In Search of Hidden Paradise at Karimun Jawa Island and Batukaras, Indonesia

Yippee… it’s time for me taking one week leave from office, set schedule and route to find another hidden paradise in my beautiful country.

Main destination Karimun Jawa Island and Batukaras;
Karimun Jawa Island located only 44 nautical miles from Jepara city, central Java, Indonesia. Is a small island with but have many surprises from the pristine beach to beautiful underwater scenery.

Batukaras located in south coastline of Java Island, in the beginning Batukaras just small fisherman village until surfer from abroad found that the beautiful greenery beach and great wave for all surfers.

Day 1, Jakarta to Jepara

<h2><a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1513300">In Search of Sunrise Karimun Jawa 2012 (Jakarta to Jepara)</a></h2> <object width="400" height="300" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://www.everytrail.com/swf/widget.swf"/><param name="FlashVars" value="units=english&mode=0&key=ABQIAAAA_7wvFEi7gGngCZrOfos63hSN1xyBy-BzBD--25ZLXpVi3GfbehTQlZCXdpUFII2A5CGeExVTCyX1ow&tripId=1513300&startLat=-6.262971&startLon=106.913601&mapType=Terrain&"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.everytrail.com/swf/widget.swf" quality="high" width="400" height="300" FlashVars="units=english&mode=0&key=ABQIAAAA_7wvFEi7gGngCZrOfos63hSN1xyBy-BzBD--25ZLXpVi3GfbehTQlZCXdpUFII2A5CGeExVTCyX1ow&tripId=1513300&startLat=-6.262971&startLon=106.913601&mapType=Terrain&" play="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br/>EveryTrail - Find <a href="http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-california">trail maps for California</a> and beyond<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.everytrail.com/trip/widgetimpression?trip_id=1513300"></script>

Start from Jakarta 5.30 AM to be able Friday pray at Cirebon area and take lunch, nothing special from Jakarta to Cirebon only crazy bus driver and psycho truck driver at North route. Around 8 PM, pull over at Kendal city to enjoy dinner with small amount of toast bread, some fried snack and hot ginger complete with small stuff around 11.00 PM finally reach at Jepara at stay at small hotel with air con nice&#8230; for sleep couple hours.

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Traffic condition before entering Cirebon area


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my lunch




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quick stop at kendal for Dinner

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Refuelling before Jepara

Great to see another ride report from Indonesia, please keep it coming. I'm heading your way from Australia via Timor Leste next month. Probably be awhile before I get to Java, got lots to see further to the east first.

What an interesting part of the world!

Please tell us a little about your bike.

Thanks for posting and travel safe!

Rob

hallo mate, RDT 953
i will continue the story. by the way. i just return from hospital after 8 days in hospitalize due to dengue fever...
please stop over in my place if you cross java island, will be great to meet you mate. here my contact no. +628159553090 in case you need assistance in Java

cheers
arief

hi.. road damage,
thanks for read my ride report ...wait this is just day 1, i have 7 days trip....
the bike is Hyosung Karion a korean motorcycle. its small cc bike well abuse, very cheap and easy maintenance....

greeting from distance
arief

Hey mate, sorry to hear about the dengue fever. Thanks for the invite, I've saved your number. Looking forward to reading the rest of your report.

<h2><a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1513358">In Search of Sunrise Karimun Jawa 2012 (Jepara to Karimun Jawa)</a></h2> <object width="400" height="300" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://www.everytrail.com/swf/widget.swf"/><param name="FlashVars" value="units=english&mode=0&key=ABQIAAAA_7wvFEi7gGngCZrOfos63hSN1xyBy-BzBD--25ZLXpVi3GfbehTQlZCXdpUFII2A5CGeExVTCyX1ow&tripId=1513358&startLat=-6.589279&startLon=110.663081&mapType=Satellite&"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.everytrail.com/swf/widget.swf" quality="high" width="400" height="300" FlashVars="units=english&mode=0&key=ABQIAAAA_7wvFEi7gGngCZrOfos63hSN1xyBy-BzBD--25ZLXpVi3GfbehTQlZCXdpUFII2A5CGeExVTCyX1ow&tripId=1513358&startLat=-6.589279&startLon=110.663081&mapType=Satellite&" play="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br/>EveryTrail - Find <a href="http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-california">trail maps for California</a> and beyond<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.everytrail.com/trip/widgetimpression?trip_id=1513358"></script>

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Wake up at 6 AM, re-pack and heading to the Jepara Harbour to Catch KM Muria (Roll On Roll Out) boat to Karimun Jawa Island. My motorcycle parking next to vegetable, rice and other stuff.
Its, super cool ha ha ha&#8230;

Jepara at morning
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The ferry, KM Muria
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inside the ferry
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Renting an air con room at ferry not bad to recharge
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The skipper
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and his pet
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The boat average speed about 10 km according my GPS it means estimate arrival at Karimun Jawa at 3 or 4 pm. After sleeping more than 4 hour and relaxing on deck the island appears on the horizon and at 3.30 pm we arrive at the Island. The first thing I wanna see is Tanjung Gelam, is from the harbor I am heading to North direction.

Karimun Jawa island in distance
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The green of vegetation with Blue Ocean in the background quite place and the warmth from the afternoon sun, what a wonderful riding session with my lovely steel horse that I ever had.
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Finally reach the Ujung Gelam &#8230;
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path to Ujung Gelam
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WOW &#8230;this is the first time in my life; I saw beautiful turquoise beach with white soft sand and surrounding with greenery. So bloody worth it for 2 day riding and found this&#8230;.fantastich.

