Pulau Seribu and Its Heritage

Source: Good News from Indonesia

For those living in Jakarta for a long while, may have heard about Pulau Seribu already. I don’t know where you heard it from, maybe you know it by surfing the internet while looking for a short getaway from your work or maybe someone recommended it to you as a staycation destination next weekend, then maybe you should listen to them. Pulau Seribu is not only a place to relax your near-to-bursting head after a long week of working but also a place to experience interesting and unique things you won’t find anywhere in Jakarta. Before you go on your first trip to Pulau Seribu or anywhere new to you, it is better to know your destination - their culture, tradition, language, history, etc. This article will provide you with that, so keep reading it till the end.

The History

Source: Pikiran Rakyat

At first, Pulau Seribu was colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th century in the year 1519 before VOC came to Indonesia in 1596. After the arrival of VOC, The Dutch took over from the Portuguese and colonialized most of the islands in Pulau Seribu.

The Dutch also used some of the islands as their forts, shipyards, and warehouses for the spices before it was exported to Holland. You can still see the remnants while visiting these 3 islands: Pulau Kelor, Pulau Cipir and Pulau Onrust.

Pulau Kelor and Cipir are where The Dutch defended themselves from the Portuguese when they were trying to take back Pulau Seribu and today, you can still see the fortress even though it is no longer intact. Pulau Onrust is larger than Kelor & Cipir and was one of the busiest islands during Dutch colonization, this is where the Dutch built their shipyards, warehouses, residences and fortresses. If you are visiting this island, you could visit the Dutch grave of Maria van de Velde where beautiful poems were written on her tombstone.

The Language

Source: Katadata

If you think the language they use is the same language you heard In Jakarta, then you are completely wrong and not just the language, but also the accent. Even though Pulau Seribu is geographically close to Jakarta and Banten, it doesn’t seem to influence their language at all. If you also think that all these groups of islands speak the same accent then you are wrong again. Take Pulau Pramuka as an example, people on this island don’t speak the same accent as the rest of the islands.

A long time ago, Pulau Seribu used to be a transit place for sailors, merchants and fishermen from all over Indonesia such as Bugis, Dayak, Sunda, Jawa and many more. That’s why it's not surprising that they adapt to so many accents and languages since Indonesia itself has hundreds of languages and accents.

The Culture and Tradition

Source: Kompas Regional

Another interesting thing about Pulau Seribu is their culture and tradition they called “Sedekah Laut.” This tradition is to give an offering to the sea because most of their living comes from the sea, and this is how they show their gratefulness and hope for health & well-being and avoid any kind of disaster. The process of this tradition is quite unique because you need to sail a distance away from the shore and send away various foods to the vast ocean.

There is one tradition that you can enjoy with locals there. Pearl Race is one of the traditions where locals are competing against each other by diving into the seafloor looking for something the committee has prepared for them at the ocean floor, how fun is that!?

All of the above are just some information you can use as your research before visiting Pulau Seribu. Hope these will help you and give some enlightenment about Pulau Seribu. Do remember to enjoy your holiday.