Bali Travel : Kuta Beach

Sunset at Kuta Beach

Kuta the most accessible, lively and commercialized of Bali's southern beaches, is noted more for surfs than for swimming and more for parties than for sunbathing. the Kuta beach actually has been notable since early 1970s, once a sleepy village with a quiet, beautiful sweep of beach, Kuta has become a popular beach destination in Bali Indonesia. 

The Kuta beach offer a legendary magnificent view of beach sunset, warm tropical weather and locals hospitality. the most common travelers destination is the beach, travelers from all over the world visit the kuta beach for swimming, surfing and sunbathing. travelers also enjoy para sailing, banana boat trips or women offer traditional Indonesian massage on the beach.

Before sunsets, crowds rush to the beach waiting to watch Kuta’s legendary beach sunset. Then as darkness falls, Kuta’s nightlife starts to throb with loud music from bars and restaurants, while shops stay open till late at night. Kuta’s main attraction is that everyone can enjoy the town without any prescribed dress code. 

Get to Kuta 

Kuta is a mere 2 miles from Ngurah Rai International airport, but traffic can get heavy so allow plenty of leeway. There are plenty of taxis that can take you to the Kuta beach. You can rent these by the meter or by the hour. Taking your own car is not recommended as parking here is very tight. Renting a car or motorbike is very inexpensive if you use local firms. However, driving on the winding mountain roads and in the crowded beach areas can be exhausting. So, let someone else do the work: For little more than the insurance you'd have to pay for yourself, you can hire a driver as well.

Travel Tips

Lodging

Kuta has the world's first Hard Rock Hotel. At its fringes are several palatial hotels that maintain beautiful gardens designed to incorporate typical local features, notably 'Balinese split gateways.' In addition, there are also plenty of simple, backpacker places.If you're a backpacker looking for cheap accommodation in Kuta, just go to Poppies Lane Alley, where you can pick your low-budget inns and restaurants

Cuisine
Indonesian food is healthy and delicious, and uses a tremendous variety of fruits and spices. Kuta restaurants can serve up just about any other international cuisine you crave and at surprisingly reasonable prices for relatively high quality cuisine, if you`re look for low-budget food, Warungs offering cheap food are within a 2 minute walk on Poppies Lane 1, so no need to get sucked into a beach side restaurant and high prices.

While you are there
Almost every evening there is a performance of Balinese -dance somewhere in Kuta. To know what is on just ask around. For cultural displays, it's difficult to beat the setting of Ubud's palaces and temples - much more appealing than seeing the same dances at a Kuta hotel. 

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Karimunjawa National Park

Karimunjawa National Park - Geleang Island

The Karimunjawa archipelago, located in the Java Sea, widely known as The Karimunjawa National Park these clustered island offer magnificent scenery for divers and travelers.

Karimunjawa is located in the north of the city of Semarang, Central Java, It takes approximately four to five hour to visit this typical Indonesian resort island from city of Semarang, that`s quite a long way down ahead but once you arrived you`ll be surrounded by pristine beach with touch of Indonesia`s natural beauty.

Karimunjawa is among one of the seven marine national parks in Indonesia, it has very rich biodiversity, As a marine national park, Karimunjawa is mixture of five different ecosystems and surely  attracts those who wish to take in its natural beauty and learn more about marine life. The biodiversity found in Karimunjawa is marvelous; among the most significant are the 44 different species of mangroves, 11 species of sea grass, 9 species of sea weed, and 444 species of fish. The coral itself has 176 different species that you likely want to see while snorkeling. Two protected biota species in Karimunjawa are the black coral (Antiphates sp.) and organ pipe coral (Tubipora musica). Others include the triton trumpet, the hornet helmet, and the pearly-chambered nautilus. Here are also hawksbill turtles, common green turtles, and on land are the red-breasted parakeet and other tropical bird species. 

Separated from the larger island of Java, Karimunjawa geographically located about 120 kilometers from the north coast of Semarang, its floats between the island of java and borneo (kalimantan) such a  distance forms a natural fence from physical degradation and has made it culturally resilient from modern influences. There are 27 islands in this national park, only 5 are inhabited by locals. Towns and villages are set on the island of Karimunjawa (the largest island), Kemujan, Nyamuk, Parang, and Genting. 

Karimunjawa - Corals reef

Island Attractions

Series of nature adventure available in front of travelers` eyes, magnificent view of coral reefs, tons of sea grass and seaweed next to the lush mangrove forest that splendidly reflect images on the rippling water surface. As the boat cuts across the still water in the morning, you will see the warmth of early sun rays fall on the lowland tropical forest on the coast. They look fantastic.

