Enggano: Treasure Island in Hidden Paradise

[Enggano: Treasure Island in Hidden Paradise]

2015 | Gonang May Perdananugraha & Adri Bintara Putra 1

Enggano: TrEasurE Island In HIddEn ParadIsE

Gonang May Perdananugraha Adri Bintara Putra



Where is the Enggano island?

Enggano is located at Indonesia archipelago which is lie between Indian Ocean and Indonesian Ocean, can be said that Enggano is one of the small (402.6 km²) outer island among thousands outer islands in Indonesia.

How to get there?

The position of Enggano island in north of Bengkulu Province located at south of Sumatera island, make it border directly with Australian ocean. From the local citizens said that there were some cases where refugees especially from Central Asia and West Asia tried to reach Australian island for searching of new life. What I did in Enggano island was I want to

capture the beauty of Enggano island from above (from the sky) by using drone (mini helicopter that can bring small camera). To reach the island the only route you have to go to Bengkulu province first. Me and my friend went to Bengkulu from Jakarta by using Garuda Indonesia airways , of course this airways was optional you can use others airways if you



like. I can say it that the cost that you have to pay to Bengkulu was pretty cheep, with

less than 800 thosands Rupiah (61.5 USD).



After reach Bengkulu island, we have to stay for one night because to go to Enggano we can use air way of water/sea way. There is only one airways to go to Enggano that is Susi Air (http://fly.susiair.com/), and the flight schedule is not available every day only on Monday and Friday to go and to back. At the time we used Susi air to go to Enggano on Monday, and capacity that Susi air can carry only 12 passenger because it use kind of propeller plane (Fokker plane).

And the most shocking from that airways, in my mind the pilot that Susi Air hire will definitely Indonesian Pilot, but after we were getting closer to the plan seemed like two (2) of foreigners pilot (man and woman) were waiting for passengers to

board. One of the pilot seemed not wearing of pilot unifrom as usual (white upper and dark lower), after we took on board the pilot said he just lost his luggage (feeling said ).





Now it’s time to take off, becuase it’s our first time to take that kind of plane it just like others plane with more shaky when take off, in the air, and landing..hahaha..LoL. One thing for sure usually when I took the plane my ears would feel uncomfortable, that was normal condition but that time one of my ears pain so bad till cold sweat come out from my body. It was really pain, when the plane

get landed I told to one of pilot (who didn’t wear the uniform) about my ears and he said it was normal he felt the pain too, he added if he’s doing it everyday it will damage his ear. My friend also felt the pain too, he’s never felt like that before. So, I suggested when you take that plane don’t forget to bring candies or gums or somethings that you can chew.



Finally arrive at Enggano!

It tooked only 1 hour from Bengkulu to Enggano by plane and cost around 300 thousand Rupiahs (> 23 USD). The airport in Enggano actually was just builded, so don’t imagine you will find cozy and nice airport just like in big city, but that’s the excitement right ;-) Maybe you’ll find

beyond your expectations in there, so keep on reading After landed we’re welcomed by our guides the local residents, the young one below about 5 years of me and the older one I guessed he’s on my age. They really loved to joke, in general Enggano’s peoples are really friendly they love if outsiders come to their island.



After meeting with our guides, we’re driven to district office (Kecamatan) to meet District Head (Camat), why we needed to meet district head because the purpose of our journey was part of biology research to capture view of Enggano island from above by using Drone. So we needed permission from him. The first impression after we meet him, of course we have to keep our behaviour because in priciple he

owned that island by authority. After short conversation, he started to ask silly questions with a lot of joke. From the beginning we planned to meet district head maybe it tooked only half an hour or the longest about one hour, but after making fun conversation and the time showed that we spent more than 3 hours, with a lot of topics that we discussed from the heavy until the light.



Because we said to him that we brought drone with the camera that attached to it, District Head also wanted to see how the drone flyed and operated, so in front of him we showed how it worked.



Lets start the journeys...

Then we went to official resident of District Head for our stay and basecamp as long as we stay in Enggano. The location of this place was exactly in front of District Head office, separate by the main street in Enggano. He’s really kind person because of him we can stay in that place, that should be his stay during his position. After we put our luggage and have a lunch for a while, then our journeys would begun in that day. We felt so exiting, especially me because this was the first time I went there, and I really loved the journeys and travelling especially to the place that I never visited. Although Enggano is categorized as small island, in fact I felt it was quite big island and to go to some places that we’re going to shoot by using drone we need a car, and of course our guides have provide that. What kind of car that we used is below this:



So as long we stay in Enggano we’ll use that kind of car, and both of us have to sit on the back to travel anywhere. Even it was really uncomfortable to sit on open air with bad roads conditions, and sometimes our car stuck in the mud so we have to lift that car several times, but I really enjoyed the trip. I thought I will not have that experiences in short time or even never again.



