Bangka–Belitung is one of the last natural frontiers in Indonesia, largely untouched by human hands. As we discovered, not only is this a true tropical paradise, but it’s only a 45-minute flight from Jakarta.
Text by Arvada Haradiran | Photos by Anton Reinhard
Bangka–Belitung province consists of the two main islands of Bangka and Belitung, plus several smaller ones, all floating in the clear blue waters northeast of South Sumatra province. The Bangka Strait separates Sumatra Island and Bangka, and the Gaspar Strait separates Bangka and Belitung. The South China Sea is to the north, the Java Sea is to the south, and Borneo is to the east, across the Karimata Strait.
Bangka-Belitung was formerly part of South Sumatra, but became a separate province in 2000. The islands have long been the centre of the domestic tin mining industry, and are the largest tin producers in Indonesia. The province also relies heavily on tourism for revenue, and visitors come from around the world, drawn by the islands’ famous beaches and sprinkling of small islands across the azure waters. Belitung in particular is known for its spectacular panoramas and powdery white sand as fine as powdered sugar. Some visitors have even gone so far as to say that Belitung is even more beautiful than Indonesia’s most famous tourism island, Bali. The difference, of course, is that Belitung isn’t overrun by tourists and still offers the lure of the undiscovered.
One of the big attractions of Belitung are the natural granite formations that decorate some of the beaches, looking in some instances so artistically placed, it is easy to imagine these massive stones having been placed there by some unseen hand. Huge slabs of granite dot the island’s shore, in some places extending out into the ocean. Some of the stone formations take the shape and appearances of animals, most notably in Tanjung Kelayang, where the stones look like huge Kelayang birds, hence the name of the beach. This particular stone formation, which geologists say originated in the megalithic period, no doubt has been the source of myth and legend through the centuries, most notably for its perpetual orientation towards Mecca.
