Tanjung Tinggi: the bay of granite boulders

Tanjung Tinggi is a bay on Belitung's north-west coast where the granite that underlies the whole island breaks the surface in boulders the size of buses. The sand is white, the water is shallow and calm, and the rocks give the place a shape that no other beach in Indonesia quite matches. It became famous through Laskar Pelangi, the novel and film about children on the island, and it has been busy ever since.

Busy is relative. There are still days when the only other people on the sand are a family from Tanjung Pandan and a fisherman mending nets. The trick is to come early, or late, or on a weekday outside Indonesian school holidays. The bay is small enough to walk in ten minutes and lovely enough to spend a whole day in, and it pairs naturally with Tanjung Kelayang a short drive away.

The boulders and the bay

The rocks are the attraction and they are genuinely strange: grey-pink granite, smoothed by weather, stacked in ways that look deliberate. Some sit in the water and break the swell, which is what makes the bay so calm. Others stand on the sand, casting shade in the afternoon. Children climb them, couples photograph them at sunset, and everyone eventually sits on one to watch the water.

The beach shelves gently, so you can wade out a long way before the water reaches your waist. That makes it one of the better places on Belitung for families, though there are no lifeguards and no flags. At the southern end the sand narrows and the rocks come down to the waterline; at the northern end there is a small fishing corner where boats are pulled up.

The granite is part of the tin belt that runs through this part of Indonesia, and it is old: hundreds of millions of years of cooling, uplift and erosion have left these rounded forms. The same stone made Belitung rich in tin and, less obviously, made its beaches what they are. The white sand under your feet is mostly ground granite, which is why it squeaks and why it stays cool.

Laskar Pelangi and the village

Andrea Hirata's novel was set in a village on this coast, and the film put Tanjung Tinggi on the map for Indonesian travellers. You will see the connection in the signage, the souvenir stalls and the occasional bus of visitors. It has not ruined the place, but it has changed it: the lanes behind the beach now have homestays, coffee shops and a car park.

The village is still a fishing village. Nets are spread on the sand, boats go out at night with lamps, and the catch comes back at dawn. If you stay a night or two you will see the rhythm change completely between ten in the morning and four in the afternoon. The best meals are the simplest: grilled fish, rice, sambal, and a young coconut from the stall by the rocks.

Swimming, sunsets and the tide

The bay faces north-west, which means the sunsets are the main event. Between five and six the granite turns from grey to copper and the water goes flat and bright. Swimming is best around high tide, when there is more depth over the sand; at low tide you can walk out to the rocks that normally sit in water. There are no currents to speak of inside the bay.

Bring what you need. There are warungs and small shops, but no proper beach club, and the nearest ATM is in Tanjung Pandan. Reef-safe sun cream, a hat and a dry bag are worth packing; the sand is bright and the shade is limited until the rocks start throwing shadows in the late afternoon.

Getting there and staying

Tanjung Tinggi is about thirty minutes from Tanjung Pandan and the airport, on a good road that passes Tanjung Kelayang. Most people visit as a half-day trip, but staying a night is better: the beach empties in the late afternoon and fills again at sunrise with fishermen. Homestays behind the beach are simple and cheap; the resorts are further south, near the town.

The dry season, April to October, is the reliable window. In the wet season the sea can be rough and the beach empties, which some people prefer. Ramadan is quiet during the day and lively after dark; Idul Fitri is the one week to avoid if you want the bay to yourself. Whenever you come, arrive before nine or after four.

• Come before nine or after four to miss the day-trip crowds.
• Swim at high tide for depth over the sand.
• No lifeguards: watch children on the rocks.
• Bring cash from Tanjung Pandan; there is no ATM here.
• Stay a night to see the fishing village at work.

Questions people actually ask

Is Tanjung Tinggi good for swimming?

Yes, especially at high tide. The bay is sheltered by granite outcrops, the shelf is gentle and there are no strong currents inside the bay. There are no lifeguards, so keep an eye on children, particularly around the rocks and at low tide when the shoreline changes.

Can you visit Tanjung Tinggi as a day trip from Tanjung Pandan?

Easily. It is about thirty minutes by car or scooter, and most people combine it with Tanjung Kelayang and the boat trip to Lengkuas in a single day. Staying a night is worthwhile if you want the beach without the day-trippers.