A Karimunjawa trip has three parts. There is the sea — the small islands, sandbars and reefs you visit by boat. There is the land — the main island and its neighbour Kemujan, which you explore by scooter. And there is Java, because nobody gets here without passing through Jepara and usually Semarang, and most people add Borobudur and Yogyakarta. Each place below has its own guide with what to do, how to get there and the bookable tours that cover it.
Things to Do in Karimunjawa
Twelve places that make up a Karimunjawa trip — on the islands, on the water and on the way.
On Karimunjawa & Kemujan
On Karimunjawa & Kemujan Tanjung Gelam Beach
Leaning palms, granite boulders and the island’s sunset
Tanjung Gelam (also called Ujung Gelam) is the best-known beach on the main island: white sand, clear shallow water, coconut palms leaning out over the sea and smooth boulders at its western tip. It faces west, so this is where the day’s boats stop for sunset.
On Karimunjawa & Kemujan Bukit Love & Bukit Joko Tuwo
Two hilltop viewpoints over the town and the islands
Karimunjawa’s interior is steep and forested, and two small hills near the town have been turned into viewpoints. Bukit Love looks west over the islets with its much-photographed sign; Bukit Joko Tuwo sits above the harbour and displays the skeleton of a giant fish.
On Karimunjawa & Kemujan Kemujan & the Mangrove Boardwalk
A wooden walkway through the forest between two islands
Karimunjawa and Kemujan are separated only by a narrow, mangrove-lined channel crossed by a short bridge. Here the national park has built a long wooden boardwalk through the mangrove forest, with a viewing tower. Beyond it, Kemujan is flat, quiet and home to the airport and Bugis fishing villages.
On Karimunjawa & Kemujan Karimunjawa Town & Harbour
One small town, a square full of grilled fish and every boat
Almost everything on the islands starts in Karimunjawa town, on the south-west corner of the main island: the ferry harbour, most guesthouses, scooter rental, dive shops, the only ATMs and the alun-alun, the town square that turns into a seafood night market each evening.
On Karimunjawa & Kemujan Annora, Bobby & the Quiet Beaches
Empty sand on the far side of the island
Away from Tanjung Gelam, the main island has a string of beaches that see only a handful of visitors a day. Annora, on the east coast, comes with a short hill walk and a view over the reef; Bobby Beach in the north is a broad arc of white sand with calm water.
Small islands & reefs
Small islands & reefs Island Hopping & the Cemara Islands
Sandbars, casuarina trees and grilled fish on the beach
A day on a wooden boat among the small islands is the reason most people come to Karimunjawa. The classic western route takes in Menjangan Kecil, the sandbars of Cemara Kecil and Cemara Besar and a sunset at Tanjung Gelam; the eastern route heads for Cilik and Tengah.
Small islands & reefs Snorkelling & Diving in Karimunjawa
Warm, shallow coral gardens in a marine national park
Karimunjawa’s reefs are shallow, warm and close to the islands, which makes them forgiving for beginners: hard-coral gardens, clownfish in their anemones and clouds of small reef fish. Divers can add deeper reefs and a shipwreck off Kemujan.
Small islands & reefs Menjangan Besar & Menjangan Kecil
The two islands opposite the harbour — and the shark-pool question
Menjangan Besar and Menjangan Kecil lie just across the water from Karimunjawa town. Menjangan Kecil has one of the most popular snorkelling spots in the park. Menjangan Besar is known for its captive shark pools — an attraction we recommend you skip, and explain why.
Small islands & reefs Geleang, Cilik & Tengah Islands
The quieter islets: a sandbar, a shady grove and a beach to yourself
Three small islands that boats use as alternatives to the busy Cemara stops. Geleang, to the west, has a long sandbar and coral close in; Cilik and Tengah, to the east of the main island, are tiny, tree-shaded islets with good snorkelling off the beach.
Gateways & combos on Java
Gateways & combos on Java Jepara
The harbour town for Karimunjawa, and Java’s woodcarving capital
Nearly every trip to Karimunjawa passes through Jepara, on the north coast of Central Java: the fast boat and the car ferry both leave from Kartini harbour. It is worth more than a night’s sleep before the boat — this is the home town of the national heroine Kartini and the centre of Java’s carved-teak furniture trade.
Gateways & combos on Java Semarang
Central Java’s capital: the airport, the Old Town and Lawang Sewu
Semarang is the nearest big city to Karimunjawa and where most international travellers begin: it has the airport and the main railway station. Its Dutch-era Old Town, the landmark Lawang Sewu building and the Sam Poo Kong temple easily fill a day on the way in or out.
Gateways & combos on Java Borobudur & Yogyakarta
Java’s great temples — the obvious partner to the islands
A week that pairs Karimunjawa’s beaches with the temples of Central Java is one of the best trips in Indonesia. Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist monument, and Hindu Prambanan are both day trips from Yogyakarta, a long but straightforward drive from Jepara or Semarang.
A sensible five days on the islands: Day one, morning boat from Jepara, settle in, grilled fish on the square. Day two, the western island-hopping route with sunset at Tanjung Gelam. Day three, scooter to the mangrove boardwalk and Kemujan, then Bukit Love for sunset. Day four, the eastern islands or a dive, with a quiet beach in the afternoon. Day five, boat back to Jepara — and a buffer day in hand in case the sea says otherwise.
Plan your days in Karimunjawa
Twenty-seven islands, one easy plan
Snorkel over coral gardens, picnic on a sandbar, walk the mangrove boardwalk and watch the sun set at Tanjung Gelam. Compare the bookable boats, packages and transfers and reserve in a couple of taps.