As an archipelago, Indonesia has indeed a lot of marine tourism spots. One of which, also the most famous one, is Bali—an island in the middle of the country. Having been known to the rest world for more than one decade made Bali quite packed with tourists, though it also serves various types of destinations aside from sunbathing, snorkeling, and diving spots. Above reason then prompted sea buffs to make a list of “Next Bali” of Indonesia, so that people could experience the beauty of Indonesia’s other beautiful seas. Quoted from the World Nomads site, Belitung Island is on the list. So, here’s what you need to know about the destination:
First widely known due to a local movie
In 2008, the movie Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops)—that was adapted from a novel with same title—was released. It was a movie about the life of 10 school children and their two inspirational teachers to achieve their future despite the struggle of poverty they had. Just like the story in the novel, the movie was taken in Gantong, a village in east Belitung island.
The scenery taken in the movie made Indonesian people knew about its beauty. Most of the filming locations even became tourist spots in the island. A few years later, Belitung keeps welcoming their tourists, both from domestic and international.
Beaches are its most favorite destination
Post The Rainbow Troops era, Belitung island has new tourist spots, such as Museum Kata Andrea Hirata (Museum of Words, Andrea Hirata) and the replica of SD Muhammadiyah Gantong (the students’ school). Yet, as of several years back, the most visited locations beside these two are the beautiful beaches Belitung has. Some of them, that you cannot miss, are Tanjung Kelayang Beach and Tanjung Tinggi Beach, that are located in the eastern side of the island.
The other favorite spot is Lengkuas Island, that can be reached by wooden boat from Tanjung Kelayang Beach. Here you can swim, snorkel, and dive to see various marine life. Though it’s no longer open to public, you can see the tower that the marine people use to guard the sea. The white, high granite rocks popped up from under the sea level are Belitung’s exceptional beauty.
The island can be reached by plane only
If you’re planning to go to Belitung from the country’s capital, the only way to get there is by airplane. Yeah, the small island is located 455 km away from the city and can only be reached by an hour flight. The price for one-way route starts from IDR317000 or $23. It’s so cheap, right? DOn’t worry, you won’t have to experience any of Indonesia’s unusual airports to get here.
So, are you interested to visit this island? Happy travelling! (AP)