1. Diving and Snorkeling is a definite activity you must do. The coral reefs are excellent to capture with your underwater camera. The fringing reefs are among those patch reefs and barrier reefs. The colorful fish glide in large groups above the black corals and organ pipe corals, the two protected biota in Karimunjawa.
2. Trekking through the villages in Karimunjawa is an alternative. The locals are friendly as you can observe them working in the cultured sea grass patches. The track is not limited to this height, as Karimunjawa’s highest point is at 506 meters above sea level. Trekking through the forest and finding yourself gazing on the 27 islands dotting the Java Sea is an extraordinary experience.  On land, there are deer, long-tailed macaques, white-belly sea eagles, and various species of birds. Trekking could be very fulfilling and a great outdoor experience.

Karimunjawa - Corals reef

Where to stay in Karimunjawa

Resorts in Karimunjawa are typical Indonesia resort, some of the most notable resort are Kura-kura Resort and Karimunjawa Resort. The Menjangan Kecil Resort is found on Menjangan Kecil island. While the Barracuda Resort looks very popular with its lush tropical small forest and cottages among the rows of coconut trees. Best time to visit the Park is between April to October.

How to get to Karimunjawa

Karimunjawa itself has an airport in Kemujan Island, called the Dewadaru Airport. Small aircrafts land here although the flight schedule is still dominated by chartered flights from Semarang, Yogyakarta or Bali. Ferries serve the islands three times a week, either from Jepara or also Semarang, and speed boats are plenty and available on special request. tickets are vary starts from 45.000 IDR to 165.000 IDR.

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Jakarta Travel : Pari Island

"Pari Island is the island-clustered lagoon with excotic panoramic views and best explored by snorkeling or simply walking along the coasts of clean, white sandy beaches.”

Pari Island is one of the many little spots of paradise, located near the Capital City of Indonesia, Jakarta, Pari Island is just a stone’s throw away from the bustling activity of the capital. This Island is quite different and quite unique from the most popular islands destination in the clustered island of Pulau Seribu (thousand island) such as Tidung Island or Bidadari Island, Although Pari Island not  popular as a tourist destination, for some group of people Pari Island is one of best fishing spots in Pulau Seribu (thousand island).

Pari Island offer you beautiful panoramic view, and if you looking for some tranquility and inner peace, Pari Island is the great place to visit. To catch a glimpse of this beautiful scenery you can take a walk along the island or swim to sense the warm water of the Pari Island, beneath this beautiful scenery island there are some beautiful corals. Another popular tourist destination in this island is Pantai Pasir Perawan  make your way here and experience  the warm white sand between your toes and sense how the sea breeze blows warmly and sends mild waves along the shores... its tranquilizing.

Some facilities you can find in this island are volleyball and soccer fields, also a bamboo shelter with seats, a rowboat for paddling along the coast, and rubber tubes to play with in the water. At sunset, enjoy ice-cold coconut water as the warm evening sea breeze caresses and refreshes you : a sure remedy for stress and a tired mind. Soft white sand, lovely breeze, calm waves and gentle ripples will all make you want to linger a little longer to more fully partake of the beauty of this beach.

Besides the beaches and underwater experiences, you can also learn about and participate in seaweed cultivation. At the southern tip and to the west lies the Indonesian Institute of Sciences’ Oceanographic Development Centre (LIPI, Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia). Here you may plant mangrove or ketapang trees, or explore the LIPI-owned laboratory for underwater research and marine life such as sharks, rayfish, seaweed and other varieties of animal and plant species found in the waters of Pari Island and its surroundings. Seaweed is the main commodity that is successfully cultivated in the waters around Pari Island today.

Tips:

Remember to bring mosquito repellent. There are regulations that prohibit garbage entering the island from outside. Visitors to Pari Island are required to take with them any garbage accumulated during their visit here!  So be sure to bring with you a garbage bag or bags large enough to hold any default garbage.

What`s on Pari Island :

Pari Island is not very large, to explore this remarkable island you may take about an hour or so. The road on the island is a neat and clean blend of rock and sand blocks. If you are someone who enjoys the outdoors activity like fishing, photography and nature, or just a secluded, relaxing and quiet atmosphere, then Pari Island is the place for you. To get around, rent a bicycle from a vendor on the roadside for just  Rp.15,000 per hour  or Rp 30.000  for the day.

How to get to Pari Island :

From Jakarta to Pari Island in the Thousand Islands Archipelago, there are 3 ports of departure by sea to choose from :

1. The shortest boat ride is from Muara Saban Cituis Port, Tangerang, with a travel time of approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours 
2. The longest boat ride is from Muara Angke Port by a wooden fishing boat with a capacity of 100 to 120 people, and takes about 1 ½ or 2 hours of travel. A Return Ticket costs about Rp. 60,000 to 70.000, -  Be there by 6:00a.m. to catch the first boat.The address:Muara Angke Port, Mandala Bahari Street, Pluit, Penjaringan, North Jakarta. 
3. There are only 2 departures from Marina Jaya,  Ancol - at  08.00am and 12 noon. And returns at 14.00pm from Pari island. Sea Leader Marine Luxury Yacht charter provides rental in the Thousand Islands’ Marine National Park. Contact his office at Marina Pier, Ancol. 

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