(A Trip with my girls to Pulau Pramuka)
Written by: Fitri Arfiani
One of my girls, Dilla asked me for a trip to Pulau Pramuka. It is an island located in Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta, Indonesia. It was a good idea since I missed going out with the girls for a vacation. Dilla and Ayu (her cousin) organized our trip. It was a really cheap tour package per person - 300.000 Rupiah (around 30 USD) for 2 days and one night stay at Pulau Pramuka. The price is already included for the island hopping, three times meal, accommodation and transportation.
On a Saturday early morning, we met at the boat port – located in Muara Angke, nearby the fish market in North Jakarta. The water was dirty and stink, and a lot of plastic trash floating on the water. I did not realize it was a vegetable boat! My goodness! Would I be arrived safely to the destination?
There were a lot of passengers coming to the boat and sitting down on the boat floor. Some of them chose to sit down on the upper deck of the boat. My girls and I sat down nearby the boat toilet. What a spot!
The boat ran slowly and a little bit shaky, but I could see people around me were enjoying the ride until they fell asleep. The water was not too friendly and I decided not to lay down. I could see a speed boat running faster than my boat from a distance. This is a sensation!
An hour had passed and we enjoyed the boat ride. The further we went to, the brighter water we passed. The natural sceneries were along the way. I could not wait to see Pulau Pramuka.
Arrived in Pulau Pramuka, we were welcomed warmly by the people. We stayed in a little pavilion nearby the beach. After we finished eating our lunch, we immediately went to the smaller boat to hop from one island to another island. Accompanied by two boat guys, we cruised along together happily.
We experienced to see the fish and coral by snorkeling. It was very beautiful to see the underwater life. We took pictures and then we cruised again and again. We felt tired and we decided to eat somewhere. When we stopped to Pulau Harapan, There were not many shops open because of Ramadhan (fasting month for Moslem). Finally, we walked around the corner and found one little shop to eat noodles.
Back to our pavilion, we took shower and got ready for the barbeque dinner. The seafood was unbelievably delicious. We ate a lot of fish, shrimp, and squid – and drink beers! We shared the happy moment together, the laugh, the dance, and the music.
That’s what friends are for!
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