Sprinkled in the sea westward from Indonesian Borneo towards the better known Belitung Island, 118 islands and rocky outcrops form the Karimata Archipelago. Composed of great granite boulders, and covered in dense vegetation, the islands drift and shimmer across the horizon, and up close, each one beckons for a closer examination.
An eco tourism workshop in the tiny seaside town of Sukadana on the far coast of West Kalimantan had as its focus the opening of the nearby Karimata Islands to eco tourism. Sponsored by the newly established local government, and supported by IFACS US Aid, the aim was to start the process of establishing a sustainable tourism industry which respects the island group's status as a marine reserve. Working with local communities to protect pristine and beautiful landscapes who would welcome guests and derive income from small businesses, is the classic eco tourism model, well suited to this site.
Workshop delegates set off in 2 speedboats to visit 3 islands in the group, weaving our way through islets across the aquamarine sea and ending on eponymous Karimata Island. We were among the first ever to have seen this place - as its reserve status has closed it to any tourism development in the past.
As we continued further into the sea, the islands became more beautiful, the sea clearer, the beaches whiter. We encountered the jaunty, vividly painted fishing boats, perfect for eco tourists to explore by day, using one of the islands as a base.
Well planned by the local government, featuring unrivalled landscape, the best food (how about fresh swimmer crab, reef fish stuffed with lemon grass and tumeric, the local specialty semi dried squid with chilli paste and local tongkol or mackerel fishballs), welcoming people and superb weather, we are all very enthusiastic about the prospects for a fine eco tourism enterprise here.
If you would like to visit this special and hidden place, contact us at kalimantantours@gmail.com
