Kura Kura Resort

English is spoken by the hotel team, and Italian is spoken too, so you can deal with the practical details without resorting to underwater hand signals. Kura Kura Resort occupies its own tropical island in the Karimunjawa archipelago, with 35 rooms, a direct beach, a pool, a spa and a restaurant on site.

The setting is made for a diving holiday with a slower second act. You can return to air conditioning, a proper meal and a drink by the water, then decide whether the evening calls for a massage, a sunset cocktail or absolutely nothing more ambitious than a chair in the shade. Families are welcome, with larger family villas for groups and children of all ages accepted.

You stay on Karimunjawa, Indonesia, on an island occupied exclusively by the resort and positioned within Karimunjawa National Marine Park. The property sits directly on the seafront, beside a protected lagoon with clear water and a white-sand beach. The cottages with sea views are positioned around 15 metres from the lagoon.

This is an island base rather than a hotel beside a busy resort strip. Batu Lawang Beach, Laendra Sunset Beach, Batu Pengantin Beach and Asari Timo Beach are each about 5 miles away; Bunga Jabe Beach is about 6 miles away. Karimunjawa National Park is around 4 miles away, while Mangroov Tracking is around 7 miles away.

Dewadaru Airport is around 5 miles away, although reaching the resort involves more than covering that distance on a road. You travel from Semarang to Karimunjawa by private flight and then continue by speedboat, with a ferry from Jepara to Karimunjawa also possible.

For two divers, the cottages keep things straightforward: a super-king-size bed, air conditioning, a private bathroom, tea and coffee-making facilities, a minibar and a private entrance. The seaview cottages put the lagoon close to hand, while ground-floor units make life easier if stairs are not your preferred post-dive exercise. A mosquito net, wardrobe, parquet flooring and a clothes-drying rack cover the useful basics without turning the room into a gadget showroom.

Couples who want more space can step up to a Pool Villa, while the Family Pool Villa is the sensible choice for a family or group of up to four, with two super-king-size beds. These are not interchangeable choices: the cottages suit a compact couple's stay, whereas the larger villas give you room to spread out and stay together without negotiating every square metre.

The practical rhythm is good for a diving day. Air conditioning helps you recover from warm, salty hours outside, the minibar gives you something cold without a walk to the bar and the kettle is there when tea is the only acceptable answer. Daily housekeeping, towels, toiletries, a hairdryer and luggage storage are also available.

The Kura Kura Resort Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in an air-conditioned dining room or on an open terrace around the pool. The menu moves between Mediterranean and Indonesian cooking, with local seafood at its centre: lobster, prawns and fish bought directly from fishing boats each morning. You can also ask the chefs to shape dishes around individual preferences, which is more useful than a menu promising everything and delivering very little.

Breakfast is included, and the standard arrangement is half board. Morning choices cover continental, Italian, vegetarian, halal, gluten-free and Asian options, giving you room to keep breakfast familiar or try something more local before the day's activities.

There are three bars, each with a different job. Main Bar sits around the pool, Blue Bar is at the eastern end of the beach for drinks beneath the palms or on double sun loungers facing the sea, and Sunset Lounge occupies the western side for cocktails as the light goes. Your minibar and in-room tea and coffee facilities handle the less ceremonial thirsts.

The main pool is outdoors, with a pool bar, restaurant tables and sun loungers close by. The private beach adds white sand, sun umbrellas, loungers and showers, while the protected lagoon gives you an easy place to swim or snorkel without turning the afternoon into another full expedition. Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling equipment are available for a quieter spell on the water.

For time away from the beach, Kura Kura Spa offers massages, and the outdoor Gym Club faces the lagoon. Yoga and meditation are available, including beach meditation and yoga sessions during the retreats described by the resort. The gym is free, so you can use it seriously or simply visit long enough to justify another breakfast.

The tour desk can arrange outings including Robinson Crusoe Island, cruises around the marine park islands, dolphin-watching trips and the private Krakal Island 24-hour castaway experience. That gives couples something more structured to do between dives, while the pool, spa and beach cover the equally respectable option of staying put.

Arrival needs planning because the resort is on an island. The route is a private flight from Semarang to Karimunjawa followed by a speedboat to the resort; travel by ferry from Jepara to Karimunjawa is another option. An airport transfer service is available through the resort, in the form of the onward island transfer, and the tour desk can help organise local arrangements.

Check-in starts from 14:00 and check-out runs until 12:00. Bring photo identification and a credit card for check-in, and tell the resort your expected arrival time. A 24-hour front desk, wake-up service, daily housekeeping, luggage storage, currency exchange, a safety deposit box and packed lunches are available; laundry can also be arranged.

Children of all ages are welcome. Children aged 12 and over are charged as adults, and cots or extra beds can be requested according to the accommodation selected. The resort accepts Visa, Mastercard and cash in US dollars, euros and Indonesian rupiah. Pets are not allowed.