Pramuka Island is a small, laid-back island in Indonesia’s Thousand Islands, just a 90-minute boat ride from Jakarta. This was one of the first stops on our six-week Indonesia itinerary, after visiting Jakarta, and ended up being one of our favourite stops, largely because it was the least touristy destination we visited. There’s little in the way of mass tourism, with a wonderfully local atmosphere and not a huge amount to do beyond snorkelling, diving and enjoying the slow pace of island life.
Where it is and how to get there
Pramuka Island is one of the 342 islands that make up Indonesia’s (slightly misnamed) Thousand Islands region (located here). Starting just a few kilometres from Jakarta, the group of islands stretch 60km northwards into the Java Sea. They’re a popular destination for domestic tourists, but less so for international visitors, so families who make the effort to visit are rewarded with a much-less touristy experience.
Ferries depart from Jakarta’s port area, about 10km from the city centre, so it’s easiest to take a Grab or Gojek taxi from your accommodation. Ferry tickets, timings and logistics are handled via WhatsApp (our accommodation shared the booking number with us).
There are plans to move the ferry terminal to a location in the future but despite first impressions when you arrive, it’s actually quite well organised and easy to navigate. As there are so few Western tourists making the trip, ferry staff will make sure you board the correct ferry and help with other queries, even though limited English is spoken. When it’s time to board, staff will call out the name of the lead passenger, so it helps to be nearby when this happens.
Conditions onboard are slightly cramped and uncomfortable, with unreserved seats split between the open-air upper deck and the air-conditioned lower deck. The upper deck is the best option in most cases as you’ll get better views and reduce the risk of motion-sickness, although there’s limited shade and it gets very hot when the boat isn’t moving.
Sea conditions can vary dramatically, ranging from a completely flat sea to large waves and sea-sickness galore. We had the first version on our outward trip and the second version on the way back. In the wet season or when storms are in the area, sailings can be cancelled at short notice.
Diving and snorkelling
Pramuka Island is only a small island with limited food and accommodation options, so the main reason to visit is for diving and snorkelling. The island doesn’t really have a proper sandy beach or direct access to the sea, so you really need to book onto an organised tour to take you a few kilometres away from the island, where glorious conditions await.
There are around twenty dive sites to choose from, all of which are no more than one hour’s boat ride away from Pramuka. Diving trips can be organised through your accommodation and it’s best to get the ball rolling with them a few days in advance if possible.
Compared to other diving experiences in Southeast Asia, the whole setup is exceptionally low-key and relaxed. Although it always stays on the right side of safe and professional, it’s nowhere near the polished and hyper safety-focused trip you’ll have elsewhere (e.g. in Gili Air or Koh Lipe). You’ll need to decide in advance how stressed you may feel about this.
At no point did we feel unsafe (or we wouldn’t have let the boys dive), and it actually all added to the appeal of the trip for us. Other dive resorts in Southeast Asia are staffed by European dive instructors who are polished and entirely professional but can make the dives feel slightly generic. On Pramuka, you’ll have local guides and instructors who know the waters inside-out, and bring a local feel to the day. Our boys loved their instructor and we’re planning a return visit, largely because of him and his style.
As there are so few tourists here, it’s easy to arrange your own private boat and dive instructor, plus there’s complete freedom to choose timings and dive sites (with some guidance from the crew). We could just wander over to the office in the early evening and arrange the next day’s dive and itinerary there and then, it was all very chilled and led by us. It also meant we could book a last-minute night dive that started directly from the pier outside the hotel.
Our boys are the diving experts in the family, so us parents left them to it and limited ourselves to snorkelling, sunbathing and the occasional swim. It was the perfect setup for us, allowing us to be on hand if needed and also to experience the beautiful waters for ourselves. It only cost around IDR150,000 to snorkel, so it was great value.
Our boys reported that the diving compared very well to other dive spots in Southeast Asia, although the visibility was lower but they did see a huge amount of sea life. Perhaps the overall standard of diving is lower than in Koh Lipe (for example), but we all found it be a much more enjoyable experience, largely due to the relaxed nature of the trips and the absence of other divers in the water. In some of the busier dive spots in peak season, it can feel like a conveyor belt from shore to dive site, and it was the complete opposite here.
What else is there to do on Pramuka Island?
The short answer is: not a lot. Pramuka is all about the diving and aside from a pleasant walk around the island (which takes about fifteen minutes), an attractive mosque, watching the sunset, stopping at the Turtle Sanctuary and eating at the (very basic) restaurant at the southern end of the island (located here), there’s not much else to occupy your time.
