Bangka - Belitung and Riau Islands – Indonesia

On the east coast of Sumatra, there are thousands of large and small islands. Two of the largest is the island of Bangka and Belitung. In the past, both of them are part of South Sumatra Province. However, in 2000, they became the new provinces namely, Bangka-Belitung province.

Other islands which are smaller, formerly part of the province of Riau. And in 2002 became the Province of Riau Islands.

Since the Dutch colonial era, Bangka and Belitung was famous for their mining products, such as granite, quartz, kaolin, bauxite and especially tin, both black and white. And nowadays,  Bangka-Belitung become more popular for their natural beauty, especially  the beaches.

One of the very popular tourist destination is Island of Lengkuas. It is one of hundreds of small islands in the waters of the Island of Belitung. Its main attraction is an old lighthouse which was built by the Dutch Colonial Government in 1882 and is still in use today.

Its beauty beaches are decorated by many unique granite, white sand and clear sea water.

The island is quite clean as uninhabited, except for the lighthouse attendant. And can be visited within 45 minutes boating from Tanjung Binga in Belitung Island. Few tips, prepare enough food and drinks for the trip.

There's more beauty beaches, Beach of Parai Tenggiri and Matras Beach. Both of them are on the Island of Bangka and are favorite tourist destination. Matras Beach is a beautiful beach with fine white sand. While on the Parai Tenggiri Beach, its white sand beach adorned by many large natural granite stone with varying shapes .

Riau Archipelago is blessed with a lot of potential attractions, beautiful beaches and cultural attractions. Consisting of 2048 islands, of which 40% of them have not been named and uninhabited. 95% of its territory (about 251.810,71 km²) is the sea and only 5% of which is land.

The capital is Tanjung Pinang which is located on Bintan Island, the largest island in this archipelago. In the past, this city was the capital of the Sultanate of Malacca and later the Sultanate of Johor. It is currently one of Indonesia's economic development area

With thousands of islands, Riau Islands has a lot of natural beautiful beaches and diving spots, such as  Trikora Beach, on the east side of Bintan Island, about 50 miles south of Tanjung Pinang. Also there is Pasir Panjang, on the north side of Island of Rupat. Natural and beautiful beaches can also be found on Terkulai Island, north-west of Tanjung Pinang and Soreh Island, south-west of Tanjung Pinang, each about 1 hour boating.

One of the beach which is also popular is Nongsa in Batam Island. Here,  a number of resorts and golf courses of international standards are ready for domestic and international travelers. From here, we can also see the night sky with light in Singapore. It’s so romantic..

Batam city is also one of the icons of tourism in the Riau Islands. Lots of tourists, especially from Singapore, come here for a vacation with family. The distance is only 20 km or 20 minutes away by ferry from Singapore, making it a favorite place for a vacation destination. In addition, duty-free shops and a variety of seafood, the main attraction that makes travelers want to go back to Batam.

And if you are history lovers, then you can come to Penyengat Island. The island is small with a size of 2500m x 750m. And tourists can get around the island in just a short walk away. However, although only a small island, the island of Penyengat is a place that has a lot of history.Formerly, this island named Island of Penyengat Inderapura and was the capital of Sultanate of Johor-Riau in 18th century. That is why, you will find many old buildings, which is a relic of the Johor-Riau Sultanate, such as the Great Mosque Sultan Riau, the Sultan and his family cemetery, Sultanate Palace, Fortress and many more. Today, the island of Penyengat is proposed to UNESCO as World Heritage Site.

Indonesia – Beautiful Archipelago Country

Indonesia Archipelago lies between latitudes 11°S and 6°N, and longitudes 95°E and 141°E, in Southeast Asia region, between two continents, Asia and Australia and two oceans, the Pacific and Indian oceans. It is the largest archipelago country in the world with more than 17,508 islands and about 6,000 islands of them are uninhabited. There are 5 major islands, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Papua and also some archipelagos,  such as Riau Archipelago, Bangka-Belitung Islands, Maluku Archipelago and Nusa Tenggara Islands.

Indonesia is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Each island and archipelago in Indonesia has its own charm. The beauty of Indonesia is shown in its beaches and natural forests that have been the main attraction for travelers who want a beautiful atmosphere. The arts and culture is a magnet for the tourists who love the expression of soul. And friendliness of people make tourists feel welcome to enjoy the beauty of Indonesia.

Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia  and the sixth largest island in the world at about 480,847.74 km2. It is an elongated landmass spanning a diagonal northwest-southeast axis with the island chain of Simeulue, Nias and Mentawai bordering the southwestern coast and the islands of Bangka and Belitung at the eastern side.
In Sumatra you can pay a visit to Lake Toba in North Sumatra. This lake is a volcanic crater which erupted 75.000 years ago. The landscape is very beautiful with the island of Samosir in the middle. There are several other lakes in Sumatra such as, Lake Maninjau, Lake Singkarak, Lake Kerinci etc. You can also visit the Lagundri and Sorake on the island of Nias, an island in the western  of Sumatra. Sorake and Lagundri are known for very excellent waves for surfing. In West Sumatra, you can visit the town of Bukit Tinggi. There you will enjoy  a very beautiful valley scenery, Ngarai Sianok. If you like hiking, you can hike Mount Kerinci (3,805 ms) , the second highest mountain in Indonesia. You can also visit Weh Island, the most northwest island in Indonesia, to have a beautiful diving spot.

