ID · Bangka Belitung Islands · 2.83°S 107.92°E
belitung
Giant granite boulders on white beaches, made famous by Laskar Pelangi.
- Best time
- April to October usually has calmer seas for island hopping. The west monsoon, roughly December to February, can bring rough water and cancelled boat trips.
- How long
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Getting there
- Fly KL to Jakarta, about 2 hours, then about an hour's flight to Tanjung Pandan.
belitung
Dear group chat,— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingBelitungID, Bangka Belitung Islands
Photo: Othello95 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Raden Panji Purnomo Kusrachmadi · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Tesatj · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Post of Indonesia · Public domain Photo: Ari Raharjo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.
An island off Sumatra's east coast in the Java Sea, known for white-sand beaches strewn with huge granite boulders and clear, shallow water. It became famous through the novel and film Laskar Pelangi, set in its old tin-mining towns.
Makan
Things to do
- Tanjung Tinggi BeachThe giant boulders and calm bay where Laskar Pelangi was filmed.Map ↗
- Island hopping from Tanjung KelayangBoats visit Batu Berlayar, the Pulau Pasir sandbar and Lengkuas Island.Map ↗
- Lengkuas lighthouseClimb the old Dutch lighthouse on Lengkuas Island for views over the boulders and reefs.Map ↗
- Laskar Pelangi schoolA replica of the film's wooden school in Gantong, East Belitung, near Andrea Hirata's literature museum.Map ↗
- Kaolin LakeA former mine pit with milky turquoise water and white banks.Map ↗
Good to know
- There's little public transport. Hire a car with a driver or rent a scooter.
- Island trips depend on the weather, so keep your plans flexible.
Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.