Pulau Lengkuas: the island with the 1882 lighthouse

Pulau Lengkuas is the island people point at from Tanjung Kelayang: a low hump of granite and green with a white lighthouse on top, sitting in water so clear you can see the reef from the boat. It takes about twenty minutes to cross in calm weather, and the moment you step off you can walk round the whole island in less time than that.

What you come for is the combination: a working lighthouse from the Dutch period, a small beach of white sand, and coral close enough to the shore that you can snorkel without a boat. It is a day trip, not a place to stay, and it is at its best before eleven in the morning, before the tour boats arrive and the light gets hard.

The lighthouse

The lighthouse was built in 1882, when Belitung was a tin-mining district under Dutch control and the strait was busy with barges and supply ships. It is still in use, painted white, and you can climb it: a spiral of iron stairs, a hot and narrow climb, and a view from the top that takes in the reef, the neighbouring islands and, on a clear day, the coast of Belitung itself.

The tower is the island's only real structure apart from a small keeper's building and a shelter or two. There is no museum, no cafe and no ticket office worth the name; a small fee is collected at the jetty. Climb in the morning if you can, both for the light and because the iron gets hot by midday.

The lighthouse is still a working aid to navigation, which is worth remembering as you climb: this is not a monument but a piece of infrastructure, maintained by people whose job is to keep the light on. Keep your voice down near the lamp room, do not touch the mechanism, and give way to anyone coming down.

Snorkelling and the reef

The reef starts a few metres off the beach and runs along the eastern side of the island. There is hard coral, soft coral, plenty of small reef fish and, if you are lucky, a turtle. Visibility is best in the calm season, when it can reach fifteen metres or more; in the wet season the water is greener and the swell pushes you around.

Bring your own mask and fins if you are serious about it. Gear is available from the boatmen at Tanjung Kelayang, but it is basic and often ill-fitting. The current can be noticeable on the outer edge of the reef, so stay inside the sheltered side unless you are a confident swimmer. Do not stand on the coral, and do not feed the fish.

The day trip

Most people visit on a half-day charter from Tanjung Kelayang, often combined with Kepayang and Batu Berlayar. Boats leave from the beach in the morning and the usual pattern is an hour or two on Lengkuas, a stop at a sandbar, and back by early afternoon. A full-day charter adds the other islands and a longer snorkel.

Agree the price, the stops and the return time before you leave, and pay in cash. There is no jetty worth the name, so you wade ashore or step onto the rocks, which is worth knowing if you have luggage or a bad knee. Take water, shade and something to eat: the island has none of that beyond a couple of stalls in season.

If the sea is up, the boatmen will often suggest Kepayang instead, which is more sheltered. That is not a consolation prize: Kepayang has a small brackish lake, a turtle hatchery and a beach that is quieter than Lengkuas. The lighthouse is the icon, but the day works whichever island you end up on.

When to go and what to bring

April to October is the calm season, when the crossing is smooth and the water clear. Even then, afternoons can be windy, so morning trips are the reliable choice. The island is small and exposed, with little shade, and the combination of sun, salt and iron stairs is more tiring than it looks.

Pack a hat, reef-safe sun cream, water, a dry bag and cash for the entry fee and the boat. There are no toilets beyond a basic one near the jetty, and no shop. If you are prone to seasickness, take something before you leave the beach; the strait is shallow and can be choppy even on a fine day.

• Go in the morning, before the wind and the tour boats.
• Bring your own mask and fins if you plan to snorkel.
• Cash only: entry fee and boat are paid on the beach.
• Little shade on the island; take a hat and water.
• Do not stand on the coral or feed the fish.

Questions people actually ask

Can you climb the lighthouse on Pulau Lengkuas?

Yes, when it is open and a keeper is present. The climb is a narrow spiral of iron stairs and the top is exposed, so it is not for everyone. Go in the morning, wear shoes rather than flip-flops, and expect a small entry fee collected near the jetty.

Is Pulau Lengkuas worth a full day?

Most people are ready to leave after two or three hours, which is why it works best as part of a half-day island-hopping trip with Kepayang and Batu Berlayar. If you snorkel seriously, a full-day charter gives you more time in the water.