'Nirvana' island loses its charm beauty<\/p>\n
Yusrianti, Contributor, Makassar, South Sulawesi<\/p>\n
Gloomy, lonely and neglected. That is the present state of the
\nKahyangan (Nirvana), a 3.5-hectare island off Makassar that was
\nonce a tourist paradise.<\/p>\n
The economic crisis and mismanagement have ruthlessly battered
\n"Nirvana".<\/p>\n
The island now boasts only a row of dilapidated buildings and
\na rusty merry-go-round that creaks. South Sulawesi's best tourist
\nresort between the 1960s and 1980s, the island is no longer as
\nbeautiful as its name suggests.<\/p>\n
Located one nautical mile from Losari beach in Makassar, the
\nisland can be reached by motorboat in about 15 minutes. When you
\nget there, you will no longer find any beauty. You can see only
\nruins of buildings formerly leased to tourists. In some of the
\nbuildings that still stand, the paint has faded. The merry-go-
\nround is rusted and no longer moves. The engraved luxurious
\nchairs have lost their luster and are in poor repair. Cockroaches
\nare everywhere.<\/p>\n
The remaining restaurant offers only bakso (meatball soup).
\nAnd the service is just what one would expect from bakso hawkers.
\nA very pathetic picture indeed of an island which only a few
\nyears ago was a holiday center.<\/p>\n
In the mid 1970s, the island, formerly called Maraoux island,
\nwas one of the most popular tourist resorts for the people of
\nMakassar and its surrounding areas. In this period it was also a
\nprime tourist attraction for foreign tourists visiting Makassar.<\/p>\n
In those days, the island was visited by 5,000 to 6,000
\ntourists a day. The local government and the island management
\npocketed hundreds of millions of rupiah in taxes and the entrance
\nfee set at Rp 1000 to Rp 1,500 per person.<\/p>\n
In its golden days, this tourist attraction offered various
\nkinds of entertainment and attractions. In 1962 the local
\ngovernment established cooperation with PT Grand Hotel Jaya
\nUsama, owned by Theo Pupela. The island management employed some
\n70 people and also provided additional income for fishermen and
\nboat owners. Other economic sectors in Makassar and on the island
\nitself benefited from this cooperation.<\/p>\n
As there were no better tourist attractions in Makassar,
\nvisitors overlooked the fact that the island used to be a site of
\na leper colony. Of course, as the island was developed into a
\ntourist resort, the lepers were sent to their home villages. When
\nMakassar -- then called Ujung Pandang -- was led by mayor HD
\nPatompo, the island was left under the management of PT Grand
\nHotel Jaya Usama (GHJU).<\/p>\n
The private management turned the island into a sleepless
\narea. Dozens of motels complete with children's games,
\nrestaurants and coffee shops sprang up. The island could also
\nboast a multi-purpose venue for meetings, seminars, and a 12-
\nmeter-long stage jutting five meters into the sea.<\/p>\n
How has the city administration reacted to the condition of
\nthe island? In the era of regional autonomy, the city
\nadministration admitted that it had found it difficult to raise
\nfunds for the regional budget but then to increase locally-
\ngenerated income, all potential sources of revenue must be
\ntapped. Head of the legal affairs division of Makassar city
\nadministration, Abd. Gaffar, said that an MoU between the
\nMakassar city administration and PT Grand Hotel Jaya Usama, as
\nthe island management, expired in 1995.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the two sides are making efforts to extend their
\ncooperation. Unfortunately, even when the management of the
\nisland was taken over by Makassar city administration on March 1,
\n2000, the home minister had not yet given his approval.<\/p>\n
However, the city administration of Makassar, has appointed
\nthe first management to manage the island with coordination with
\nMakassar city administration. Every month this management party
\nhas to contribute Rp 10 million to the coffers of the Makassar
\ncity administration.<\/p>\n
It is indeed ironical that only when the dream island was on
\nthe verge of destruction did the Makassar city administration
\ntake it over. It should have been done much earlier before the
\nfirst management undertook renovation of facilities, so as not to
\nmake the management cost swell.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Abd. Gaffar felt reluctant to divulge the budget
\nallocated for the management and development of the island as a
\nmarine tourist attraction. He said he was optimistic that in
\nfuture, the island could again enjoy its former glory.<\/p>\n
"The city administration has put this island along with 11
\nothers, including the Losari beach, into a marine tourist
\nproject. This island is the main priority and has been offered to
\ninvestors," he said, adding that by the end of 2002 the new
\nmanagement of the island will commence work.<\/p>\n
The other 11 islands that are part of the same marine tourist
\nproject are Lanjukkang, Samalona, Kodingareng Keke, Laelae,
\nKodingareng. Barang Lompo, Bone Tambung, Luwu-luwu, Barang Caddi
\nand Langkai. These 11 islands are not far from Kayangan island
\nand can be reached in 20 minutes from Losari beach. On weekdays
\nthe entrance ticket is Rp 7,000 but on holidays it is Rp 10,000.<\/p>\n
The future development of Kayangan island, said Abd Gaffar,
\nwill still be in harmony with the local character of the island
\nin combination with international nuances. The number of
\nbuildings will be reduced as foreign tourists prefer a more
\nnatural environment.<\/p>\n
"Kayangan island will be made an environmentally friendly open
\nspace with lots of parks," Gaffar added.<\/p>\n
Ika, a visitor to the island often accompanies foreign
\ntourists, said that foreign tourists in particular liked to savor
\nthe white sand and open space where they could see Makassar from
\na distance: the lights gleaming at night and fishermen's boats
\nsailing to and fro between large vessels on their way to dock at
\nSoekarno-Hatta seaport.<\/p>\n
"If the renovation of this island includes the putting up of
\nmany buildings, I'm sure foreign tourists will not come here. So,
\nthe renovation of this island must be done in such a way that it
\nlooks as natural as possible," said Ika.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nirvana-island-loses-its-charm-beauty-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}