TIMESINDONESIA, GRESIK – Indonesia is an archipelago country with tens of thousands of islands spread between Sabang and Merauke, the farthest east and west part of Indonesia.
Each island comes with distinguished tropical beauty and natural wealth, and a lot more of those hidden beauties are still left well-hidden. One of the hidden gems of Indonesia, Bawean Island in Gresik, East Java is a tropical paradise with unmatched natural beauty and only a few bunches of tourists know about this region.
Located in East Java, approximately 120 kilometers from the district center, Bawean Island has approximately 200 kilometers square of area. You can reach Bawean Island in approximately three hours by the Express Bahari speedboat transport.
Bawean Island has two districts, namely the Sangkapura and Tambak with the sum of 30 villages spread all around the island, with nine more islands spread in the districts. There are many places you can visit on Bawean Island to enjoy the refreshing natural atmosphere.
Legend says that in 1350, sailors from the Majapahit Empire were stuck in a storm that stranded the whole voyage on a small island. The sun rose exactly during the incident which brought the name 'Bawean', which means 'the sunlight' in the Sansekerta language.
In the 18th century, VOC conquered this place and the governors from the Netherlands and Europe called this island Lubeck, Baavian, Bovian, or Lobok.
Bawean Island also has natural captivity for the endangered Bawean Deer or Axis Kuhlii, which is located in the protected forest region of Pudakit Village, Sangkapura. It takes a bit longer to reach this place because of the narrow and winding route.
However, it will all be worth it once you reach the region and spot one of the cute deers. The animal which became the mascot of the Asian Games 2018 is an endemic fauna to this region. Bawean deer is very cautious with human presence, thus visitors are not allowed to feed the animal.
There is also the Kastoba Lake located at the center of the island, more precisely in the Paroman Village, Tambak District. You will need to reserve extra energy before a trip here due to its location on the hills and will take approximately an hour from the Bawean Port and another 30 minutes of walk to reach the place.
However, visitors will not feel bored or fatigued because the route there is surrounded by gigantic trees and various species of insects which create a beautiful harmony of sounds during the trip. Once you reach the place, you will see a scenery no other place can offer; a lake view surrounded by huge trees combined with the harmony of the sounds of the insects.
If you are done with your visit to Kastoba Lake, there is also the Selayar Beach in Sungairujing Village, Sangkapura. When the water recedes, you can cross on foot to Noko Island. Approximately 20 minutes from Bawean Port, visitors can enjoy the mild waves and the soft beach water foam touching the skin, complete with beautiful views and waving roads.
As you experience everything that Selayar Beach’s got to offer, it is no surprise that this location was nominated as the Best Natural Tourism in the Anugerah Wisata Gresik 2021 event. Visitors can also rent a canoe for a reasonable price of IDR15,000 for 30 minutes.
Besides the natural beauty, Bawean Island also offers religious tourism, such as a pilgrimage to the final resting place of Jujuk Campa or “The Grandmother’s Graveyard” as called by the locals. It is located in Kumalasa Village, Sangkapura, approximately 20 minutes from the Bawean Port.
Although there is only a single tomb, this tomb has a long story about a large group from Campa Land on its trip to Java. During the trip, the Princess of Campa was severely ill and finally passed away. The body was buried in Kumalasa Village. The group leader decided to stay on Bawean Island and spend the rest of his days there.
There is also another grave of Sheikh Maulana Umar Mas’ud or the Prince of Perigi, which is located behind the Jami Mosque in Bawean, Sangkapura. The prince was the grandson of Sunan Drajad, one of the main clerical figures who spread the Islam religion in Indonesia.
The story began when Maulana Umar Mas’ud returned from his trip from Madura and approached the locals. Because of his kindness and hospitable nature, many of the locals gained trust and even sympathy towards him. He reigned the region from 1601 until 1630 and also acted as a preacher, spreading the religion even further in Bawean.
There are a lot of other destinations on Bawean Island that may interest you. You should visit Bawean Island on long vacations and be prepared for a lot of physical activities to be able to experience your visit to the Bawean to the fullest. Don’t forget to keep the environment clean during your visit. (*)
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| Publisher | : Sofyan Saqi Futaki |
