Karimunjawa Islands
Located about 400 km northwest of Jepara in Central Java, Karimunjawa is a beautiful archipelago in Java Sea. Jepara is about 83 km from Semarang. A cluster of 27 islands, Karimunjawa is known for its amazing fringing coral reefs, diving sites, and sandy beaches. The reefs are a mixture of fringing, barrier, and patch with bottom depths ranging from 15 to 40 meters.
Most of the islands are untouched and beautiful, where visitors can indulge in diving, fishing and sunbathing. There are nice resorts on 5 inhabited islands offering diving facilities. Visitors can reach Karimunjawa by plane from Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java. It takes about 30 minutes flight to reach the islands from Semarang. You can also reach Karimunjawa by speed boat from Semarang or Jepara in 3 hours. The best time to visit the Karimunjawa islands is from April through November.
Features of Karimunjawa Islands
- Five of the 27 islands are domestically inhabited and together with 22 others form the four major zones.
- The first zone is the main sanctuary area and is out of bounds to all.
- The second zone is the wilderness area open to limited tourism.
- The third zone is the utilization area while the fourth zone is the buffer zone.
- The information staffs are known for their helpful and co-operative assistance. Expect to get a very pleasant welcome as you enter.
- The main attraction at Karimunjawa Islands is the exciting range of flora and fauna above and below the water.
- The reefs hold as many as 35 types of hard corals, sponges, gorgonian, soft and red corals and an amazing 240 plus variety of fish.
- For those who have that adventurous streak in them, Karimunjawa Islands can be an exciting destination. The wreck diving at the island of Batu Kunci, Karang Kapal, Karang Ketel and Batulawang can be a thrilling sport.
- Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to install retired ships to create artificial dive sites.
- Till date, Karimunjawa islands have 12 dive sites.
- Most of the diving is done on the fringing reefs around the islands, as well as on the submerged reefs and shipwrecks.
- All the sites are located to the west of the main island.
Facilities at Karimunjawa Islands
Karimunjawa Islands features an excellent dive resort to solve the accommodation problem of the visiting tourists. It is situated on the uninhabited island of Menyawakan sprawling over 19 hectares. You can reach the resort from Jepara by speed boat. The journey takes about two and a half hours one-way or about 3 hours from Semarang. With 5 VIP bungalows and 5 two room deluxe cottages, 15 rooms in all, the resort offers luxurious accommodation option.
Best Time to Visit Karimunjawa Islands
The best time to visit Karimunjawa Islands is April to November with the rainy season peaking between December and February.
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