Belitung weekend getaway

Belitong 1-3 June 2012

Friday 1^st June,

Last weekend me and a friend had getaway to Belitong Islands in South Sumatera. We departed from Jakarta to Tanjung Pandan (the capital city of Belitong) on Friday afternoon by Sriwijaya Air. there are 3 flight companies have route Jakarta – Tanjung Pandan beside Sriwijaya airlines there are Garuda or Batavia Air. But sriwijaya has 4 flights a day, this is more than other flight for example Batavia air only one flight a day. We booked the latest flight that was at 14.35. the flight was delayed almost 1 hour, because in tanjung pandan was heavy rain so the runway was wet and the vision was not clear enough for landing.

Almost 16.00 finally we boarded, and more less 50 minutes flight, we arrived in Tanjung Pandan airport. The airport is small and the runway is short, that’s why the plane that fly there is not big plane one. The flight was okay, the weather is cloudy. We were picked up by the hotel pick up service and it took around 30 minutes to reach the hotel. We choose the hotel near down town and facing the Tanjung Pendam Beach. From this beach we can see the sunset moment. Well we expected to see it but it was raining so no sun L

The hotel where we stayed, I think 3 star hotel, pretty new and neat it called Gran Hatika Hotel. At that time we got 765K net for 1 deluxe room inclusive breakfast for 2 persons. The staff were so friendly and helpful, the food from its restaurant was good. The only one problem is so many mosquito in the room, I don’t know how or why? The hotel has nice swimming pool too. The hotel like other hotel here also provide package for full board but of course costing too much. As we don’t need full board package we try to arrange the rest by ourselves.

the problem is there is no public transportation in Belitung so you need to rent a car or motor bike. If you go in group of 5 or 6 people you can choose the car rental. The price range around 400K – 500K a day inclusive a driver,  Exclusive gasoline and parking fee. If you a solo traveler or couple and can ride a motorbike you can feel different feeling beside the road in Belitung pretty smooth. For renting a motor bike around 100k-150k a day exclusive gasoline. We decided to rent a motor bike. We were so lucky got contact with a friend that live in Belitung. She arranged the motor rent with very good deal. It is little bit difficult to explore the island if you don’t use guide service or tour agent, cause the infrastructure in Belitong is still developing so not many information or tourist center to help you explore the island. Our tips is get contact or socialize with local people. You can try with hang out in the typically Belitong Coffee shop to get some information from the local that usually spend time in the kind of this coffee shop.

There was not much we did on the first day, as it was heavy and stormy rain in the evening. We met our local friend to take over the motor bike and decided to have dinner together in a restaurant in Tanjung Pendam beach, but raining so heavy and our dinner become a wet one J. After raining stop we went to down town to find Martabak Manis, our friend took us to the best one, and it was. We back to hotel and directly went to bed cause we need to wake up at 7 am next morning to have island hooping.

Saturday 2^nd June,

Today the weather seem sunny this is good cause we are going to do island hooping. After having breakfast in hotel we driving 45 minutes to Tanjung Kelayang beach to rent a boat and do islands hopping. Beside from tanjung kelayang, you can also rent boat and depart to do island hooping from tanjung binga. Thanks again to our friend, we got a boat with good deal 350k and snorkeling gear and life vest cost 45k. first island is Pulau Pasir (Sand Island) small island with white sand. The water was so clear, we can’t help ourselves to jumped into the water and swimming. And of course taking pictures J. Then we moved to Pulau Batu Berlayar (Sailing Rocks Island) as its name, the island composed with bunch of rocks, giant rocks. I think that it is the characteristic of the beach in Belitong islands that the beach composed with rocks. After we hooped to Lengkuas Island. This island pretty big with a light house that we can climb up to the top and see an amazing view of the island from the top of it. Really I can through 305 stairs or compare to 18^th floor to witness the spectacular view from the top. We need to pay a contribution 5k per person to enter and go up the light house.

