Sikuai Island, cradles but Abandoned

It took about 50 minutes, if the weather is good, to get to the island which is located in District Sikuai Bungus Kabung Bay, city of Padang, West Sumatra. Travel to the island can be reached from the pier Sikuai Maritime Tour with a speed boat ride, owned by PT Abadi Wijaya which owns and operates the only resort on the island, namely the New Sikuai Island Resorts

Visitors can also rent a fishing vessel owned by the Port Bungus, a distance of approximately 20 kilometers from the center to the south of Padang. Arriving at the island Sikuai, visitors still have to pay Rp 50,000 to the organizer of the island, namely the New Sikuai Island Resort.

However, information to and during their stay on the island extremely difficult to obtain. In fact, the instructions to get to the Wharf Marine Tourism did not exist.

The absence of bus and freight terminal in Padang city become the main cause. Market hangout bemo Raya, Padang, also is not there anymore. Besides, bemo that operate more frequently than those carrying goods. Finally, the motorcycle taxi motorbike to be the only means of transportation with a rate of $ 5000 towards the Wharf Marine Tourism after circling for nearly an hour in the area of Pasar Raya is not disordered.

It cost USD 250 000 to join the ride speed boat owned PT Wijaya Abadi. Costs include the ticket and go-home rations for lunch.

If you rent a fisherman's boat, it costs around Rp 200,000.

If you want to stay, there are no fewer than 54 buildings resorts. Overnight rates Rp 800,000 to Rp 4 million. There are five kinds of rooms with different tariffs on offer.

"Never before have visitors come here and sleep in tents," said Hadi (20), an employee of the New Sikuai Island nearly two years working on the island.

Electrical constraints

However, electricity becomes the main obstacle to visitors. At 08:00 until 17:00 the electricity from the generator is turned off. "Supposedly they use solar power and building a resort whose roof is higher and thus no air conditioning that needs a lot of energy. Visitors do not need AC. As long as there is fresh air, that's enough, "says Neil (32), Canadian visitors.

Neil also could not figure out why the island as beautiful as it should be quiet during the long holiday weekend, with around 15 resorts are filled. At that time, Saturday (3 / 4), seems not many tourists who come.

"Supposedly this island could be a destination people during the weekends," said Neil on the island filled with diversity of marine life and flora and fauna collections of all kinds. The high cost and services that are not thought to be the cause of how quiet the visitors.

Visitors who do not stay overnight leaving at 10:00 and had to go back to the Wharf Marine Tourism at 16.00. Day tour package which is the cheapest fare to the island was named One Day Tour.

For about five hours in an area of 38.6 km ² island, visitors free rounds. If you walk, it took more than two hours to round the island.

Three motorcycles offered by the management of the island for rent. Rental rate of China-made motorcycles that USD 200 000 per hour.

Fitted with a plastic canoe rental rate of Rp 50,000 per hour, while jet skiing USD 150 000 for 15 minutes.

Visitors can also swim or snorkel and diving activities in the area around the rocky waters. Most coral reefs are damaged and can not be seen again be enjoyed. However, in the rear portion of the island's coral reef conditions looked better, with all sorts of plants and animals, like birds blekok, relatively easy to find.

Abadi PT Wijaya well owners in New Sikuai Island Resort, which manages Sikuai Island since 2007, Rikwan, complained about the lack of government support. Investment of U.S. $ 4 billion invested since 2007 until now has not returned.

The resort is built on the island since 1994 and has since bought the management rights in 2007, Rikwan just enjoy the golden age in the year 2008 to 2009. "After the earthquake, so occupancy rates fell about 5 percent to 10 percent of it," he said.

Padang Mayor Fauzi Bahar said, the current manager Sikuai Island does have problems for the electrical supply. He said the power plant in Teluk Sirih Bungus District, Bay of Kabung, Kildare, will be a solution that electricity shortages. "Investors from Germany in July will also go to the island," said Fauzi.

Incomplete

Cultural researcher from the State University of Padang, Ady Rosa, said the tourism industry on the island of Sumatra as a whole Sikuai and has never managed in their entirety. "Networks are never used and tend to go their separate ways," he said.

Head of Culture and Tourism Sumbar James Hellyward added, which is the management of Sikuai Island Padang government authority should be seen again from its policy aspects. Current manager of the private sector can not be blamed if the quoted cost is too high with a less satisfactory service. Management did make a profit first. (Ingki Rinaldi)

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