PAHAWANG.…come from word “HAWANG” which is a name of a Chinese who came to this island in 18th century. And then HAWANG have a big family and they acculturated with other migrants from several Indonesian area to occupy and prosper PAHAWANG.
My arrival to Lampung is indeed because of Pahawang. It made my sleep never well before I really set foot there.
My legs were still fatigue after long trip in Ied Mubarak holiday from Solo (my hometown), even didn’t even 24 hours resting….I immediately filled my backpack and went to Lampung to immediately kill my curiosity about Pahawang.
Becaue my remaining budget was little, so I decided to visit Pahawang in just one day trip. Boat and hotel cost are relatively expensive in Pahawang Island, It was beating my ego to overnight in Pahawang.
And for save my money, the best way is joining into open trip. Since I have office friends from Lampung, finally I was connected by them into Aero Travelindo Utama which is one of many open trip organizers there.
The core of open trip is paying an expensive trip cost by sharing cost with other tourists.
Didn’t need to long thinking, I immediately transferred a down payment of one day trip cost. Oh yes, the overall cost is USD 13 include lunch per tourist.
Starting trip to Pahawang, I rode a rented motorbike towards determined meeting point, namely Dermaga 4 Ketapang (Ketapang’s Pier 4).
On 5:30 am, I left hotel and pass Lampung Banking Monument.
Based an information from taxi driver who I met a day before, the route which I had passed was indeed very crowded and many Indonesian Navy soldiers who used motorbike toward their office.
Their existence on my route when morning condition was still dark made me feel very comfortable. By slowly driving, I tried to enjoy Way Ratay road situation as main access to Dermaga 4 Ketapang.
“Welcome” fish statue in Pesawaran tourist area.
The Sun slowly began to uncover morning darkness, my motorbike slowly drove in coastline to present sea noise on my left side.
I slowly passed each Ketapang pier gate from gate 1, until finally Pier 4 (Dermaga 4) gate was found.
On 06:31 am, Dermaga 4 Ketapang was in front of me.
Parking my motorbike on pier edge for USD 0,75 then I decide to eat “lontong sayur” as my breakfast menu. By paying USD 0,85, my stomach already felt ready to sail immediately.
Ringcall from open trip organizer guide me to their office around Pier 4 to pay off payment and take a life jacket a nd snorkel.
On 9 am o’clock, my boat began its journey, slowly the beauty of coastal village was clearly displayed when I was away from pier. Settlements under hill with yellow glow of morning sun combined with some thin white smoke from resident activities were able to make me stunned sitting in end of ship’s back deck.
Along sailing, I always curios because organizer never gave a briefing before trip began. What will be done firsty in this trip?.
Need waiting for 1 hour 15 minutes, I finally found out that snorkeling was opening activity in this trip. For easy finding a snorkeling location, tourism operator makes a floating house to leaning each boat which carrying tourists.
I decided to jump straight from boat when other tourists queue up to go to floating house. Enjoy coral reef by under water viewing made me amazed by coral density below me. Slowly feeding fishes with dry biscuits in my hand to saw it closer and enjoy cute fishes there.
Little sad too, when I saw some tourists who didn’t understand how supposed to enjoy coral reef tourism.…They likely didn’t care, some of them step on coral reef to make them standing.…It was unfortunate.
I had to immediately interrupted my excitement in enjoying coral reef, because a jellyfish greeted me with its painful sting. I was forced to back in boat to reduce poison spreading in my neck.
1.5 hours snorkeling made me know that next agenda was definitely having a lunch…. I was very hungry.
Slowly going away from snorkeling area, I headed to Pahawang Island. Passed arrival gate, I straightly went to under of coconut trees to eat grilled fishes and “Sayur Asam” vegetables which just came out from stove.
I also didn’t waste my time. After lunch, I explored around island to enjoy beauty of Pahawang.
Precisely on 1:30 pm, I left Pahawang island and sailed to Nemo Park for seeing clown fish activity.
A little sea anemone colony where clown fishes live in was seen in this sea park. Clown fishes that live here are majority still small in size. It looks like that this park is being developed to become a habitat for clown fishes in the future.
In end section….
Trip was closed by visiting Kelagian Island on 3:30 pm. Most tourists prayed in a mosque, layed down in a row of rented gazebo, played soccer on soft white sand or enjoyed coconut directly from its shell in this island.
Exactly at 16:00, Pahawang one day trip was truly over. Return to Dermaga 4 and then I was back to hotel and prepared to relaxing in “Teropong Kota Bukit Sindy” (city night viewing from a hill) that I set up as my next night destination in Bandar Lampung.
Wah jadi teringat pas ke lampung tahun 2017 yang lalu. Baru pertama kali kesana & kayak orang ilang heheheh
Gimana OK kan Lampung?.. Hahaha