The first place that we’re going to fly the drone was the famous beach area which is called Bak Blau. Why this place was special for Enggano peoples because the beach has a area more like the lake that connect to the beach. With blue-green water Bak Blau was really beautiful, and we’re not going to loose our chance to swim in that lake.



After we swam from Bak Blau because that day was going to dark, then we plan to go back to our base camp. As usual we were using pick up to the base camp, in the middle of the road because the road that we passed was not hot mix, and it was shortcut road with full off mud and wet soil. So you can guess our pick up was stucked in that road, and we really worked hard to release the vehicle. After almost one hour we’ve to dig the mud and soil, and put the board under the wheels in ordet to pass the slippy road. After that came three teenage boys, even they’re not big but their strength were helpful to push the vehicle.



After we passed that trap we’re going to our base camp to get rest and prepare for next day for searching the exotic places in Enggano. After arrived in base camp we took shower and have a meal, the water in Enggano island was not too salty but not recommended to drink, if we wanted to drink we have to use or buy water in bottles or gallons. Because Enggano is a small island and surrounded by oceans so the favorite of side dishes in there are fishes. One day when we’re going to take

pictures at the beach from above (by using drone) and we met some villagers who did barbeque party by grilling fishes that they catch from that beach. Because Enggano’s peoples are really friendly they invite us to join and have a lunch with the rice and fishes that they grilled, and the things that shocked me was they also offered side dished of fishes that uncook (like Japanaese sushi). Here are the pictures of that foods, and the time when we also did grill the fishes.





When we were in Enggano we took a lot of air pictures mostly that we took are beaches and the forest, and partly the forest in Enggano were still virgin. When we’re flying drone at beaches it was quite difficult because the wind was pretty big, the obstacle in flying drone helicopter

were wind, lost of GPS signal, rain, and short time of battery life. That time we’re pretty brave to fly the drone with little bit impose, if we were not flying that we’re going to miss the view and the chance of this place, because I was not sure that I could go back to this place again.



After we took the forest view then we came by to one of the villager’s house. The house was quite simple that builded by wooden board, and inside that house lived an old couple with their single daughter. The funny things from the house was they have baby parrot which was they took from the forest, and it was pretty benign so we could hold it and let the parrot stood to our hands. The shocking

one was in fact those couple were transmigrant from west java, the province that I lived right now. And the conversations were going close because we used west java language (known as Basa Sunda), I really happy with that moment because I travelled that far and suddenly met with the people from where we live.



When we’re traveling beween one place to othes, our guide tour who drove always carrying air rifle mostly to shoot birds, but when we were there he missed all unfortunatelly we brought bad luck to him



The most exiting journey when we took air view at the port, at that time there was ship or ferry which was going to leave Enggano island and headed to Bengkulu. So the exitement was when we fly the drone above the ferry and all of ferry passangers looked above to the drone, maybe they asked each others what was that or what that thing did.



The condition of port in Enggano especially when there was ferry, was quite crowded with a lot of peoples who waited for ferry to leave the island also a lot of sellers in simple stalls who sold foods, beverages, and daily supplies. While we waited for ferry to leave the island, we also buy the foods and beverages in one of the stall, in that stall all the sellers were women and they also wore the make up and well dresses to look beautiful.

Because mostly of the buyers that came to stalls were men, so the sellers suggested that if they looked preety the buyers will come and bought somethings, the end were the money will come to the sellers. This was really simple business with clever strategy. In this case the perfect quotes to describe above conditions was “Sex is sell...”, and we saw at firsthand how this strategy was going smooth a lot of men buyers came to the stall and



making joke with the sellers, sometimes there was naughty buyer who tried to hold or embrace the seller, and she responded

with little angry but after that they laughed again. What a silly moment ;-)



After we took the port views than we planned to go back where we stay because that day was going to dark. On the way back to basecamp we stooped by to one of the member of Police Officer in Enggano, the reason why we stopped by because the Policeman had shooted wild boar in his ranch and that day has already dark. So that wild boar was taken by our guides tour to be used later. Because we used pickup car to travel while in Enggano, the wild boar was put on the

back of that car, while we also on that back car. So, while we went back, we’re on the same place with that boar. The amazing thing was that boar was really big and full of muscles, different with the pigs or porks which ware raised in the ranch. Along the way I have to cover my nose and my mouth with mini towel that I brought, because the smell of that dead boar were really bad. According to my tour guide, the meat of that boar actually pretty tasty different with porks from ranch.





