Eight hand restored Javanese teak Joglos, rebuilt on a quiet island beach a few steps from the sea.
Soft opening May 2027. Introductory rate $165 USD per night, tax included ($195 for our 3 bedroom villa).
Each of our eight beachfront residences is a genuine antique Javanese Joglo, sourced across mainland Java, carefully dismantled, reconditioned and shipped across the Java Sea to be rebuilt entirely by hand on our shores. The eight are Villa Sofia, Villa Adam, Villa Emily, Villa Maximus, Villa Charlie, Villa Marien, Villa Yorke and Villa Scales and the walkthrough below shows Villa Sofia. Every residence carries its own distinct presence and across each home guests sleep beneath decades old carved teak timber frames crafted with traditional joinery, surrounded by uninterrupted ocean views.
Villa Sofia is finished and ready to see. The other seven Joglos are being fitted out now and each will get its own page, with photographs, bed layout and rates, once it’s complete.
Each antique timber Joglo carries its own unique character, hand restored finish and uninterrupted line of sight past your private veranda to the calm lagoon waters. Open the tall timber doors and the sea breeze comes straight through. Ceiling fans and sea breezes keep the air moving through the day, and air conditioning is there for the evenings and overnight.
As you walk off the beach, there is a stone basin for rinsing the sand off your feet before stepping onto your veranda. Thoughtfully designed furniture, including a day bed, has been commissioned with complete relaxation in mind. The veranda is finished off with traditional Javanese carved timber fretwork along the edge.
There is no mains water or electricity on Menjangan Besar, so the island looks after itself. Fresh water comes from rainwater and the island’s own wells. Our generators run around the clock, which keeps the Wi-Fi on, the fridges cold and the showers hot. Air conditioning is available 24 hours, and we ask guests to keep it off during the day to keep our use of non renewable power as low as we can.
We don’t use single use plastic here. Drinking water comes in glass carafes and the outdoor showers are stocked with biodegradable soap. During the day, the sea breeze through the open doors and windows keeps the rooms comfortable.
The lagoon in front of the villas is 300 metres long and very shallow, which makes it ideal for paddleboarding and kayaking. Both are free to use, so you can head out whenever you like. Paddle to the far end and the water gets deeper. That’s where the best swimming and snorkelling are, with spotted eagle rays, green turtles and reef fish over the coral.
Tukiek is named after the green sea turtles that nest on Menjangan Besar. Between March and October, females come up the beach at night to lay their eggs and the hatchlings make their way to the sea at dawn. Dolphins and whale sharks pass through the wider Karimunjawa waters at certain times of year, though sightings aren’t guaranteed.
We grow as much of our own fruit and vegetables as we can on the island. Our kitchen garden gives us sweet papaya, water spinach, kangkung, lemongrass and bird’s eye chillies to name but a few, so breakfast fruit platters, midday salads and evening garnishes follow whatever is ripe.
Dinner is a beach BBQ every evening. The catch of the day comes from local Karimunjawa fishermen and is grilled over coconut husk embers, then served with sambal matah and garden greens as the sun sets over the lagoon. Most nights there’s a fire on the sand and it’s easy to end up sitting around it long after the plates are cleared.
Time at Tukiek gives your head quiet space to breathe. With warm shallow water, a short wooden jetty over the water and nothing pressing on the agenda, it is one of the simplest places in the Karimunjawa archipelago to disconnect and feel like yourself again.
There are no crowds, no traffic and no queues. By your second day you stop checking the time. By your third, you are sitting barefoot out on the timber jetty at sunset with no plan at all, watching the sky turn from blue to gold across the calm Java Sea.
Days move gently. Paddle across the lagoon, swim before breakfast, read beneath the veranda shade and gather around evening coconut coals for fresh grilled fish. Whether you arrive solo, as a couple or with family, Tukiek is an effortless reset.
With no city light for miles, zero streetlamps and only the gentle lanterns of our Joglos along the shore, the night sky over Karimunjawa is intensely dark. On clear nights you can stretch out upon cool sand to take in sweeping star fields and the bright path of the Milky Way.
Evenings unfold without haste. Dinners beside the water naturally give way to small beach fires on the sand where conversation lingers, phones are set aside and stories flow easily under the open sky.
