July 14, 2015 edition
The southern coastline of East Java has the splendid beaches Goa Cina and Bajul Mati, but the offshore island of Sempu (pronounced sem-poo) is totally unique. The irregularly shaped island lies opposite the picturesque fishing village of Sendangbiru, the province's most important fishing village. A channel roughly 0.5 kilometers wide runs from southwest to northeast between the mainland and the island.
When I finally arrived in Sendangbiru close to noontime, the last of the fishermen's catch unloaded earlier that morning was being sold at the fish market. Boats were still available to make the crossing over to Sempu, but since there are no guesthouses, I was told that I may have to spend the night on one of the island's beaches.
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More Travel articles in other editions
June 23, 2015 edition
To see these extraordinary creatures, we faced a rough road and rivers to cross. We were told that we needed a four-wheel drive vehicle and were strongly advised against taking our old Toyota Kijang. As it turned out, the difficulty only added to the overall experience of visiting this wild, totally undisturbed, empty and inhospitable three-kilometer-long stretch of coastline pounded by the dangerous deep green surf of the Indian Ocean.
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May 26, 2015 edition