Belitung

Giant granite boulders scattered between white sand and turquoise sea, the filming location of Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops), with island-hopping to Lighthouse Island and Bird Island as the signature trip.

Belitung is one of the main islands of Indonesia's Bangka Belitung Islands Province, lying between Sumatra and Borneo. It is divided into Belitung Regency in the west (capital Tanjung Pandan, home to the airport) and East Belitung Regency (capital Manggar). The island is famous for its coastline of huge, smooth granite boulders and was designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2021. From the 19th century, tin mining drew large numbers of Chinese migrants, and the Chinese community, coffee-shop culture and temples remain distinctive today. The 2008 film Laskar Pelangi made Belitung a household name across Indonesia. The main sights are on the north coast: boulders and sunsets at Tanjung Tinggi and Tanjung Kelayang beaches, boat charters from Kelayang for island-hopping, climbing the lighthouse on Lengkuas Island, and snorkeling around Batu Layar Island and Bird Island; near town are Kaolin Lake and Kong Djie Coffee. A day trip east takes in the Laskar Pelangi replica school in Gantong, the Andrea Hirata Word Museum and the coffee town of Manggar. The best season is the dry season from Apr–Oct, when seas are calm; during the northwest monsoon from Nov–Mar there are occasional rough seas and island-hopping trips may be cancelled. Getting there: flights from Jakarta to Tanjung Pandan take about 1 hour; public transport on the island is scarce, so hire a car with driver or rent a scooter—the north-coast beaches are about 30 km from town. Plan on 3–4 days. Tips: use sun protection when island-hopping and snorkeling, and don't touch coral or starfish; most islanders are Muslim, so dress modestly when visiting villages and mosques.

Top sights

• Tanjung Tinggi Beach – A white-sand bay ringed by giant granite boulders. It was the filming location of the film Laskar Pelangi and is Belitung's most iconic bea…
• Lengkuas Island – A white iron lighthouse built by the Dutch in 1882 stands on a small island. From the top, you can see granite reefs and bright blue water…
• Tanjung Kelayang Beach – The beach where the main island-hopping boats depart. Granite islets in the bay look like bird heads, and the shore has resorts and seafood…
• Batu Berlayar – A granite islet northwest of Tanjung Kelayang, where two boulders about 10 m tall stand side by side like sails. It is a signature sight of…
• Kepayang Island – A popular lunch stop on island-hopping tours, with a sea turtle conservation centre and granite beaches where you can enjoy fresh seafood.
• Laskar Pelangi Replica School – A replica of the dilapidated wooden primary school from the film Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops), and a popular photo spot in Gantong…
• Museum Kata Andrea Hirata – Indonesia's first literary museum, founded by the author of The Rainbow Troops. Its colorful wooden house displays manuscripts, photos and…
• Kampoeng Ahok – The hometown of Basuki Purnama (nicknamed Ahok), the former governor of Jakarta and ethnic Chinese politician. The area around his family h…
• Kaolin Lake – A turquoise lake formed by water collecting in a kaolin mine pit, framed by snow-white kaolin slopes. The scene is almost surreal.
• Tanjung Pandan Town & Kong Djie Coffee – The old quarter of Belitung's capital. Kong Djie Coffee, founded in 1943, still brews coffee in charcoal-heated copper pots and represents…
• Tanjung Pendam Beach – A seaside park beside Tanjung Pandan's city center, where locals gather in the evening to stroll, watch the sunset and eat snacks.
• Museum Tanjung Pandan – A small museum in a former Dutch-era tin company building, showing the history of tin mining, shipwreck porcelain and local folk culture.
• Batu Mentas Tarsier Sanctuary – An ecological reserve in a rainforest stream valley, where you can observe the tarsiers native to Belitung and wade in clear streams.
• Vihara Dewi Kwan Im (Burong Mandi) – A large Guanyin temple on a hillside in East Belitung, overlooking Burong Mandi Beach. It is the most famous Chinese temple on the island.
• Manggar – The capital of East Belitung, known as the “City of a Thousand Coffee Shops”, where Chinese coffeehouses from the tin era line the streets.
• Burung Island – A granite islet just offshore from Tanjung Kelayang Beach, shaped like a bird's beak when seen from the shore. It is the first stop after l…

Where to eat

• Mie Belitung Atep – A long-established noodle shop founded in 1973, serving only Belitung prawn-broth noodles and chicken steamed rice, the…
• Kong Djie Coffee (Siburik Original Shop) – Belitung's oldest coffee shop, founded in 1943, where coffee is brewed over charcoal and locals gather to chat and drin…
• Belitong Timpo Duluk – A home-style Belitung Malay restaurant set in a nostalgic old Malay house, known for turmeric fish soup gangan and the…
• RM Nelayan Seafood – A popular seafood restaurant on the eastern outskirts of Tanjung Pandan, with generous portions and fair prices; try th…

Itineraries

• Belitung Granite Island Hopping & East Coast – Explore Tanjung Pandan Old Town, East Belitung movie locations, and island hop to Lighthouse Island on this short getaw…