Nusa Kambangan island is located in the Indian Ocean, separated by a narrow strait off the southern coast of Java island; the closest port is Cilacap in Central Java province. Dubbed as the "Alcatraz of Indonesia", the island is notorious for its maximum security prisons, home to convicted murderers, terrorists, drug dealers and those convicted in high profile corruption cases.
The island was made into a prison island during the Dutch period. The colonial government built a high security prison on the isolated island to exile criminals and political dissidents. The prison on Nusakambangan was opened in the mid-1920s by Indonesia's former Dutch colonial rulers and was once considered the harshest penal institution in South East Asia. The island was declared off-limits in 1905 by the Dutch.
Its usage as a prison island continued after independence. During the rule of former President Suharto, hundreds of political dissidents were imprisoned on the island. Most were political prisoners, members of the banned Communist Party of Indonesia.
In 1996, the island was finally opened to the public as a tourist destination.
The island has also been involved in refugee handling. About 140 Afghan refugees were detained on the island after their boat, which was en route to Christmas Island, Australia, sank in rough seas on August 17, 2001. However, more than 90 of these refugees would later escape on September 19, 2001, sailing away in small fishing boats and are believed to be have headed for Australia.
The island was also affected by the July 2006 Java earthquake, when a tsunami triggered by a 7.7-magnitude undersea earthquake off the coast of Java. At least 11 villagers diappeared and 8 people killed in the aftermath, two of which are prisoners in Permisan prison. And at least fifteen inmates on the Nusakambangan prison island near Pangandaran were also missing.
Nusakambangan is separated from the island of Java by the narrow Segara Anakan strait. Being isolated from mainland Java, the island is relatively under-developed and less inhabited and the wildlife is better preserved.[5] The eastern side of a bay is a nature reserve area where an old Dutch fortress is located on the Karangbandung beach. As a lowland tropical rain forest, Nusakambangan is biologically diverse.
More than 71 different bird species, 14 reptile species and various mammal species are found in the island. Twenty-three bird species are in classified as protected, including Kuntul Karang (Egretta sacra), Black Egret (Ciconia episcopus), Bangau Tongtong (Leptoptilos javanicus), white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), elang bondol (Haliastur indus), and elang bido (Spilornis cheela). Several other protected mammal species include the black-spotted leopard (Panthera pardus), Javan Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) and Javan mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus). Four of six endemic primates in Java, namely Javan Lutung (Trachypithecus auratus), the crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis), Javan Surili (Presbytis comata), and kukang (Nyctibus sp.), have been reported to live on the island.
The southern part of the island were filled with coral and large waves is directly facing the Indian Ocean. While the north-facing Cilacap filled with fishing villages and mangrove forests. The best part is in the west. In this section there is a beach which only has white sand.
Gulf in the west have a beach called Segara Anakan. Clean beaches and white sand into its flagship. Coupled with shade trees at the edge, beautiful! In addition to beach tourism, you can tour the flora and fauna. In this section, you can explore the forest is still dense enough and still plenty of wildlife such as deer, tigers and snakes. Due to the dense forest and satwanya a pretty dangerous, you should use the services of a guide to explore.
Besides beaches and forest, the island also has a travel history of the fort. Portuguese forts obsolete so covered with trees and grass. Although obsolete, the fort can still be entered. You can enter the kitchen, medical room and jail. Here also there are 2 pieces of ancient cannon, which weighs hundreds of pounds.
To reach the western part of the island, you can use motorized boats that lined the shore cilacap. This 10-15 minute trip fare of Rp 20,000 per person. Shortly after arriving on the island of Nusa Kambangan, you will be greeted by the gate to pay admission. Ticket prices are not expensive anyway, only Rp 3,500 per person. After that, enjoy the beauty of the western island of Nusakambangan.
Not only Nusakambangan Island, Turtle Bay coast in Cilacap also has a historical narrative. On the beach there is a castle fortress which Pendem. A Dutch heritage fort has a unique building concept. As the name implies, is a semi Fort Pendem bunker because it was built on the ground to a depth of 1-3 meters. This fort has 60 bedroom, ammunition, a kitchen and a medical room.
In the 2009 i made myself trip to nusakambangan, to studying about the priosoner and how they life in the island. there is a quite beach located in the south of the island. the prisoner is also made some stone craft and we can buy it with very cheap prices.
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