Karimunjawa is a marine national park of 27 islands off the north coast of Java, reachable by boat from Semarang or Jepara. The name comes from the Javanese 'Kremun kremun saking tanah Jawi' — describing just how far these islands feel from the mainland.
This is the place to go for coral reefs, white sand beaches, and marine life without the crowds of Bali or Lombok. The waters hold 90 types of hard coral and 242 species of fish; the reefs range from shallow fringing formations that beginners can snorkel in an hour to deeper barrier reefs that reward experienced divers. On land, the main island has pockets of lowland rainforest and mangroves, with deer, macaques, and around 40 species of birds including the white-bellied sea eagle.
Most visitors stay on Karimunjawa Island itself, the largest of the group and the only one with services — guesthouses, warungs, a small market. The pace is slow. Motorbikes outnumber cars, the generator goes off at night in some villages, and the beaches on the quieter islets often have no one on them at all. From Karimunjawa Village, day trips by boat reach the surrounding islands — Menjangan Kecil, Cemara Besar, Geleang — in thirty minutes to an hour; a live-aboard or multi-day charter gets you to the outer reefs that most day-trippers never see.