pulau pasir

pulau lengkuas dari jauh

view from the light house in pulau lengkuas

We spend longer time in Pulau Lengkuas, cause we had our lunch here also like other visitor. For your information, there is no restaurant or place to get food or drink in this island and other island around cause they are empty islands. So you need to bring your own drink and food before depart (you can get them in Tanjung Kelayang Beach) or prepare meals from home.  Again we can’t help ourselves to jumped into the water cause the water is so clear like swimming pool and the sand more white and delicate. Before going to our next destination we stopped in the middle of the sea and did snorkeling. The underwater view in Belitong is pretty enough even not too much varieties of coral or fish, but that was okay tho’. The fourth island we hooped is Pulau Burung (Bird islands) called like that because the rock shape forming like a bird J.  Even the sand not that delicate like in Lengkuas Island one but the water even more clear than others.. the sun is so sunny so jumping to the sea and swimming was the right things to do there J .  the last island is Pulau Babi ( Pig Island ) called like that because in this island were many sea porcupine or urchin. But this island not that special so we decided back to Tanjung Kelayang Beach as the time showed 15.00 in the afternoon.

pulau burung

That island hooping was tiring and make us hungry again, so we had another meals in Tanjung Kelayang Beach restaurant or in bahasa called “warung”. They have menu like grill fish, the famous soup fish and many else. After we driving about 2km to Tanjung Tinggi Beach. The famous beach for shooting location of movie, video clip and TV commercial. But it wasn’t really like our expectation when we saw it on TV. The sand is white with clear water and huge rocks spread along the beach, but around the beach was pretty dirty with garbage. That was a pity. I heard that we can do camping in this beach cause this beach is the best spot to see the sunrise. Its almost 17.00 and we in rush to reach Tanjung Pendam beach to see the sunset. Well we missed the sunset but it was ok.

kelayang beach

Its Saturday night and Tanjung Pendam beach is the center of night life in Belitong. Many café and restaurant that have life music starting around 8pm. I heard from our friend that every Thursday and Saturday night more people hang out there. Too bad we are so tired after the island hooping so we decided to having dinner in the hotel n go to bed earlier as tomorrow we back to Jakarta. Like I wrote before the food from the hotel was delicious, tasty, really. We ordered Seafood fried rice, Seafood Kweu tiaw, fried shrimp, capcay, and drinks. The price also not too expensive as 1 portion could be shared with 2 or even 3 persons. What a perfect dinner with nice company, night to remember..

Sunday 3^rd June

Belitong also famous through the movie “Laskar Pelangi” based on best seller novel by Andre Hirata, he is originally come from Belitong from Belitung Timur exactly. The novel based on his own life story. With a message that even he came from small island with lack of education facilities but he can achieved his dream to got scholar ship to Paris. So don’t be afraid to dream. The success of his novel and the movie makes Belitong known and people wondering to visit and to see the setting and back ground of the novel and the movies. too  bad the village where the writer comes from is 1.5 hour driving from Tanjung Pandan, as we had flight on 16.05 we need to be in the airport a hour before, so the latest we should leave hotel at 14.30 and as it was Sunday, lazy day, we woke up late, so we decided just look around with motor bike and took some interesting pictures of the local people, local’s houses, even we saw wedding ceremony. We tasted the typically Belitong coffee and Mie Belitong (typically noodle) must try, recommended.. 

Today the weather also pretty sunny, we try the coffee from the coffee shop that the hotel staff suggested us. I tried the famous mie Belitung too. We went to swimming pool to refresh ourselves. After giving back the motorbike to our friend we check out hotel and go to airport, and again there was big rain and of course the flight was delayed for an hour because of the weather matter. I would like to come back to Belitong hopefully this time with someone who love me back. The one, the special one…

Facts :

-          Only in Belitung maybe u met the same group in the hotel, in the island hooping and in the airport.

-          When we arrived was raining and when we departed also raining

-          We got seat always in the right side, seat D and E (in the aisle and middle) and the seat F (near window) always empty, from Jakarta or from Belitung. Even the seat was all occupied beside that one.