Thausand Island North Jakarta

Thousand Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Seribu) is the only regency of Jakarta, Indonesia. A string of 105 islands stretching 45 kilometres north into the Java Sea, with the closest lying in Jakarta Bay only a few kilometres off mainland Jakarta.









With total land area of 8.7 km² the population is about 20,000. Pramuka Island is the regency seat[citation needed] of the Thousand Islands although the most populated island is Panggang.[citation needed] The area is a marine national park although development is allowed on 37 of the islands. Some islands are uninhabited, others have resorts and a number of them are privately owned by wealthy Jakartans.









Having lived in Jakarta for nearly five years now I had always known of the Thousand Islands, but had never visited them - mainly because like so many attractions in Indonesia you often come away disappointed, thinking ‘ well it would be great if only they had done it right ‘. I did not want to be disappointed by something that should be a potentially fantastic experience.









But recently I had the chance to accompany a group of journalists, travel agents and a few people with dubious cover stories on a special introductory trip to nine islands in two days, organized by the Jakarta Tourism Department as part of the ‘ Enjoy Jakarta ‘ Islands and Marine program. This was my big chance to discover if the Thousand Islands lived up to expectations or not.









Pulau Seribu means Thousand Islands ( Kepulauan Seribu in Indonesian ) and as the name suggests, the Thousand Island group comprises numerous tiny islands scattered across the Java Sea to the North of Jakarta. Reefs surround many of the islands and good coral growth and a variety of fish life including turtles, morays, large cuttlefish and stingrays can be found.









There are well preserved wrecks accessible from several of the resorts, most of which offer day trips. The islands are accessible ranging from 20 minutes to 2 hours by speedboat off Marina Jaya Ancol or Tanjung Kait.











Unfortunately the islands are in danger. Pulau Seribu has the misfortune to lie immediately offshore from a conurbation of 20 million people and the combined effects of land-based pollution and sedimentation are wreaking havoc in the fragile reef ecosystem of Jakarta Bay. Steps are now being taken to prevent further damage and clean up this precious ecosystem.