Sunda Kelapa, The Most Historical Port at Jakarta

Monita, Devi, Zidane and Rama at Sunda Kelapa

Sunda Kelapa is the city’s most historical port, renowned for phinisi schooners, the traditional vessels of the Bugis people of Sulawesi, still used to deliver goods around the archipelago. The phinisi ships at Sunda Kelapa are wooden vessels around 40 meters long and 15 meters wide, with two main masts with seven sails each. The boats have diesel engines they can use alternately with the sails. They can carry up to 950 tons of cargo, which varies from cement and timber, to electronic devices and appliances.

Sunda Kelapa

The schooners transport goods across the archipelago, but mainly to Batam island or Pontianak in Kalimantan. The journey takes up to three full days. Some may return laden with timber from Kalimantan but most return empty to Sunda Kelapa to reload.

Sunda Kelapa’s history dates back to the 12th century, when it was the most important harbor of the Pajajaran Kingdom (the area now known as West Java), with trading ships from China, southern India, Japan and the Middle East. In the 15th century it became the source of a conflict. The port was conquered by Fatahillah on June 22, 1527, marking the birth of Jakarta.

Tanjung Priok, a far more modern harbor not far from Sunda Kelapa, was constructed by the Dutch in 1873 and became one of the most prominent seaports in the country, but Sunda Kelapa maintains activity. For something different, tourists can take a boat ride across the Dutch-made canal. Despite being popular among foreign visitors, Sunda Kelapa is not a favorite tourist destination for locals, who prefer modern entertainment centers and shopping malls.

As part of Jakarta’s old city, the harbor attracts both locals and foreigners with its schooners, but lacks tourism infrastructure. Attended parking is available for cars but not for motorcycles.

Tourists are permitted onto schooners to get a look at the old sturdy wooden decks or a feel for the seafaring atmosphere, but first must climb a one-meter high concrete dock curb before reaching the ship.

Sunda Kelapa may serve as a loading and storage facility, but it is not tourist friendly.

Except for warehouses and a stock piling area there’s not much more for tourists to see on the dock, which is poorly maintained and partly flooded with seawater.

The important if you wanna visit Sunda Kelapa. There are no proper restaurants at Sunda Kelapa either, only street vendors selling cigarettes, peanuts and drinks. Toilets, another vital facility, are nowhere to be found. So visitor must prepare all at home.