FIRST
gaining popularity after hitting the big screen in 2008’s award-winning ‘The
Rainbow Troop’, Belitung island in Bangka-Belitung province is recognized for
tis white sandy beaches, Stonehenge-like granite rocks formations and lush
environs.
In the past five years, the island’s
popularity has increased, as it became known as the birthplace of former
Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama.
I had high expectation of Belitung
after seeing thousands of pictures on my Instagram feed. I foolishly assumed
that the island would be similar to Bali or Lombok. Imagine my surprise when I
was greeted by empty asphalt roads and a quiet ambience.
Evry, my local guide-slash-driver,
told me that there was only one department store on the island, illustrating
how different the island was from my imagination.
During my visit, I discovered that
many tourists come to Belitung to see Laskar Pelangi’s shooting locations,
Ahok’s childhood home and for island hoping. After spending three days on the
island, I had to admit that Belitung’s different envirionment was perfect for
the much-needed break I was longing for.
The peaceful morning
I spent the first day exploring East Belitung
regency, which is where Laskar Pelangi was filmed and the Andrea Hirata
Literary Museum and Ahok’s childhood home are located.
The next day, I woke up at 7 a.m. As
I opened the curtain, I was greeted by sunshine and fresh sea breeze coming
through my window. Although, I was staying ner the town center, the BW Suite
Belitung hotel in Tanjung pandan had the luxury of ocean view rooms.
I quickly got myself ready and
headed down to the loby to fin Evry. He suggested we make a quick stop at Kong
Jie Coffee for breakfast.
The coffee shop was packe with
people eating traditional breakfast meals, such as nasi gemok (rice and fried
fish wrapped in simpur leaves) and banana fritters while enoying a cup of java.
Despite being crowded, time seemed to move slower. The cutomers were not in a
hurry. They slowly sipped their coffee while chating with friends or playing
with their mobile phones.
The atmosphere was so laid-back and
it was relaxing to experience it, especially for someone who lives in th city
like my self.
I wished I could have spent longer
time enjoying the coffee shop. But I had to move on to Tanjung kelayang Beach
to rent a boat to island hopping.
Away from reality
I spent almost two hours inside the
car. The jorney was smooth, as the asphalt road was empty. Prior to arriving at
our destination, I saw housed that had similar architecture and were surrounded
by huge yards. I rarely sawa people in front of the houses. Some houses had
their doors left wide open ,showing how safe the area was.
Travel tips
1. Paying by credit or debit card could
be considered safer and more convenient than carrying cash.
2. Save time and money; when traveling
out of country, paying by card in local currency can offer a competitive
exchange rate.
3. Make two copiex of important travel
documents, including your passport, in case of emergency.
4. Notify your band card issuer about
your travel plans to help monitor for fraud.
5. Set alerts so you can keep track of
spending on your phone.
6. Data roaming charges can skyrocket
while abroad so set up your cellphone to avoid international dat roaming or
ensure you have an international plan.
7. Keep a list of important contacts in
case your phone is lost or stolen.
8. Check out fun local events such as
festivals and concerts in the city you’re visiting.
As I arrived at Tanjung Kelayang
Beach, I could again smell the fresh air. After paying Rp 400.000 to rent a
boat, I changed my clothes and climbed into the speedboat.
The first five minutes were
heavenly. The warm sea breeze touched my face and the wind blew through my
hair. I could hear the sound of crashing waves while enjoying the sight of the
celar blue sky and crystal-clear water.
“This is Batu Garuda,” said Evy,
waking me from my daydream. He pointed to a giant rock formation and said, “You
can see the shape resembles the Garuda bird.”
“You cannot go on the rocks,” said
Evry, asking me to take a picture from the boat.
I started to recognize the shape and
took some pictures.
We then move to Batu Berlayar
Island. The small island is filled with Stonehenge like rock formations that
are icons of Belitung. Here, I finally saw how popular Belitung has become as a
tourist destination. The ilse was filled with visitors trying to take nice
pictures. It took me a while to find a quiet spot. I got carried away and began
posing like an Instagram influencer.
After feeling satisfied, we went to our next
destination, Lengkuas Island. The island is known for its lighthouse, which was
built in 1882. Visitors can climbup to third level to take in the view of the
turquoise below.
I felt disappointed because I could
not go to the top to see a bird’s eye view of the island. But the good news
was, Evry said, I could go snorkeling off the eastern and western shores of
Lengkuas Island.
“We should buy biscuits,” Evry said,
explaining that we could feed the fish while snorkeling.
Although the corals were not as
colorful as the ones in Komodo Island or Raja Ampat, snorkeling in Belitung was
not a disappointment. Once I entered the water, holding the biscuits, I was
instantly surrounded by fish.
I spent around 20 minutes feeding
the fish and enjoying the underwater scenery. Then I decided it was time to
move on to the next stop.
The boat brought me to Pasir Island.
Although it is called an island, Pasir Island is actually a sandbar that is
onely visible during low tide. If you lucky, you might see large pnkish
starfish. I felt like I was staying in the middle of the ocean.
As I climbed back on the boat, Every
said that our next stop would be special, as it was quieter than Lengkuas and
Batu Layar Islands.
He was not llying. There were only a
few people on Kelayang Island. It was clearly the perfect beach for sunbathing.
It was so peaceful and I felt like I was on a private beach. However,
the weather started getting warmer, so it was time for Gede Kepayang Island comes with changing rooms, a
restaurant and power stations. However, visitors need to pay Rp 20.000 per
person to enjoy the facililities.
The restaurant serves freshly caught
fish grilled with local spices along with free-flow of coffee and tea. As I
enjoyed the udang saus Padang (prawns in spicy sauce), I grabbed my mobile
phone and discovered that I had been busy exploring the islands for around for
hours.
It was the first time I had checked
WhatsApp that day. I felt so happy to be able to escape from my normal routine
for a while [Source : The Jakarta Post magazine |Edittion Jul 2017 | by :
Jessica Valentina]