Gili Ketapang Island, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia

Gili Ketapang is an Island on the north sea of Probolinggo. It is still pristin, and the scenery is very beautiful. Sand is clean and unpolluted. When the wave is friendly, you can swim and see nice coral.
This island is 5 miles from Ujung Tembaga Port, and it takes 30 minutes by boat. This island is 68 hectares and inhabited by 7680 inhabitants (in 2000), most of inhabitants are Madurese and 90 percent is fishermen.
Interesting place to visit on the island is Goa Kucing (Cat Cave), this cave is regarded as sacred. This was the historical site of Syech Ishaq, whom propagated Islam from Gresik to Banyuwangi. In that period there were thousands of cats and also cat with arab alphabets written on its head. When he left the island the cats disappeared mysteriously. But the peculiar thing is that every Jum’at legi (Friday in Javanese calendar), the miaw of the cat can be heard in the cave, and if we try to find out the sound disappears. Local people meditate there to get blessed, especially on Jumat Legi.
Gili Ketapang derives from local belief that this island ha ssupernatural power. This island was once merged with KEtapang village, but when Mt Semeru erupten, there was an earth quake that part of the village of Ketapang was separated and floated over the sea. Gili Ketapang derives from Madurese, Gili means float and Ketapang is the village name.