Mudik Passengers Sleep for Days at Port: Awaiting Ship Schedules Due to Fear of Flying
JAKARTA — On the blue floor lined with thin mats at Tanjung Priok Passenger Port in North Jakarta, dozens of mudik travellers from various regions could be seen relaxing. Some appeared to be sleeping deeply from exhaustion, while others occupied themselves with their mobile phones or chatted with fellow travellers.
On these thin mats, dozens of mudik passengers had been sleeping for several days on the second floor of Tanjung Priok Port. However, because ship departure schedules are fixed and not available every day, these dozens of travellers were forced to stay overnight at the port for multiple days.
One passenger named Yuki (28), who works as a sailor, recounted that he had not seen his family in his hometown of Baubau, South East Sulawesi, for eight months. Because of this, he did not want to waste the opportunity of Eid this year to gather with his extended family. When he received leave from work, he immediately departed from Bangka Belitung to return home.
On the other hand, ships from Tanjung Priok port to Baubau only depart on specific dates—in this case, Friday, 16 March 2026—so he had already been staying for one week. “I left Bangka on 5 March, arrived at Tanjung Priok on the sixth and have been here for seven days,” said Yuki when interviewed by Kompas.com on site on Thursday (12 March 2026).
Yuki was only able to depart for Baubau today by boarding the Motor Vessel (KM) Dobonsolo. The young man acknowledged that mudik by ship certainly takes considerable time and effort because one must wait for departure schedules. However, on the other hand, he felt more comfortable travelling by ship compared to flying, even though the journey duration is shorter.
“Actually, I’m afraid of flying. When I go by ship, I’m used to it,” he said.
Additionally, ship ticket prices tend to be cheaper. From Tanjung Priok port to Baubau, Yuki only needed to pay a ticket price of Rp 500,000 (approximately £23).
Nevertheless, the length of the journey is not a problem for him as long as he can celebrate Eid with his family at home. He admitted that he cannot bear to miss celebrating Eid in Baubau even once.