Belitung
Tanjung Tinggi
House-sized granite boulders come down to the water and form natural pools. Go at low tide; at high tide the beach almost disappears.
Region 06 / 07
Belitung & Riau
Two island groups on opposite sides of Sumatra: granite boulders and tin towns in Belitung, Malay forts and duty-free ferries in Riau.
7 days
Tanjung Pandan to Bintan
March to October
The shape of the trip
Two easy escapes from the usual route
Belitung sits off the southeast coast of Sumatra, midway between Palembang and Borneo. Its granite coast and shallow turquoise water made it a domestic holiday favourite long before it appeared in films; the interior is tin country, with flooded former mines and pepper farms. The whole island group is a UNESCO Global Geopark.
The Riau Islands are a different proposition: a Malay sultanate's old capital at Penyengat, and Bintan, an hour by ferry from Singapore. They are not close to Belitung. Treat this as two short trips, linked by a flight through Jakarta or Palembang.
Don’t miss
Granite, forts and a ferry ride
Four stops, split between the two groups. The ferry between them is the long leg.
Belitung
East Belitung
Mudong beach
A long, quiet curve on the east coast, with none of the souvenir stalls of the west. The road there passes through pepper and palm plantations.
Riau Islands
Pulau Penyengat
The old capital of the Riau-Lingga sultanate, twenty minutes by boat from Tanjung Pinang. The yellow mosque and the royal tombs are the reason to come.
Bintan
Bintan’s north coast
Resorts, golf and a ferry terminal within an hour of Singapore. Go west to the fishing villages if you want the island without the lobby.
Practical
When to go, how to move
01
When to go
March to October is the drier season, with the calmest water around Belitung. July and August are peak domestic holiday time, so book rooms and scooters ahead. Bintan is busier at weekends year-round because of Singapore; weekdays are quieter and cheaper.
02
Getting there
H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin (TJQ) at Tanjung Pandan takes direct flights from Jakarta. For Riau, fly to Tanjung Pinang (TNJ) or take the ferry from Singapore to Bintan or Batam; the Bintan crossing is about an hour. Belitung and Bintan are connected via Jakarta.
03
Getting around
A scooter is the best way around Belitung if you have a licence; otherwise hire a car with a driver for the day. The roads are quiet and the distances short. On Bintan, resorts run shuttles and the public ferry links the main jetties. Penyengat is reached by local boat from Tanjung Pinang.
A route that works
Seven days, two island groups
01
Tanjung Pandan
Land, pick up a scooter, and eat mie Belitung before the drive west.
02
Tanjung Tinggi
Two nights on the granite coast. One day for the beaches, one for Tanjung Kelayang and the geopark sites.
03
Mudong & Manggar
Cross the island to the east coast, then loop back through the old tin town.
04
Tanjung Pinang
Fly via Jakarta, then take the boat to Penyengat in the afternoon.
05
Bintan
Ferry across, one night on the north coast, and the Singapore ferry in the morning if you are continuing.
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