Hello Local Guides! What things come to your mind when you hear about Indonesia? Probably the first is Bali Island that has become the most popular tourist destination. But in fact, Indonesia tourism is much more than just Bali. There are more than 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago. Each island has numerous natural and potential attractions. One of them is Belitung Island. It may not be as popular as Bali or Raja Ampat, but Belitung is a tiny paradise island that one should not miss when visiting Indonesia.
Belitung Island is located just about one-hour flight from Jakarta. Once we touched down at H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin Airport in Tanjung Pandan city, we were greeted by the humble atmosphere there. The airport itself was very small, served only two aircrafts at a time. Actually it was the smallest airport I have ever been to. It is one of the smaller but serves as a major domestic airport to enter Belitung. We had a welcome breakfast of Belitung-style noodle. Then we headed to East Belitung.
It took about one-hour drive from Tanjung Pandan to Manggar. We visited Andrea Hirata’s Museum of Words. Andrea Hirata is an Indonesian author best known for Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops) novel and its movie. The novel was based on his childhood experience about the struggle of children in Belitung to get a proper education in the midst of poverty and hopelessness. Known as Indonesia First Literary Museum, every single element in the museum showcased Andrea Hirata’s style of writing, such as poetry and illustration. The museum is all about Andrea Hirata’s journey to accomplish his dreams and dedicate to his hometown. Very inspiring indeed. I’ve learned that simplicity and perseverance could lead someone to do something bigger, not only for himself but for others too.
Belitung seemed to hide its natural beauty until the charm of its magnificent landscape was perfectly framed in Laskar Pelangi movie. The movie has successfully drawn Belitung to the attention of both domestic and international tourists. The next day we went on a private island hopping tour. The boat usually started from Tanjung Kelayang Beach, located in the northwest of the island. The boat took us to Sailing Rock Island. The island was named Sailing Rock because its vertical granite stones sighted like sailing on the sea. The height of the stone was varied from 50 cm to 5 meters high. I was so impressed with the exotic shape and unique formation of those granite stones. We could climb some stones to get the best view of the island.
Another must-visit island in Belitung is Lengkuas Island. The island has an old lighthouse, built by the Dutch colonial government. The lighthouse still stands for hundred years and functions properly. We cleaned up our feet from sands, took off our slippers and stepped barefoot through the stairs to reach 18th floor of the lighthouse. It was worth the pain!
And of course, it would not be complete before visiting Tanjung Tinggi Beach since most of Laskar Pelangi movie scenes were shot around there. The beach was also very beautiful, surrounded by soft white sands, giant granite stones, and turquoise seawater along the coastline. It was such a grateful feeling to be able to enjoy the background scenes of the movie directly. Tanjung Tinggi beach was a perfect place to just relax the mind and body while enjoying the sunset at the same time.
I have made a great memories with nature in Belitung Island. It was such a nice place to spend time away from the hustle bustle of big city.
Hopefully this post helps you in gathering inspiration for travel.
Have you ever visited Indonesia and what do you think? I will be glad to hear your opinions in the comments below 