Pulau Kemaro (Kemaro Island)

Once upon a time there lived a prince named Tan Bu An, a Chinese student in Palembang. During his study time in Palembang, he fell in love with Siti Fatimah, a princess of Palembang. But the King did not give them the blessing they were asking for. The King asked Tan Bu An to hand him a present in order to get his blessing.

After the agreement was made, Tan Bu An asked his father to shipped the present directly from China. Once the package was arrived, Tan Bu An was surprised to learn that his father sent him a ship full of fruit and vegetables. Enragedly, Tan Bu An threw the fruit and vegetables to the bottom of the river.
Little that he knew, his father put money in the fruit and vegetables. Recklessly, Tan Bu An attempted to collect the cargo of the ship he had dumped into the river. Unfortunately, Tan Bu An never returned after that, he drowned along with the other boatloads.

Siti Fatimah was shocked when she heard the grief news, she then ran to the river and drowned himself following the love of her life.

Shortly after the princess drowned, a plot of land appeared on the surface of the river. The land is suspected as the tomb of the couple and later became well-known as Kemaro Island. The island is named so because it is always dry even at high tide.

Kemaro Island is so named because the island is always dry even at high tide. Set foot on Kemaro Island, you can feel the thickness of Chinese culture through the presence of red Pagoda standing in the middle of the island.

Location

Kemaro Island is located on the delta of Musi River, you can rent a fast boat on the Musi River to reach the island. It takes about 30 minutes. This fast boat rental rates range from Rp 50,000 - Rp 70,000. For those staying at BATIQA Hotel Palembang, the Musi River jetty is a 20-minute drive away.

Insider’s Guide

There are two options to go to Kemaro Island from the Musi River jetty. You can opt for a speedboat with a large and fast-powered machine costing Rp100,000-Rp150.000 and takes about 15 minutes or choose to hop on a traditional boat for Rp80.000- Rp100.000 for longer travel time.

It can be very sunny in the island, make sure you wear comfortable clothes and spray sunscreen before visiting the area. It is advisable to match your visit with the religious ceremony agenda to have more memorable visit.