cage may look frail, but it is actually very strong. You can stand and stay on it.
And finally, welcome to my hidden paradise!
The island is very small, so you can look around without moving from where you are standing. There are three parts of the island: a beach with white sand, a pier with public bathrooms and an island guard office, and a fort area on the left side of the island.
Look at the picture above. There is an old building in the shape of a circle. It was Fort Martello which was built in 1850 by the VOC. This fort has a height of 12 meters made using red bricks. When viewed from its history, Kelor Island used to be one of the Dutch defense bases to conquer enemy attacks.
Over the years, the island is getting smaller due to erosion and abrasion of seawater. That's why on several sides of the island, especially near the fort, breakwaters were built.
When the water is receding, I usually like to sit back and relax on the breakwater. Seeing small waves crashing against the rocks always reminds me of the opening video for the Kamen Rider series.
In contrast to the bustling and bustling Jakarta, this place is very quiet and comfortable. I used to come here just to sit and reflect, to cool off. Or I also sometimes swim and play water on the beach. If I bring a fishing rod, I can also fish around the island.
The water around the island is still very clear. I can even see the fish swimming without needing to enter the water.
Unfortunately on this island, there are no stalls. So I had to bring lunch from home. Another solution is to go to the next island, Onrust Island, and buy some food. Just like Kelor Island, Onrust Island is actually also uninhabited. However, there are food stalls managed by residents around the port.
By the way, Onrust Island is also fun as a tourist spot. I'll tell you another time.
We have to return before nightfall. Because at night, the weather at sea can be bad. Strong winds and high waves can be dangerous for this frail traditional ship.
We arrived at the harbor just as the sun was setting. Very beautiful view. So I don't want to go back to frenetic real life. But I need to come back to reality and work hard (and play harder).
All photos were taken by Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018)