Belitong
1-3 June 2012
Friday 1st
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 2nd
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 18th 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 3rd
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.
