IO – The charm of the maritime nature of Raja Ampat Regency never runs dry. This tourist location in the eastern part of Indonesia has much natural scenery that has not been exposed, from beach tourism to hills. Getting to know more about Raja Ampat, there is a very exotic nature tour that doesn’t even exist in other regions, one of which is Kalibiru. As the name implies, the water in this river has clear water, resembling blue crystal. The Kalibiru River is located in the interior of Raja Ampat, precisely in Kampung Warsambin, Teluk Mayalibit District, Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Province. To get to tourist sites, tourists can travel by land or sea lanes. On the road trip to Warsambin village, tourists will be treated to a beautiful view of the forest on the left and right side of the road. For the sea route, visitors need to spend Rp. 500 thousand per one motor boat.
After a long, tiring journey, the fatigue of tourists disappeared immediately while enjoying this cool blue water. A quiet natural atmosphere, panoramic views of the tropical forest and clear natural scenery without air pollution or the fatigue of a big city can refresh the mind. The tour guide who took me there, called Marcis Daman, also told me about this Kalibiru water: once he reached the estuary there would be 2 branches. The one that is exposed to sunlight: the temperature will be slightly warm. Whereas the other branches which are protected from sunlight, the temperature remains cold, as cold as ice water.
“Water stays cold, the other one warmer. I don’t know why it can be like that,” Marcis said.
Marcis told me again, this Kalibiru water temperature can be very cold. If a traveler brings a bottle of used plastic mineral water, then filled with water from Kalibiru, then the water feels like it just came out of the refrigerator. Marcis also guarantees that Kalibiru water is safe to drink because it is sourced from natural springs.
“If the water is in a bottle, the water is cold, like from a refrigerator. You can drink it immediately,” Marcis said.
Sure enough, once put in a bottle of mineral water, this Kalibiru water immediately feels like water that has been put in the refrigerator for a long time. Natural cold! Once we drink it, it feels really fresh, like mountain water sourced from natural springs. Without the need to boil it first, the water can be drunk. This Kalibiru further emphasizes the nickname of Raja Ampat as a piece of heaven that falls to earth. As a citizen of Indonesia, I should be grateful to be blessed with nature as beautiful as this and must try to keep it natural and sustainable. The location of this tour was found in 2016 and was new in November 2017; it is currently starting to be visited by many tourists, both domestic and international, where the crowds of tourists appear on weekends and on holidays.
The beauty of the river is increasingly complete with springs collected in a small lake. This is where the color of the water that was clear like a crystal turns blue. Scientifically, natural phenomena like this are related to light waves from the sun by the water of the Kalibiru river. When sunlight hits the riverbed, water molecules will automatically absorb red in the light spectrum, then followed by yellow, green and purple. Blue is absorbed most recently by water molecules. That is why the colors seen by the naked eye seem bluish. A calm and beautiful natural atmosphere is great for refreshing your mind to be more relaxed. (Aldo)