Revisit Heaven: Ora Beach (and something to learn)

Pertama kali saya datang ke Ora Beach adalah di tahun 2013. Saya dan teman-teman Baronda Maluku sangat terpesona oleh resort yang terletak di Pulau Seram ini dengan cottage-cottage di atas laut yang bening dan koral berwarna-warni, Ora Beach bagaikan Maldives di negara kita sendiri.

My first visit to Ora Beach was in 2013. Friends from Baronda Maluku and I were so amazed by resort located in Seram Island with a group of cottages above the clear sea and colorful corals. Ora Beach is surely a Maldives look-alike for our country. 

Tahun 2015 saya kembali mengunjungi destinasi indah ini. Ora Beach tetap jernih dengan laut turquoise yang saat matahari bersinar cerah sangat-sangat menawan. Namun ada beberapa perubahan selain tambahan dek untuk duduk-duduk dan makan. Koral di area dermaga sudah tidak seindah dulu. Saya ingat memperhatikan koral-koral yang saat malam hari di kala air laut surut koral yang ada “muncul sebagian” karena koral yang begitu sehat dan banyak. Saya ingat koral yang ada saat itu begitu padat dan indah.

I revisited this beautiful destination in 2015. Ora Beach was still clear as crystal and reflection of the sunlight through the turquoise sea was so amazing. But I could see something different besides more deck for lounging and dining. Corals around the dock were not as beautiful as my first visit. I remember the night I spent to look at some corals appeared when it was low tide. That time, they were so healthy, solid, yet lovely.

healthy corals are healthy but some already damaged

Better jump and snorkel from the dock, also safe for your legs and feet!

Koral di Ora Beach masih indah, namun banyak karang-karang rusak entah terinjak sengaja ataupun tidak. Area koral di pantai Ora ini memang kebanyakan di area sangat dangkal, jika snorkeling di area dangkal maka akan sangat mudah tidak sengaja menabrak karang. Sebaiknya snorkeling jangan dimulai dari area pantai, namun turun dari tangga di ujung dermaga di area yang sudah cukup dalam sehingga kita tidak perlu menabrak karang.

Some corals were still beautiful, but we could find lots of them were damaged by trampled intentionally (or not). Most area in Ora Beach was so shallow that made it easier for them who do snorkeling around to hit the corals accidentally. In order to keep the corals safe, better do snorkeling started from the dock.

Even Patrick really wants to visit this heaven since long time ago

Satu hal lain adalah popularitas Ora Beach rupanya menarik semua orang, bahkan hingga pejabat yang dadakan ingin datang ke resort indah ini. Saya dan teman-teman sudah booking beberapa kamar jauh-jauh hari karena kami group besar dengan total 20 orang. Namun di tengah kunjungan teman-teman yang berada di kamar laut “diusir” ke kamar lain sehingga harus berjejalan 6 orang dalam satu kamar karena ada “pejabat daerah” (dan istri-istri mereka) mendadak datang.

Here comes another story about the beauty of Ora Beach that made a group of official had sudden visit to the resort. Since we came in a large group consists of 20 people, my friends and I already booked some rooms long before our visit. Unfortunately, some friends who stayed in the room next to sea were “expelled” to another room in the meanwhile. That made 6 people had to cram into one room for the sake of sudden visit from “local officials” (and their wives).

Saya mengerti management mungkin tidak kuasa menolak para pejabat daerah ini, mungkin jika mereka menolak izin akan dipersulit. Bukannya kami ego besar tidak mau mengalah (toh akhirnya teman-teman mengalah juga karena kasihan dengan pihak management Ora Beach Resort), namun rasanya sangat tidak adil kalau pejabat bisa seenaknya masuk dan menggusur teman-teman yang sudah menyiapkan cuti dan booking jauh-jauh hari.

It was still acceptable if the management couldn’t refuse the local officials since it would complicate the permit. This was not about our big egos who didn’t want to give up the room (while the fact we did it as compassion to the management of Ora Beach Resort), but it’s just so unfair for those who suddenly made their own rule about room arrangement and displaced those who already had days off and booked earlier.

Mungkin ini cuma liburan, bukan hak dasar yang jika direnggut berpengaruh besar tapi tidak rela rasanya mengalah demi raja-raja kecil ini. Ah sudahlah, memang masih seperti itu di sebagian besar wilayah kita.

Maybe this was merely a holiday, not about getting big loss caused by a simple thing has taken from you. But still, it’s not that easy to give up for these “little kings”. Ah forget it, maybe this just another “culture” in our country.

Those wooden bridge ain't a good place to selfie and jump for more than 10 people ;)

Ada satu hal yang menarik. Usai teman-teman “tergusur”, para istri pejabat ini rupanya beramai-ramai selfie di jembatan menuju cottage di atas laut sehingga jembatan tidak kuat menahan beban belasan orang berdiri dan loncat di kayu-kayu ini sehingga jembatan rubuh dan mereka jatuh.

Anyway, good thing always happened at the right time. After having our friends displaced, these official’s wives planned to take some selfie and jump on a wooden bridge towards the cottage above the sea. Poor them, it was such a wrong spot for a group photo session. The bridge collapsed and they fell.

Memang ini bukan alasan baik untuk kami tersenyum, namun rupanya karma bekerja cepat di “paradise.”

Can’t help to smile but now we know karma truly exist even come faster in “paradise”

PS: Kepada semua pejabat yang ingin liburan, silahkan minta staf kalian untuk booking jauh-jauh hari, kami doakan liburannya lancar dan menyenangkan karena liburan adalah hak semua orang kok ;)

PS: Dear all officials who plan for holiday, please have your staff to arrange before the visit. Wishing you a pleasant and relaxing holiday since everyone deserves it, anyway. ;)

Ah sudahlah, daripada terlalu banyak cerita pengalaman ini lebih baik saya share lagi foto-foto indah Ora Beach :)

Oh well, enough for the stories and let me share others beautiful photos of Ora Beach.  

Someone is on a photo session :)

#Followmeto Ora Beach, Patrick version and inspired by Murad Osmann

Gotta float like a boss

@marischkaprue – learn that those who visit paradise isn’t always angels

NOTES:

• Informasi lengkap lokasi dan cara booking ke Ora Beach ada di postingan saya di tahun 2013 ini, klik di sini untuk informasi lengkap
• Detail information about location and booking to Ora Beach is in my older post (2013), click here for more info.

• 

  Visiting Ora Beach with these fun people!