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enjoy fries banana and black coffee = heaven
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Seat over the rock and relax on the beach while waiting the sunset gone behind the horizon.
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The beach and the bay look great. Did you camp there? If not, is it OK to camp with a small tent on those beaches?

Wow, it looks like the biggest problem will be leaving!

Nope, didn't camp there.. I was choosing to stay at a local home. If you wanna camp there is possible :) nice view right....

blacknblue...
Indeed .. It's hard to leave that beautiful scenery... hik hik hik..

Day 3
I spent a full two days to enjoy the marine life Karimun Jawa, we use small boat, the boat is made from wood, and the diesel engine noise make your ear almost can hear but it funs.

We start hopping island at morning and return to our home stay at evening.
Cemara Besar & Cemara Kecil Island and Tanjung Gelam using a boat

the boat
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karimun jawa kid
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Clear water and coral near Cemara Island
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feeding the fish actually big no no.. to do this :)
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Back to Ujung Gelam using boat after hopping island
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enjoy fresh coconut water \
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and brewing coffee using this kind of stove
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after enjoying Ujung Gelam we heading Cemara Kecil Island using boat and enjoy sunset from the boat

star fish at cemara kecil
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and boy will be boy
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karimun Jawa island from Cemara kecil island
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And the skipper asks me to find this kind of creature for dinner in the shore, he said this good for men health ha ha ha ha...
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the skipper
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And enjoy the sunset from the boat
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and we return to island to cook the shell for dinner
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Day 4,

Early morning I start my bike to explore the island ....
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the native house
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end of road
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back to port and hoping island again and using my underwater camera
to find nemo

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After snorkeling enjoy black coffee over here
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looking for GT or Shark
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Previous photos of Days 4:

black mamba in action
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my last dinner at Karimun Jawa
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Day 5, last day in Karimun Jawa, packed my gear and prepare the bike, so i wake up early morning and heading to the east side of the island to catch sunrise over Nirwana Beach..

sunrise at Nirwana Beach
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Nirwana Resort owned by Belgium man
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return to Java Island

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My agenda today is returning to Jepara and continue the trip to Purwokerto.
The trip will take 360km, finally touch down at Jepara afternoon and continue the trip via Demak, Semarang, Temanggung, Wonosobo, Banjarnegara and Purwokerto.

<h2><a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1513363">In Search of Sunrise Karimun Jawa 2012 (Jepara to Purwokerto)</a></h2> <object width="400" height="300" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://www.everytrail.com/swf/widget.swf"/><param name="FlashVars" value="units=english&mode=0&key=ABQIAAAA_7wvFEi7gGngCZrOfos63hSN1xyBy-BzBD--25ZLXpVi3GfbehTQlZCXdpUFII2A5CGeExVTCyX1ow&tripId=1513363&startLat=-5.879854&startLon=110.436369&mapType=Terrain&"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.everytrail.com/swf/widget.swf" quality="high" width="400" height="300" FlashVars="units=english&mode=0&key=ABQIAAAA_7wvFEi7gGngCZrOfos63hSN1xyBy-BzBD--25ZLXpVi3GfbehTQlZCXdpUFII2A5CGeExVTCyX1ow&tripId=1513363&startLat=-5.879854&startLon=110.436369&mapType=Terrain&" play="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br/>EveryTrail - Find <a href="http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-california">hiking trails in California</a> and beyond<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.everytrail.com/trip/widgetimpression?trip_id=1513363"></script>

Jepara to Semarang
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my favorite road
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From Semarang to Purwokerto was an unforgettable night riding experience to get faster to my destination I follow a travel vehicle which speeding all the time ... but there is some consequences follow that bloody vehicle nasty road and bumpy road hit directly without no chance to breaking resulting my swing arm need surgery.

i was so tired when reach Purwokerto and sleep with riding gear still attached... in the morning i wake up.. security bring my helmet which i left at the front dest last nite... i sleep in small hotel cost only Rp. 200,000 or $20.

After breakfast, I check my bike and found my swing arm was broken... I have to find a workshop to weld the swing arm which in pretty bad condition.
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finally found an exhaust vehicle workshop with electric welding available.. i was some CO welding i found well .. Better than I cannot repair the swing arm...

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After disassembly the swing and surgery begin.... I have to cut the base of the swing arm and replace with better steel plate .... Ha ha ha ...Hyosung you should consider this one....

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around 6 afternoon the bike ready to hit the road again... around 8 PM near wangon area my chain connection was gone... 428 H will be difficult to find in small areas like this... after 1 hour looking small service workshop the chain connection was available what a blaze from the sky...

continue to Batukaras

somewhere near Pangandaran area for quick stop
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Around 2 AM I finally reach batukaras, the was no people there...
After knocking the Homestay door the owner came out and I can rest for awhile...

next day 6 Batukaras to Jakarta

absolutely beautiful country, and ocean waters and sunsets Fantastic, thank you for sharing you beautiful spot of the world.

Your Bike looks like a Yamaha 200cc and I guess Happy Trails ships panniers everywhere.

Thank you for sharing

hallo Idahosam,
thanks for read my RR, yaa.. the bike very similar with Yamaha TW 200 and the panieer was homemade garage. The plan to build the pannier, I got from the internet...

Cheers
arief

I use to have a TW 200, great bike. those are some damn fine home made Panniers.

You live in a very beautiful part of the world.

hello from New York. just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to post this report and pictures. very interesting.

thanks!

Thanks mate,
you can visit my country someday... Guaranteed you will love it mate...

Greeting from south hemisphere, nachtflug
thanks for reading my RR...

you can read this one: Bali Adventure riding session

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=730045

Selamat jalan, achmad...

Thank you for sharing a great journey in your beautiful country.