When the moon rises, wander out onto the sand. The coral lagoon stays calm and shallow, inviting you to wade barefoot into warm water while silver light glints across the sea surface. It is a quiet, restorative rhythm that remains with you long after leaving our shores.
The beach, the Joglos, the coral reef and the marine life, in photos.
Sweeping white sand shores framed by coconut palms and calm turquoise waters.
Nesting conservation and newborn sea turtles beginning their ocean journey.
Untracked powder sand and panoramic horizon views across the coral sea.
Thriving deep reef walls layered with purple sea fans and schooling fish.
Fresh young coconuts and seaside refreshments served barefoot along the water.
Unhurried moments shared beside peaceful tropical shallows.
Gliding alongside wild green sea turtles in protected island waters.
Traditional wooden outriggers anchored on deserted sand spits.
Untouched coral plateaus flourishing beneath crystal clear seas.
Breathtaking open ocean encounters with graceful whale sharks.
Tukiek is a small retreat of just eight Joglos on Pulau Menjangan Besar, so the beach and the lagoon never feel crowded. Out here you set your own pace. Days start slowly, the sea is always close and the island stays quiet around you.
Every hand carved teak Joglo possesses its own distinctive character along the water’s edge, including one expansive residence configured with three private bedrooms and a shared central living lounge for families or small groups travelling together.
We nurture our island ecosystem through thoughtful stewardship, cultivating our own fruit and kitchen greens on site, maintaining a strict zero policy on single use plastic water bottles, using gentle botanical bathroom products and celebrating daily dinners centred around local catch of the day fresh from Karimunjawa waters.
Step onto powdery white sands made for sunbathing, wander into the calm shallow lagoon for paddling or venture out into the deeper crystal waters for swimming and coral reef snorkelling.
Independent of mains grids, our quiet generators supply lighting, fans, Wi-Fi, hot water and air conditioning around the clock without breaking the calm stillness of the island.
Completely detached from any mains water, our working water is naturally filtered and gathered from pure tropical rainfall and subterranean island aquifers. Drinking water is imported daily in bulk.
Enjoy the modern convenience of Wi-Fi across the retreat, ensuring you remain connected with the outside world whenever needed, even in the seclusion of a remote island.
Tukiek sits on the southwest shore of Menjangan Besar, a small island in Karimunjawa Marine National Park, around 80 km north of Jepara on Java’s coast. It’s a 10 to 15 minute boat ride from Karimunjawa’s main island and we arrange the crossing for you. The beach faces southwest, so shallow reef flats and white coral sand run out towards the open Java Sea and the evenings end with big, dramatic sunsets over the water.
Arriving at Tukiek is an unhurried, scenic passage across the Java Sea. Our team assists with every connection from your point of arrival.
Fly into Dewadaru Airport (KWB) on Kemujan Island via regional flights from Surabaya (SUB) or Semarang (SRG). From the airport, a scenic 30 minute road journey brings you to the Karimunjawa harbour where our chartered boat awaits.
Fast modern passenger ferries run regularly across the Java Sea directly to Karimunjawa harbour:
Upon docking at Karimunjawa Pelabuhan, our private boat taxi will take you directly across the lagoon to Tukiek’s beachfront within 10 minutes.
Have the whole island to yourselves. Tukiek can be reserved as a whole. All eight Joglos, the beach and the lagoon are yours alone, for a wedding, a family reunion or a gathering of close friends. A private boat brings your group over, and our chef and housekeeping team look after you while you’re here. Minimum stay is 3 nights.
As the sun sets across the retreat, in photos.
Classic island heritage architecture glowing under warm twilight skies.
Handcrafted wooden architecture steps away from the shoreline.
Framed sunset vistas opening across tranquil shores and leaning coconut palms.
Warm beach embers and lantern light under starlit evening skies.
Glow of evening skies illuminating the quiet coastal landscape.
Serene evening reflections and gentle ripples across the protected sea.
The practical details, in plain English, so there are no surprises when you arrive.
We are opening early for founding guests, people who like a quiet island and a barefoot way of life, while our broader facilities are brought to life. Our introductory rates are $165 USD per Joglo per night (sleeps 2 adults) or $195 for Villa Marien, our three bedroom villa (sleeps up to 6 adults). Tax, breakfast and your boat transfers are included.
To reserve a Joglo, or to ask about booking the whole island, message us on WhatsApp.