The best advice is to embrace the downtime and experience the pleasure of slow family travel. If you go out onto the boats to dive or snorkel, you’ll be ready for a break back at your hotel anyway. However, if you’re not planning to head out onto the water and are here with younger children, be warned that you might find it hard to keep them occupied for several days. There are no proper beaches here and none of the hotels have swimming pools, so there are few options available. Adults will quite happily find a quiet spot to read but we’re aware that’s not an option for parents of young children.
Food on the island
Most domestic tourists stay in homestays and cook in their own kitchen, so you won’t find many restaurants (there are only two), and these only serve rice, noodles, fried chicken, etc. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the quality of food on the island is somewhere between basic and poor. You’ll quickly grow tired of the unimaginative noodles, eggs and rice dishes, made without much flavour or flair.
Shops on the island are the simple, family-run kiosks that have plenty of crisps, biscuits and packet noodles, but not much else. On this predominantly Muslim island, alcohol is in limited supply, although the hotels and restaurants usually have a few cans of Bintang if you’re desperate.
On diving and snorkelling trips, you can ask to stop at Nusa Resto Pulau Pramuka, which is perched on a nearby island. This was the best restaurant we visited in Thousand Islands and had a much wider variety of food, although it can get very busy at weekends with domestic day-trippers from Jakarta.
Where we stayed
We stayed in a family glamping tent at Seribu Resort Thousand Island, just a five minutes walk from the ferry terminal, which has it’s own very small beach (not sandy though and limited playing area). The room had a large ensuite bathroom (although the shower wasn’t the best), decent wifi and excellent air-conditioning.
There are two double beds in the family room, but they can add in an extra mattress on the floor if needed.
The hotel restaurant serves a basic breakfast (eggs, noodles, or rice). The same menu is available throughout the day (with some fish dishes added), but it’s not going to win any culinary awards. Staff are friendly but English is very limited.
How long to spend here
We stayed three nights, which felt plenty of time, largely because of the lack of food and recreation options. The return ferry to Jakarta isn’t until the late afternoon, so you will still have an almost-full day for diving on the last day.
If you’re not planning to snorkel, one or two nights will be enough, allowing you to slow down for a couple of days and explore the island. After the crowds and chaos of Jakarta, that might be just what you’re looking for.
What to Pack
- Cash (there is an ATM on the island, but it’s not reliable). Most shops and restaurants accept the local QRIS system, handy if you’re able to use it. Credit cards are accepted almost nowhere.
- Snacks and drinks from the mainland if you need some food variety.
- Mosquito-repellent and sun screen isn’t widely available on the island, and if it is, you’ll be paying an inflated price.
- Swimming/snorkelling gear, ideally your own mask at least as local versions don’t always fit too well.
When to Visit
July to October is technically the high season, although you wouldn’t really know it on most weekdays. High season on Pramuka is like low-season in most other places (which is a good thing).
It does get noticeably busier with domestic tourists coming over from Jakarta on the weekends and there can be some noise later in the evening. Visiting on weekdays is significantly quieter all year round and you’ll sometimes feel like you have the place to yourself.
This part of Southeast Asia does feel the effect of monsoon seasons at different times of the year and you should factor this into your planning. Boat trips and diving can be cancelled for several days in a row and will be much less enjoyable even if they do operate.
Is Pramuka Island good for families?
Yes it definitely is, although it has to be the right kind of family. Despite what you might expect from looking at a map, Pramuka doesn’t offer a stereotypical tropical island holiday, at least not directly from the island itself. So if you’re hoping this might be a budget version of the Thai islands, with a wide range of activities for younger kids to enjoy, beach bars and gourmet restaurants, you might be in for a shock.
Instead, it best suits active families looking to combine excellent diving with an off-the-beaten-track, no-thrills base. If you value simple, adventurous travel and find the crowds and efficiency of other dive spots off-putting, this is your sort of place.
Final Thoughts
Considering how large, busy and overcrowded Jakarta is, it’s remarkable that such a peaceful and idyllic island exists less than an hour’s boat ride away. If you arrive on Pramuka knowing what to expect, and are aware of its limitations, it’s a place you’ll long remember.
The big draw here is the diving, and with the lack of crowds and relaxed instructors, it’s a fantastic place to explore, whether you’re a complete beginner or a divemaster. Spending most of your day on the water and relaxing back on the island is the way to experience Pramuka, rather than expecting endless entertainment back on dry land.
Although it’s by no means a polished resort filled with luxuries, for some families (including ours), this is all part of what makes Pramuka Island so special. Other Southeast Asian islands are being redeveloped at a staggering pace making them almost recognisable to those who visited decades ago; for now, Pramuka is a throwback to a different time.
