Sempu Island

Sempu is a small island across from Sendang Biru, an hour from central Malang, and the only way in is a fishing boat then a walk. The lagoon is called Segara Anakan, a calm turquoise column of water fenced by limestone cliffs and connected to the open sea only through a narrow gap.

Because it is a nature reserve, daily visitors are capped, so we always arrange the permit days ahead. The ideal visit starts in the morning, a 2 km trek on a dirt trail, then swimming or simply sitting at the lagoon edge until noon.