Sunda Kelapa Harbor
Attraction Old Batavia, Jakarta, Indonesia Published on: 13-11-2015
| 3 hours | |
| 03:00 PM | |
| 06:00 PM | |
| Second-time visit | |
|
Attraction
Cultural
Historic
Outdoor
Kids
Free
|
|
| 0.00 USD |
Sunda Kelapa Harbor is good for
Family with kids
Good
Senior
Good
Couple
Good
Solo
Good
Group
Good
- Highly recommended by fellow travellers.
and 2 others
have visited this place
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Why Sunda Kelapa Harbor is special ?
Sunda Kelapa, better known as Pasar Ikan (meaning fish market) is located at the mouth of the Ciliwung River. The fish catch of the day was auctioned in the early morning at the old fish market. The street leading to it was lined with shops selling all sorts of shells, dehydrated turtles, lobsters and mostly everything the seafarer might need. This 500-year-old harbor area was a vital link to markets of the outside world for the 15th century kingdom of Pajajaran. It was formerly the harbor town of Sunda Kelapa where the Portuguese traded with the Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran in the early 16th century. Since than this port has belonged to the portuguese and Dutch.
Dutch domination of Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia began from this area, whereas the remnants of Kasteel Batavia, an old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company can still be seen now. Sunda Kelapa is at present a fisherman's wharf and an inter island port. Tall-misted Bugis schooners from South Sulawesi anchoring there offer a picturesque scene. They belong to one of the last-fleets of sailboats in the world and still ply the seas between the islands, as they did centuries ago, carrying merchandise.
Tough little remains of bustling old Sunda Kelapa except the name, the harbor is still one of the most important calls for sailing vessels from all over Indonesia. The magnificent and brightly painted Makassar schooner called Pinisi is still an important means of transporting goods to and from the outer islands. This is one of the finest sights in Jakarta.
Source: indonesia-tourism.com
What to explore at Sunda Kelapa Harbor?
Wander around the old Sunda Kelapa port, watching gangs of sinew-stretched coolies smoking pungent clove-laced cigarettes unload cargos of timber, coal and spices from stunning wooden schooners. Hire a dugout canoe and paddlers and enjoy the waterside scenery. The boats also go to the nearby old fish market, which can be reached easily by foot from the port and is free to enter. Work starts here at 3am and it's essential to arrive by 6am to see the best of the action
Source: indonesia-tourism.com
How to get to Sunda Kelapa Harbor?
To visit Sunda Kelapa Harbor you could use personal vehicle or taxi. As an alternative you could ride Trans Jakarta Busway from the first corridor, with the route of Blok M to Kota Tua. You need to get off at the last station, Kota Tua, and from there you ride a taxi, bajaj or bicycle ojek to Sunda Kelapa Harbor. Sunda Kelapa Harbor is about 2km away from Kota Tua Station.
Source: indonesia-travel-guide.com
Selling points
- Going back in time
- “Almost a thousand years of Sea Trade”
- Trade Revisited
- A thousand years of Sea Trade
- Classic old wooden ships
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- Duration
- 3.0 days
- Estimated
- 105.45 USD
- Total travel distance
- km
- Number of places
- 12 places
Read more:
Location
Old Batavia, Jakarta, Indonesia
Tips for you
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Bring an umbrella or raincoat, in case of rainWhat to bring
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It’s better to wear head cover like hat or umbrella to protect you from the sun beam, since the climate is hot enough in Jakarta. It’s recommended to wear clothing that can easily absorb the sweat, and to wear comfortable shoes or slipper.What to wear
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If you take children to this place be very watchful and take good care.Safety
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Nearby there is an excellent venue which includes a coffee shop and a restaurant with a small but delicious local menu.Things nearby
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The old Dutch fort is a five minute walk away so you might want to take a small trip after this. You can walk, drive, pedal the whole length of the dockland area.Things to do
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They are local fishermen who try to offer a service to take you looking around at the sea by their boat. Usually the fishermen do not speak English, instead signs could be used to communicate. If you took the service the fisherman would take you around the fisherman village around the harbor and other sides of Sunda Kelapa Harbor that might be interesting to catch. The service fee is around Rp25,000 to Rp40,000 negotiable.Things to do
Reviews
A cool place to take many good pictures! Come around 17.00WIB to get a nice view of the sunset.
Sunda Kelapa is the old port of Jakarta located on the estuarine of Ciliwung River and this port has been renowned since 12th century. This port is full of magnificent Makassar schooners (pinisi).
It's fine to hear that this used to be a thriving port but nowadays is focused on inter-island commerce especially ferrying of cement, LPG tanks, cooking oil, flour, and other basic commodities. Also interesting to hear that all the boats are made by a particular region. Our guide dutifully mentioned that the boats whose hulls were low in the water were already loaded and ready to go or they were high in the water which meant they were empty. While we were there, some boats were being loaded so there was certainly some action going on. And the boats side-by-side made for some nice pictures. But - other than the back story, it's probably not worth the time and effort to get there. Unless they built a nice small museum and put up a specific tour with walkways and specific things to see and do.
This is not a fancy place to visit. Working harbor, dusty, gritty, very busy. So f you think this is a tourist attraction, that is well preserved, move on to view the next attraction, this is not for you. I rented a cycle from the SQUARE and made the trip to the harbor....about 20 min ride, through Jakarta's busy busy busy streets. Weaving in and out of traffic, kind of unnerving....Another 25 to 30 minutes in riding through the harbor taking pictures.
Impossible to skip! All guides will take you around Old Batavia (with the remains of the Dutch colonial city) and suddenly you'll be in Sunda Kelapa: the old port of Jakarta. Sunda Kelap has played a significant role in the development of the Indonesian archipelago (with over 18.000 islands). Nowadays it is only a minor port, accomodating dozens of "pinisi", the traditional two masted wooden sailing ship servicing the islands. Although its historical importance, the area is filthy and dusty. I had a guide, but it didn't add much to the visit. So, if you have the chance, just drive around and it's done.
It's fine to hear that this used to be a thriving port but nowadays is focused on inter-island commerce especially ferrying of cement, LPG tanks, cooking oil, flour, and other basic commodities. Also interesting to hear that all the boats are made by a particular region. Our guide dutifully mentioned that the boats whose hulls were low in the water were already loaded and ready to go or they were high in the water which meant they were empty. While we were there, some boats were being loaded so there was certainly some action going on. And the boats side-by-side made for some nice pictures. But - other than the back story, it's probably not worth the time and effort to get there. Unless they built a nice small museum and put up a specific tour with walkways and specific things to see and do.
Sunda Kelapa is the old port of Jakarta located on the estuarine of Ciliwung River and this port has been renowned since 12th century. This port is full of magnificent Makassar schooners (pinisi).
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