Cubadak? This was the first time I had heard of the place. A friend of mine came all the way to Indonesia just to laze around on Cubadak Island for two weeks, and didn't even visit Bali or Jakarta? What was the secret of this island that only foreign tourists seemed to know of? I was curious (and I love to check out islands) so I had to find out myself. It's located in West Sumatra and getting there took two and half hours by road from Padang, followed by a ten minute ride by speedboat. When we arrived I was surprised to be greeted by a white lady holding up an umbrella to protect us from the sun.
Most of the guests were Italian and, apart from the staff, we were the only Indonesians on the resort. When we all ate together at the big table in the dining room I really didn't feel like I was in Indonesia at all everyone was speaking Italian. With only twelve bungalows on the island, each facing the beach with the forest behind, the atmosphere here was incredibly relaxed. The sand was white, the sea an emerald green and completely calm. It was like being beside a huge lake ringed with mountains whose peaks were shrouded in clouds. Beautiful!
Another Italianowned resort was Gangga Island in North Sulawesi, which required a twohour road trip and then another hour by speedboat. As usual, we were the only Indonesians on the island. Menyawakan Island, one of the Karimun Jawa Islands off the coast of Central Java, was Swedishowned. This was beautiful too, with white sands and clear blue seas. Island resorts catering to western tourists are always in quiet, sheltered locations, and there are never the usual hawkers passing by or food stalls lining the beach. The rooms are usually minimalist inside with woven bamboo walls and thatched roofs (my 5 yearold cousin thought it looked like a stable!), and on Moyo Island the rooms were made from large sheets of tarpaulin. Vou might have to pay in dollars, but it is worth it for the level privacy you find on these islands.
This is very different to resorts catering to Indonesians. On Pulau Sepa in the Thousand Islands, the hotel is built with proper concrete walls and the interiors are brightly decorated. For most Indonesians, staying in a hotel means solid walls and air conditioning. The resort on Sepa is huge of course, and has hundreds of rooms. The worst thing for me was the main hall where there was always Karaoke or a live bandit's so noisy! But there is nothing wrong with all this it is just how we are in Indonesia. We like to get together in big groups and have a laugh together.
There are a lot more islands in Indonesia owned or run by westerners, including Moyo Island in Sumbawa, Maratua Island in East Kalimantan, Wakatobi in Sulawesi Tenggara, and Raja Ampat in Papua.
While on the subject of foreign owned islands, it would also not be strictly true to say that Indonesia's loss of the Si padan and Ligitan islands was entirely Malaysia's fault. Even though the two islands should technically fall within our territory, it was Malaysia who developed them with hotels and diving businesses. To be honest, and I am sorry if this offends anyone, as a diver I am happy for them to be in Malaysian hands because they will probably look after the reefs better. On the other hand, I hope some islands in Indonesia, like Sempu Island in East Java and Kakaban Island in West Kalimantan, are never developed by investors of any kind, foreign or local.
Considering the number of islands in Indonesia, do we realise how few of them most of us have visited? I love quiet islands and beaches. Nothing makes me happier than just relaxing in the sand, fanned by a gentle sea breeze. Indonesia may be a country made of up of islands but it is rare that they are clean and well maintained. Is it really true there are only a few good places to visit among the 17,000 islands to choose from? The Philippines and the Maldives are two island nations that show how it can be done; they have managed to look after their islands while retaining their natural beauty.
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