The Secret of Tidung Island, Jakarta
Have you ever heard of the Bridge of Love? Maybe you think it was far away but make no mistake, it’s not far and not expensive to go to the Bridge of love. The bridge is an attraction of the tourist area of Tidung island, one of the islands of the Thousand Islands, and still in the Jakarta area. Tidung island is divided into two large islands Tidung Besar and Tidung Kecil, connected by the Bridge of Love with a length of approximately 800 meters.
There are many things you can do on the island Tidung Besar, among others: Walking. You can walk over the Bridge of Love to the island Tidung Kecil. From the bridge you can see the coral reefs and fish below the surface – small fish that live close to the side of the wooden bridge. Bridge of Love is a great place to see sunrise and sunset too and if you want to test your courage, you can jump the 10 meters from the bridge into the sea.
Cycling: For only Rp. 15000 per day you can already cycle around the island of Great Tidung. It’s beautiful and quiet since there are no cars allowed on the island. The atmosphere on the island Tidung is very different from the urban Jakarta. Here are just people’s homes with plants in front and trees shadowing over the small roads.
Snorkeling: Do not worry if you do not have or not to bring snorkeling equipment because you can rent it for only Rp35.000. The water is clear, abling you to see a variety of creatures and coral reefs. You can hire a boat to get to some of the more remote, beautiful underwater spots.
Banana Boat and canoe: because the sea in front of the beaches is shallow and the water is clean, the beaches around the Tidung island are safe for children. You can eat local food at the many stalls for about Rp10,000 per meal. The accommodations on Tidung island are cozy homestays, with a choice of AC or non AC rooms. Alternatively you can go camping at the beach. There aren’t any top-class hotels or resorts at Tidung island.
How to get there:
Tidung Besar Island is easily reached by ferry from the Muara Angke harbour in Jakarta, it takes about 2 to 3 hours. There is only one ferry a day leaving at around 7:00 am so make sure you do not miss the boat. The boat fare is about Rp33,000 per person. Another way to get to the island Tidung Besar is by using an arranged tour, usually with a special boat departing from Ancol Harbour. Of course this will be more expensive than using the ferry.
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