Karimunjawa Sets Up Mangrove Tracking Tourism

The Karimunjawa Archipelago is setting up mangrove tracking tourism. For the past four months, the Karimunjawa National Park Board (BTNK) has been building board walks made of wood located in the middle of the mangrove forest. ”This is the first stage of the construction,” said Mangara Gunung Nababan, the BTNK chief.

The board walk, made of 630-meter-long wood and 1.5 meter wide, is located in Legoh Ipah, Kemojan Island. It is one meter above sea level, equipped with posts for resting. A mangrove information center will also be constructed. The construction will be hexagon-shaped and will be supported with multi-media facilities.

It is expected to be operational by the end of the year. After the first stage is completed, a similar path will be built next year, along with an observation tower. The mangrove tracking is run by the National Park Area I.

Mangara admitted that the construction of this mangrove board walk was duplicating the one in Bali, which they visited. The Karimunjawa mangrove forest consists of 45 types, much wider than the Bali one and supported with various Karimunjawa bird habitats. “The place will become a mangrove information center and educational tourism site,” Mangara said.

Jepara Regent Hendro Martojo supports the mangrove board walk construction. “The more investors developing Karimunjawa, the better,” he said. Karimunjawa is located 65 nautical miles from Jepara, Central Java. It comprises 27 big and small islands, with 8.917 population. The trip to Karimunjawa uses the Kartini motor boat, leaving from Tanjung Emas, Semarang Port, and the Muria motor boat, leaving from Pantai Kartini port in Jepara, twice a week.

Visitors can also fly with Pioneer planes from Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang. At present, the Jepara and the Central Java governments are extending the runway at Dewandaru Airport at Karimunjawa, from 900 meters to 1.400 meters.