Are all beaches in Indonesia this DISGUSTING?

Marunda Beach, not far north of Jakarta in Indonesia is regularly voted one of the worst beaches in the whole world. It has been disgusting like this for many decades, yet strangely things only seem to be getting worse, with more and more pollution and toxic waste (sewage) being pumped out to sea near the bathing areas around Marunda Beach directly from downtown Jakarta.

For such a large archipelago consisting of so many islands, Indonesia sure does have a lot of dirty beaches. I have seen first hand the overrated beaches in Bali, such as at Kuta (and most places in the south of the island), and the somewhat average beaches around the large island of Sumatra. It’s no wonder Indonesians are beginning to fly overseas for their weekend getaway!

Marunda Beach has a poor reputation in the area of North Java. Many “Jakarters” make the journey from the stuffy capital to the seaside with their families, and hope for some fun in the sun, but they will get anything but at Marunda! For a start, the entrance roads towards the beach are troublesome and unless you’ve been here before, it is actually difficult to find – which is a bit stupid seeing as it’s on the coastline. The main problems though are the dirty waters and the litter that covers the sands. Of course, the kids who play here are completely oblivious to the hazards, but parents should always exercise concern.

For such a large city that is fairly close to the coastline, Jakarta is poorly surrounded by beaches. Almost all beaches around here are dirty and unhygienic. Marunda Beach is among the worst I have ever visited – even the likes of Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai seems to have better hygiene that Marunda.

What is the dirtiest beach you have ever seen in Indonesia, or anywhere in the world for that matter?

Advertisements