Kemujan is Karimunjawa’s northern twin, joined to the main island by a short bridge over a tidal channel. The channel and the bays on either side of it hold one of the best-preserved mangrove forests on the north coast of Java, and the national park has laid a wooden boardwalk through it so that you can walk in under the canopy without getting your feet wet.
The trail is simple and quiet: a ticket hut, a gate, and then a walkway of well over a kilometre winding between stilt roots, with name boards for the different mangrove species and a tower that lifts you above the treetops for a view back to the hills.
What to do: Kemujan & the Mangrove Boardwalk
Walk the mangrove boardwalk
Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the full loop at a gentle pace. Dozens of mangrove species have been recorded in the park, and the boards along the way help you tell them apart. Look down for mudskippers and fiddler crabs, and listen for kingfishers.
Climb the viewing tower
Partway round, a tower rises above the canopy. From the top you look across an unbroken green carpet to the forested ridge of the main island in one direction and the sea in the other.
Explore Kemujan by scooter
Beyond the bridge the road runs on through coconut groves and Bugis villages of stilt houses to Dewadaru airport and the island’s northern tip. It is flat, quiet riding — the opposite of the hilly main island.
Find an empty beach
Kemujan’s coast has several quiet beaches, including Barracuda Beach on the east side. Facilities are minimal and you may have the sand to yourself.
Getting there: Kemujan & the Mangrove Boardwalk
- The mangrove trail entrance is signed beside the main road near the bridge between the two islands, roughly half an hour by scooter north of Karimunjawa town.
- A national park ticket is sold at the entrance; foreign visitors pay more than Indonesians. Bring cash.
- Some multi-day packages include the mangroves; otherwise go independently by scooter or with a driver.
Insider tips
- Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon: it is cooler, the light is better and the birds are active.
- Mosquitoes are part of a mangrove. Wear repellent and long sleeves.
- Boardwalk planks can be loose or slippery after rain; wear shoes with grip rather than flip-flops.
- Fill the tank before you leave town — fuel is sold from roadside bottles and stalls, not a regular service station on every corner.
Tours & transfers: Kemujan & the Mangrove Boardwalk
These bookable experiences are the easiest way to fit Kemujan & the Mangrove Boardwalk into a Karimunjawa trip:
Multi-day package from $352 From Jepara: 3-Day Snorkeling Tour in the Karimunjawa Island
A three-day package that starts in Jepara and takes the organising off your hands: the crossing, a hotel on Karimunjawa with breakfast, lunch and dinner, snorkelling among the small islands and a visit to the mangroves. Check the listing for exactly which boat class and hotel are included on your dates.
- Boat crossing, hotel and meals arranged for you
- Island-hopping and snorkelling days
- A walk through the mangrove forest
Private multi-day package from $336 per group Package 3 Days / 2 Nights
An all-inclusive three-day, two-night Karimunjawa holiday: hotel, tours, transport and meals in one price. Priced per group and run privately. A new listing without reviews yet, so compare the inclusions with the other packages.
- Hotel, tours, transport and meals included
- Private group
- Two nights on Karimunjawa
Multi-day package from $155 From Semarang: Karimunjawa Island Tour
A four-day trip from Semarang, the nearest city with a major airport, out to the islands and back. It suits travellers who fly into Semarang and would rather not piece together the road to Jepara, boat tickets and island boats themselves. A newer listing with very few reviews so far.
- Starts and ends in Semarang
- Snorkelling over Karimunjawa’s coral reefs
- Four days, so the sea crossing is not rushed
