Healing In Horror Atmosphere In Jakarta? Try Camping On Onrust Island

Onrust/Photo: VOI

JAKARTA - Healing to enjoy the beauty of the sea to the mountain is widely available in Indonesia. However, there is something different about Onrust Island, the Thousand Islands. This island, which is not far from the coast of North Jakarta, offers a mysterious historical tourism concept.

The Head of the Thousand Islands Tourism and Creative Economy Sub-Department, Puji Astuti, revealed that Onrust Island was packaged as an educational and historical tourist spot. Here, said Puji, there are many buildings from the Dutch era. Together with Puji, the VOI team also visited Onrust Island, which is 20 minutes away by speed boat from Marina Ancol pier. Once there, silence greeted. No people live on this island.

While walking down the middle of the island, there are many ruins of buildings that have been destroyed. Some of these ruins were a place of quarantine for the Hajj at that time.

What impressed horror, was the burial complex of a man known as a rebel named Kartosuwiryo. There is also the tomb of the ruler Onrust, Cornellis Vogel, and several other tombs.

Not enough there, next to the tomb complex, there is a museum of a former prison for rebels built by the Dutch. Inside, there are statues depicting the interrogation process and the courtroom for rebels.

A different air was immediately felt when entering the room containing this statue. At first glance, the eyes of the statue of a warden to a rebel with a stumped hand seem alive. Even though it's just a statue, it can't be helped.

"Actually, it's safe here, it just feels mystical because there are Dutch graves," said Puji who caught the VOI team's fear in front of the museum.

Puji said, Onrust Island is often visited by tourists from student groups. They visited this island for a tour as well as to learn the history of the island which means "never rest".

Then, for tourists who really want to heal with different nuances, they can stay by camping on Onrust Island. Various packages are offered at a price of hundreds of thousands of rupiah.

"There are various choices of tour packages on the island of Onrust. Some depart from Kaliadem, Tanjung Pasir, and from Marina with their respective budget choices. For the price of the entrance ticket, it costs IDR 5,000 per person," said Puji.

"For backpackers, you can stay here for 2 to 3 days. Rarely are tourists staying more than that because here their activities are more often for solitude. It's really healing," she added.