The beauty of Berhala Island
with big rocks along the beach and the cliffs make the island become a perfect
place for marine tourism. This island is developed for many water activities,
such as fishing, surfing, diving, or just sitting while enjoy turquoise water. The
island is also recognized as an island that rich of coral reef and collects
more than 200 species with 11 coral fish species. Besides that, there is a
lighthouse standing to guide ships to cross Berhala Strait because the island
is surrounded by small islands group which is become treasure for Jambi
Province.
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| Pictures Jambiprov.go.id |
The
area of Berhala Island is 2.5 km2 and has mountains topography,
dense forest and beach with white sand. Initially, at the beginning and ending
of years, Berhala Island is location for turtles to lay eggs. The name of
Berhala is taken from King of Jambi Datuk Paduko Berhala. His tomb is located
in this island. Actually, there were conflict of the possession of Berhala
Island between Kepulauan Riau Province and Jambi Province. But, the authority
of Indonesia stated that Berhala Island belong to Kepulauan Riau Province since
February 2013.
Location
Berhala
Island can be reached from Jakarta to Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin Airport in Jambi
Province for an hour. In order to ease your trip, you are suggested to take
travel agent because they will pick you up at the airport. There are two
choices of the transportation. First, Jambi to Kampung Laut and Jambi to Nipah
Panjang. The difference is that from Nipah Panjang to Berhala Island you will
be charged IDR50.000 or US$6 and you will take common boat. From Jambi to Nipah
panjang will take 4 hours and from Nipah Panjang to Berhala Island takes 1.5
hours. The benefit of taking this way is you could hire boat anytime you want
because you don’t need to hire ship to Berhala Island.
When
you take a car from Kampung Laut to Berhala Island, you will have to pay
IDR30.00 or US$3. The trip from Jambi to Kampung Laut takes 2 – 2.5 hours, and you have to take speed boat from Kampung Laut
to Berhala Island which is takes 1.5 hours and you have to pay IDR105.000 or
US$11 one way, plus you have to hire a ship in the island if you want to enjoy
it. Time to cross sea from Kampung Laut is Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at
12.00. While time to cross the sea from Berhala Island is Tuesday, Thursday and
Sunday at 11.00.
If
you decide to go from Kampung Laut, you will be entertained by many fantastic
spots, such as Batang Bridge, acacia forest, villages, and traditional houses.
After that, you can take your ticket to cross the sea by speedboat. And after
1.5 hours, you will arrive at Berhala Island. And the first impression is that
you will admire its island because you will see large expanse of rocks.
Activities
When
you stroll in the island, you will see the tomb of King Jambi Datuk Paduka
Berhale that has real name as Ahmad Salim. He was a man who spread Islam in
Jambi and married the daughter of King Jambi. After that, he became a king. The
other activities you can do is diving, fishing or just climbing the high
cliffs. But, snorkeling becomes favorite activity here. With calm water, it
will be easier for you to see coral reefs and fishes swimming around you. Berhala
Island become your perfect place for your holiday because it has clear water
and suitable for snorkeling.
There
are guesthouses in Berhala Island. Many houses are rent for guests who want to
stay overnight. When you step onto the pier, you have to be careful because the
wood has rotten. The beauty of island can be seen directly because the big
rocks are presented in front of you. If the day still light, you can hop the
island or just wait the sunset. If you like
to make your camp, you can do it near the beach. But don’t make it at the low
position because when tide is high, you will get wet. In the Berhala Island,
there are many pavilions that can be used for your sleep. So, don’t worry about
accommodation in this island.
