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WHILE TRAVELING to various places in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), the beach has always been in high demand and a must-visit destination. NTB Province has rows of scenic beaches that can attract tourists, especially in the island of Lombok, with its beach tours and charming views.
Kenawa Beach in Kenawa Island is one of the beaches closest to Lombok Island with a white sandy beach that surrounds an uninhabited island. Kenawa Island has an area of 15 hectares, with a coastline stretching for some 1.73 kilometers located in West Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara Province.
Kenawa Island has, so far, been well-known for its hill and savanna tourism, but it turns out that the island also has some alluring, calm, and clean beaches. It is believed that when people arrive at Kenawa Beach, they would not want to miss out on the opportunity to bathe in the sea or just soak in the beach.
“The water is so clear. We can see fish and other sea animals with our naked eyes,” Imelda, one of the tourists enjoying at Kenawa Beach, told ANTARA.
Imelda admitted that what she enjoyed the most about Kenawa Beach was the beauty of the sea that is ideal for snorkeling.
Moreover, Imelda noted that tourists visiting the beach will be able to enjoy the colorful coral reefs, fish, and various other types of marine animals.
“Such views will make people feel at home while being in the middle of the sea. When we snorkel, it is like being in a giant aquarium,” she stated.
Moreover, tourists visiting Kenawa Beach do not need to harbor concerns over the facilities since the beach and surrounding area are equipped with adequate facilities.
Moreover, tourists looking to wash themselves after soaking in the waters of the beach can make use of some public bathroom facilities. In addition, some resting and praying places as well as clean and free public toilets have been provided.
However, to use the public toilets and bathrooms, visitors should buy clean water that is sold per gallon. One gallon of clean water is valued at IDR15,000 (US$1.04) by shop sellers around the beach. For food and beverage, there is a one-stop shop on Kenawa Island that provides a variety of drinks, especially coffee, as well as food for tourists that are not carrying any such items.
“Hence, we do not have to worry about starving while on Kenawa Island,” she remarked.
Furthermore, tourists looking to stay longer to enjoy the colorful coral reefs, fish, and various other types of marine animals can stay on Kenawa Island by camping using a tent. Tent camping is something natural since Kenawa Island is uninhabited, so some special lodging facilities had yet to be provided.
In fact, when the weather is friendly, Kenawa has usually been a destination for camping tours every weekend, and tourists can enjoy the sunrise in the morning. Regarding the trip to Kenawa island, access to the remote island is relatively easy that takes about four hours.
Imelda explained that from the city of Mataram, tourists need to travel by land for about two hours to Kayangan Port and then take a ferry to Poto Tano Port, Sumbawa, with a travel time of approximately two hours.
After arriving at the port of Poto Tano, tourists can head to a pier to take a boat to Kenawa Island located at a distance of about 200-300 meters from the port.
“We can rent a fishing boat to go to Kenawa Island, with a travel time of about 20 minutes. The boat rental rate is around Rp220,000-250,000 (US$15 up to 17) which is a round trip rate,” he noted.
Kenawa Hill
In addition to presenting a swimming-pool-like view of the sea water, there is also a small hill in the middle of Kenawa Island that is suitable for people enjoying the sunrise in the morning and sunset in the afternoon, as well as the stars at night.
The small hill has indeed become an icon of Kenawa Island, with views of the green meadow during the rainy season, and the meadow would turn into a dry yellow savanna during the dry season.
However, the color change is also the main attraction for tourists visiting the island. Some tourists that had visited when the meadows were green, in fact, were keen to return to see when the fields turned into yellow savanna, and vice versa.
“If I could choose, I would prefer to see Kenawa Hill when the meadow turns into a yellow arid savanna,” according to Azma, another tourist visiting the island.
Azma, who has visited Kenawa Island several times, remarked that the arid yellow savanna proffers its own charm for people standing in the middle of it.
“It is like being in a faraway place, like we are not in Sumbawa,” she remarked.
Moreover, the small hill in the middle of Kenawa Island can be scaled, though people should be careful, as it is positioned on an about 85-degree slope in addition to the quite slippery ground conditions.
“When we are at the top of Kenawa Hill, we can see the savanna and the open sea. It is such a very beautiful view,” Azma remarked.
The beauty of the calm sea, extraordinary underwater tourism, and stunning hill views on the island of Kenawa will hypnotize tourists and draw them to visit the island time and again. [antaranews/photo special]
