Snorkeling Getaway to Pulau Tidung

A weekend getaway to Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands) is one of the efficient (and considerably cheap) options when you're living/staying in the hectic Jakarta. Unlike its name, Kepulauan Seribu apparently only has 110 islands, not 1000.

Pulau Tidung is one of big islands, located in the area of Kepulauan Seribu Selatan, in the bay of Jakarta, approximately 60km from Jakarta.


HOW TO GET THERE ANYWAY?

Take a traditional boat from Muara Angke. Muara Angke is Jakarta's fresh fish market and fisherman's docks. Ask around, local people will direct you to the departure point. If you get to Muara Angke by car, you can put your car on an area nearby the post-office for 20,000 IDR per night.  
*updated: 20,000 IDR as long as you like :)

Kapal Muara Angke

Time of departure: 07.00 am. Be sharp. (while the boat to get back to Jakarta departs at 07.00 am and 01.00 pm.)

Price: 33,000 IDR/person.

With 20km/hours speed, you will get to Tidung in 3 hours. Do not expect fancy stuff when you get on board. One thing for sure, your legs will be cramped for sitting on the crowded floor.
Tips: If you are sea-sick, do not forget to have Antimo prior to the journey. Being on the open air or catching the sea breeze once in a while can also help repressing the sickness.

If you have more money, or i may say less adventure, the head your way to Marina Ancol and catch a boat from there.

Once you get to the island, embrace the bright sun and the salty wind - something you can not find in Jakarta. Usually, the tourists have already booked for accommodation on the island in advance.

Here are the contacts (that i know):

Lima Saudara (Pak Hamid): +62 858 88742129
Pak Suwardi: +62 856 93565464

The package that's offered covers accommodation, meal (breakfast-lunch-dinner) and water, bike rental, and snorkeling gears rental. Call them in advance to have a deal on your package.

Photo by: Jose Widjaja.

Accommodation: +/- 300,000 IDR/night/house.

You can have up to 12 people or more in one house. Well, as long as you don't mind to sleep on the floor together with your friends :)

Meals: +/- 15,000 IDR/person.

When you are in Pulau Tidung, you should ask your guide for a specific meal called "Sate Odol". and NO, it's not sate made of toothpaste.

Bike rental: 15,000 IDR/bike/day.

You can choose your own bike. Make sure that your bike is in a good condition.

Snorkeling gears rental: 35,000 IDR/pax/day.

You'll get a vest, fins, and the snorkel. For those who got small feet, bring along your socks. it helps your feet to stay put on those fins.

Boat rental: 300,000 IDR/boat.

I recommend you to go rent a boat with your friends to get to snorkeling spots around the islands. I do hope that you get such friendly guides like my friends and I did. The guide snorkel together with us, telling us the good spots and the "dangerous" spots (some coral reefs are too close to the surface that when you passed them you can get scratched all over your body)

Pulau Tidung actually consist of 2 islands. Tidung Besar and Tidung Kecil. There's a bridge that connects the islands.

BUT, SERIOUSLY... WHAT TO DO IN PULAU TIDUNG?

Enjoy the silent treatment of being in a small island. Sunbathing with a good book at hand, lazy-mood iPod playlist on your ears, and appropriate sunblock sounds nice. Don't forget to have a portion of Kelapa muda!

Biking. Just ride your bike, rummaging through the island. One thing for sure, you need to know your "home". Who is the owner of the house, what colour is the house, the number, or nearby landmark - so that when you get lost, you can ask people for direction to get back. But don't worry, the island is quite small.

Just keep swimming. You have the sea, what are you waiting for? SWIM!

Jump from a bridge (that connects both islands) ! and swim ;) like the local kids do. like my crazy friends did.

Snorkeling! You can pick a spot somewhere in the beach of Tidung Kecil. OR you can rent a boat&guide to take you to some interesting snorkeling spots around the island. Morning time, around 8-10 am, is the best time to snorkel because the waves and the streams are not that big/heavy. Snorkel your way and find the beauty of the underwater world. It was my first snorkeling experience and i did see gorgeous fishes, including "Nemo" the clown fish ;)

Photo by: Alex Arso.

Photograph the marvelous landscape, the sunrise, the sunset, and the beauty of the island.

PLEASE.. Don't waste your time by watching TV or play with your mobile phone. Throw them away! Escape from modern technology for a change.

What to bring? Money, camera, sunblock, loose clothes, snorkeling/diving gears (if you have 'em), self-entertainments (playing cards, Uno, books, iPod).
Tips: If you really really need to make important phone calls at all time, etc. then you should bring phone with Indosat number. It has good signal there.

and remember... DO NOT LITTER! Buang sampah pada tempatnya.