The Motadikin beach in Fahiluka village, Malaka regency, East Nusa Tenggara, is increasingly getting popular, and is visited by local tourists, Sunday (29/1). The local administration has allocated Rp 1 billion in fund from its budget in 2017 to improve facilities in the beach.
Dark clouds loomed over the Maubesi nature sanctuary area and Motadikin beach in Fahiluka village, Central Malaka district, Malaka regency, East Nusa Tenggara, at the end of January. It was a sign of rain that would soon fall. The area is one of the most popular tourist destinations for Indonesian citizens on the Indonesia-East Timor border.
A door-less gate that is 10 meters high and 3 meters wide stands at the entrance of the Motadikin beach. A board at the top of the gate reads “Welcome to Motadikin Beach Resort”. On one side of the gate there is a security post. Unfortunately, the window of the post is broken and scattered all over the floor. It is not yet known who broke the window and what their motive was.
Around 10 meters from the gate, upon entrance to the beach, there is another sign on the left side of the road that reads, “Maubesi Nature Reserve Area”. This nature reserve was established by the Forestry Ministry decree No. 394/KPts/Um/5/2011 on May 7, 2011. The size of the nature reserve area reaches 3,246 hectares.
The area also boasts the Motadikin beach which has a coastline stretching around 10 km. Around 220 households live along the shore of the beach. They are local farmers and fishermen and residents from outside of the area. Hundreds of fishing boats were lined up neatly along the coastline. The weather at the time was not favorable for the fishermen.
An ant nest around one meter tall is seen scattered around the nature sanctuary. Also seen is an overlays of various typed of mangroves along the coast. There, there is a delta and estuary of the Benanain River.
Shrimp and milk fish
At the estuary of the Benanain River, the residents spread shrimp and milk fish seeds. Other than visiting the beach, the visitors can also buy freshwater fish and shrimp in those fishponds.
Around three meters before the Maubesi Nature Reserve entrance, visitors can see the Maneken traditional village in Fahiluka village. This village is located around 150 meters from the road heading towards Motadikin beach. The locals are not yet willing to accept electricity, televisions, radios, computers and other technological products. They prefer to use traditional equipment in their daily activities.
Some of the Maubesi delta area is known for its estuary crocodiles. Every year, there is at least one death caused by crocodile attack. From 2006 to 2016, there have been around 17 deaths of locals attacked by crocodile.
It makes sense, therefore, that at the entrance gate of the Motadikin beach shows a warning board saying, “Care for your life. Beware of crocodiles around you”.
The Malaka regency administrationhas deployed two crocodile handlers to guard the beach. They are Malaka Tourism Agency staff. The crocodile handlers have special skills in driving away and taming crocodiles.
So far, no crocodiles have entered the Motadikin beach area. The crocodiles are usually found outside of the beach, especially in the Benanain estuary area.
Paul Manehat, one of the leaders of the Malaka traditional community, said that the crocodiles were the incarnations of the ancestors of the Timor people. The crocodiles do not bite random people, but only attack those who have committed mistakes like stealing or immoral acts against people’s daughters.
“Sometimes, children play near the crocodiles but do not disturb them. The crocodiles know that the children are sinless. They are the grandchildren of the Timor ancestors that have incarnated in the form of crocodiles. This belief has spread all across Timor Island. This island resembles a crocodile that is crawling,” Manehat said.
The Motadikin shore, with its blackish grey sand, has a distinct appeal for tourists. The beach continues to attract the interest of visitors. On every holiday and every afternoon, Motadikin is visited by locals, particularly the youths. They exercise, swim, sing, socialize and practice self-defense there.
Border area
Motadikin is located in the Maubesi Nature Reserve area. Around 4 km east of the Maubesi Nature Reserve there is the Timor Lester boundary line, in Distrik Suai. The country boundary line is marked by the Telus River, a branch of the Benanain River.
A breeze of the wind along with a spray of sea water makes the body feel cool and comfortable. The line of coconut trees along the beach, which is interspersed by mangroves and sea hibiscus, complete the panoramic beauty of the beach. However, in the rainy season the beach looks like it is not well maintained.
The Malaka administration use the beach for various activities, particularly inauguration of officials such as village chief, administration working unit (SKPD) leaders and seminars held by the administration. The use of Motadikin beach started when Malaka was still part of its parent regency of Belu. Malaka became an autonomous region in 2013.
The fishermen that stay at the shore are very friendly. They greet every visitor with the word maun, which means brother or friend. The fishermen sleep in houses on stilts that are around 4 meters above ground level. This is meant to protect them in the case of flood or crocodile attack.
Malaka Regency Tourism Agency field officer Yoseph Aleksander Kali, who stands on guard at the security post at the entrance of the beach, said that the number of visitors of the beach had continued to rise. In 2014, around 500 people came every month and in 2016 the number rose to 2,000 visitors. The most visitors are recorded on Sunday and holidays.
On the 2017 New Year’s Eve, around 10,000 people packed the beach. They started camp fires, played music, cooked food and partied in groups till the morning. In fact, some of them stayed the night on the beach.
“The number of visitors is in accordance to the number of tickets issued. Since 2016, an entrance ticket for the beach and nature reserve was implemented. Rp 2,000 per person for adults and Rp 1,000 per person for children, Rp 5,000 per unit for four-wheeled vehicles and Rp 3,000 per unit for motorbikes,” Kali said.
In 2002, the Belu administration built 10 lopos, or 12-square-metercircular-shaped houses with chairs. These houses come complete with toilets. Lopo houses use weeds as their roofs and have no walls. One lopo unit can fit up to 10 people. Unfortunately, the houses have not been maintained well. The lopos were swept away by the wind and destroyed in 2010.
It is not only the lopos that have not been well maintained, the road access to the beach also needs to be renovated. The distance from Betun to Motadikin beach or the Maubesi Nature Reserve is only 15 km, but takes 50 minutes to reach the beach. The whole length of the road is full of potholes.
Kali said that,going forward, the Malaka Tourism Agency planned to involve locals in maintaining the Maubesi Nature Reserve area, including Motadikin beach. Their job will be to guard the security and the orderliness of the beach, maintain its cleanliness and take care of the trees in the nature reserve area and in the beach resort area.