Java is the smallest island  but the most populous one in Indonesia. Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia,  is in this island. Although It is the center of government, business, finance and trade in Indonesia, there are also many attractions you can find here, especially in the “Old City”. You can also come to Bandung in the mountains of West Java. Bandung is known as the shopping city because there are a lot of shopping places. There are many tourist attractions in Bandung such as Mount Tangkuban Perahu and Kawah Putih (White crater). Formerly, Bandung had earned the nickname Parisj van Java.

 Take your time to visit Yogyakarta, a Sultanate that still stands to this day. You can visit the "Keraton", the palace of Sultan,  and Kota Gede as the center of silver craftsmen. Around Yogyakarta, there are many ancient Budhist and Hindhuis Temple, such as the famous Borobudur and Prambanan Temple. Do not forget to go to Mount Bromo while you are in Malang, East Java. Find a very beautiful sunrise there. And for those who love surfing, try G-Land, Banyuwangi or Panaitan Island, Banten. Beat the waves and enjoy the sunshine.


Kalimantan, formerly known as Borneo. In this island, Indonesia shares the land with other countries, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, at the north part.
For adventurers, Kalimantan will became a great experience. There are still a lot of dense forest. Although there already are quite a lot of highway, but the use of water transport is still very closely in daily life. No wonder, because in this island there are a lot of large rivers. On this island, you can visit the Orang Utan rehabilitation center in Tanjung Puting, where they will be trained to become wild again. You can also visit the floating market in Banjarmasin. For divers, try to dive in Lake Kakaban in Kakaban Island.  The lake is unique and there are only 2 in the world, while others are on the island of Palau, Micronesia Islands.


Sulawesi, known to the Portuguese as Celebes before, is an island which its shape almost like the letter of “K”. This island has dense forests and lot of them are still virgin. This will be a good choice for you who like adventuring.
When you travel to Sulawesi, do not forget to visit to Tana Toraja which is famous for their cemetery on the cliffs of stone. You will find a very unique customs there. Also visit Bunaken in Manado. Bunaken is one of the best dive sites in the world. Its underwater life is pristine and very beautiful. There are also Togian Islands, Banggai Islands and Wakatobi  Islands for the options for you to dive.

Papua Island, formerly known as Irian Jaya. This is the second largest island in the world after Greenland.
If you are an adventurer, then a visit to the island of Papua will be able to give you an great experience.
A lot of pure wilderness forests and beatiful virgin beaches are waiting for you. There are many wild predatory animals can be found there and also many tribes that still live isolated from the modern world.
If you love climbing, then Puncak Jaya is waiting to be climbed by you. It cannot be easy to climb since it has snowy peak. This snowy peak is unique and only 2 mountains in equatorial that have snowy peak, Puncak Jaya and Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately, the global warming starts to reduce the snow.
And if you like diving, then your place in the Raja Ampat Islands. Waters of Raja Ampat has a wealth of fauna and flora that are truly extraordinary. The researchers said that the waters of Raja Ampat is on the top position in terms of the diversity of marine life.

In the Riau Islands, you can visit the Island of Bintan. Bintan Island is known for its eco-tourism that encompasses exotic beaches, stunning landscape, aquatic life and nature's marvels. Or you Visit Penyengat, a major landmark of the Bintan Island, for its historical monuments and interesting relics of the past. Adjacent to the Riau archipelago, there are islands of Bangka-Belitung. Bangka island and Belitung Island are the two largest islands in this archipelago.
If you've read the novel Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops) by Andrea Hirata, then on the island of Belitung, the story began. In this island you will find a lot of beautiful and unique beaches such as, Matras and Parai Tenggiri Beaches. You can also find Tin Museum of Indonesia that will tell the story of the glory of Bangka and Belitung as a producer of tin in the past.

Maluku is a tropical paradise located in the eastern Indonesia. It consists of many  small and big islands, approximately 353 of them, which spread out surrounding the ocean and not all of the islands are inhabited. However, all of these islands offer magnificent tropical beach. White sand and clear water attract us to do a lot of exciting activities, such as swimming, sunbathing and diving. Well, Maluku is blessed with incredible sea gardens, idyllic, tropical beaches and rugged.
These are the famous ‘spice islands’ which drew Indian, Chinese, Arab and eventually European traders in search of cloves and nutmeg. Portuguese, Dutch and British competed to occupy Maluku Islands. And indigenous peoples struggling against the occupation.
Banda Islands, Halmahera Island, Ternate and Tidore, and also Ambon are a few attraction of Maluku Islands.

Nusa Tenggara Islands, located to the east of Java. Divided into two provinces, West Nusa Tenggara with 2 big islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, and Flores with 3 big islands of Sumba, Flores and Timor. However, there are many small islands in this archipelago.
Terawangan Gili, Gili Meno and Gili Air, Senggigi Beach, Moyo Island and Mount Rinjani National Park are some of attractions of West Nusa Tenggara. While, Mount Kelimutu, Alor Island, Labuan Bajo and Komodo island are become tourism spot in Nusa Tenggara Timur.
You can also enjoy the sensation of a liveaboard in this archipelago.

Bali Island, Indonesia's famous tourist spot and is one of the tourist destination for foreign tourists. The natural beauty, unique culture and beautiful beaches the main attraction of this island. There are many activities to do to spend your holiday on this island.

This is a glimpse of the tourist attractions in Archipelago of Indonesia, I'll tell you more about it. And hopefully could be a reference for you.