Finally the next day was the last day for us in Enggano, we’ve been stayed for 5 days in the island from Monday to Friday. In the last day we still try to capture the videos of Enggano especially the view of river or estuary which headed to the sea. After found the perfect location then we tried to fly the drone, but as usual we difficult in finding the GPS signal between the remote control and then the drone itself.

Finally we little bit pushed to fly drone even with poor GPS signal, but after view minutes the signal was good and it safe to fly the drone. The target was view of the river amongst dense trees. While we flied the drone, our tour guides just playing around at the bridge by practicing weird/funny style to be taken by pocket camera that I brought.



And finally after landing the drone safely, it’s time for us to go home, but first we have to go to Enggano’s airport first to fly by the plane that I told in the first of this article. When we arrived at the airport we’ve to wait for the plane to come first, because that time Indonesia especialy in Sumatra’s island hitted by smoke from forrest burning, and it’s became national disaster. Finally the plane arrived and it’s almost 3 hours late, while we waited fro

the plan actually there was a foreigner came to island he’s Australian and he told us that he already has land in Enggano that he and his wife bought. The suprising things that he actually a photographer too and brought drone to capture the view of Enggano island, and he showed us of his works we saw from his phone and it’s amazing pictures/videos just like professionals.

It’s time for us to catch the plane because already landed, when we headed to the plane I met again with one the pilot that took us from Bengkulu to Enggano, the female one. I talked for a moment with her, I asked why she late and she answered just like I thought because of the smoke that surrounded the sky while she headed from Palembang to Bengkulu, because safety first she had to wait before she flied and until it was stated that safe to

make fly. So, finally we took the plane that headed to Jakarta International Airport. Our fly was pretty smooth we’re not distracted by the smoke that happened in others region, but again my ear felt sick when the plane was going to landing, but lucky me, my friend brought a candy so I ate that candy to release the pain. And finally we arrived at Soekarno Hatta International Airport safely, before we went home to Bandung we wanted to



enjoy the coffee at the airport first. When we sat at that coffee shop we felt happy and sad, happy because we’re going to

back home, sad because we’re going to miss worderful journey to that island.

Tips for your journeys...

And finally we arrived at our lovely home in Bandung by using travel from the airport. Many things that I’ve learned from my journey to Enggano island, below are the list of tips and values that I’m going to share with you:

1. Dig as much as possible all the information of your destinations before you make trips. This needed to be done as preparation know where you headed, how to get there, what things you can find in that places. Including all of unpleasant news about that places, in order to avoid problems when you in that places.

2. Plan your routes to get there, including all the small routes and how to get there. Order or buy your planes, trains, busses, travels, ferries, or others ticket first. Unless you type of persons who like adventures by depends on what available on that places. But even if you like adventures didn’t mean that you blind of that places. At least try to browse or read a book or travelling magazine about it. Again this things needed to be done to avoid you from troubles when travelling.

3. Carry your stuffs as many as you needed not based on your desire. Because stuffs that are not needed when your travelling will cause you on trouble, and you have to carry heavy luggage that will drain your energy, cost, and mood. Becareful if you



brought fragile electronics equipments like cameras, laptops, mobile phones, and others and make sure that they safe to carry on travelling. When you’re travelling by planes, trains, busses, or others that have baggage facility, do not put your luggage which consist of those stuffs to this facility if you don’t want loose your stuffs. If you have a lot of stuffs that need to be carried either personal stuffs (cloths, medicines, etc.) and work/pleasure stuffs (cameras, laptops, etc.), and if you think that impossible to to put all the stuffs in one bag. Then you have to separate between stuffs that will be always carried by you and stuffs that can be put on baggage facility. Usually for me I carry back pack for stuffs that attched to me, and I use other bag to put my personal stuffs that can use baggage facility.

4. Bring enough money and make sure that all the function communication stuffs are works fine. In order to when you get troubles at the destinations, you can make communications with the persons that close to you. And the money for in case you need extra money in your journey, but becareful having so much fun and wasting money, of course yo don’t want to run out of money while you’re far from home right ;-)

5. If you’re in a mission to take pictures or videos recording, take it as much as possible and remove the bad pictures or videos as soon as possible do not keep them too long, because it will be wasting and will make your work inefficiency. Bring large capacity of memory cards and always bring back-up batteries, because of course you don’t want to miss perfect moments cause of full of memory cards and run out batteries.

Thats all I can tell you the whole story of my trips to Enggano island, Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. But you should know that Indonesia has a lot of amazing places that you never forget as one of the best journey in your life!!!

May God always protects and bless your journeys...

Regards,

Gonang & Adri [email protected]

Date post:	15-Apr-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	gonang-may-perdananugraha
View:	24 times
Download:	0 times

Enggano: Treasure Island in Hidden Paradise

Documents