Giant granite boulders in clear water, a Dutch-era lighthouse on a tiny island and the village behind the novel Laskar Pelangi - Belitung is a calm island for beaches, boat days and local food. Plan it with a map and a free trip planner on WhatsApp.
Tap a number to see the place. Distances are rough driving times from the city centre.
Chosen for first-time and returning visitors. Add the ones you like to your trip - we turn them into a plan.
Smooth granite boulders stand in turquoise shallow water along a white-sand beach. It was a filming location for the movie Laskar Pelangi, so locals also call it the Laskar Pelangi beach.
#02Boat gatewayNorth coast, SijukThe main departure point for island-hopping boats, with a long beach, granite rocks and a calm bay. Many visitors return in the late afternoon to watch the sun go down over the water.
#03LighthouseOff Tanjung KelayangA white steel lighthouse from the Dutch colonial era, built in the 1880s, stands over a small island of pale sand and granite. Climb it for a wide view of the reefs and nearby islets.
Small islets of giant granite rocks on pale sand. At Batu Berlayar you can walk between the boulders, and Burung Island is named after a rock shaped like a bird's head.
A sandbar in the sea that shows only at certain tide levels, with shallow clear water where starfish are often seen. Reefs around the nearby islets offer easy snorkelling.
#06Mining lakeTanjung PandanA former kaolin (white clay) mine that rainwater filled, leaving a pale blue-green lake against white banks. It is a favourite for photos and shows how mining shaped the island.
Belitung's regency museum began with the island's tin-mining company in 1962. Its rooms cover mineral samples, old mining methods, ceramics from shipwrecks and daily life on the island.
Indonesia's first literary museum, in the home village of author Andrea Hirata, celebrates the novel Laskar Pelangi. Its bright rainbow-coloured rooms are inspired by the little school in the story.
Try gangan, a yellow sour-spicy fish soup, mie Belitung with a shrimp-based gravy, grilled fresh seafood and a slow cup of coffee in a traditional warung kopi, especially in Manggar.
Starting points we adjust to your dates, budget and hotel choice. Prices depend on the hotel and season, so we quote them for you.
👥 First visit, couples, families
🏨 3-4 star hotel near Tanjung Pandan or Kelayang
👥 Friends, families, snorkel and story lovers
🏨 3-4 star hotel, with one night in Tanjung Pandan
👥 Honeymoons, couples, slow travellers
🏨 Beach resort on the north coast
Pick the places, your dates and the kind of hotel you like. We reply on WhatsApp with a suggested plan and today's prices - no obligation.
Fly to H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin Airport in Tanjung Pandan; flights from Jakarta take about an hour. Tanjung Kelayang and Tanjung Tinggi are on the north coast, roughly 30-60 minutes by road from town and airport.
The dry season, roughly April to October, is best for boat trips and snorkelling, though wind can make the sea choppy. School holidays (June-July) and weekends are busier. Keep a spare day in case a boat trip is moved for weather.
Belitung is mostly Muslim, with a Chinese-Indonesian community too. Beachwear is fine at the beach, but cover up in towns, mosques and temples. Ask before photographing people, and ask about halal if it matters to you.
Public transport is limited and sights are spread out. A car with driver is the easiest way to combine them; boats for the islands leave from Tanjung Kelayang. Always wear the life jacket on the water.
Opening hours, tickets, access and rules change (for example visitor quotas, volcano or sea conditions and closures) - we check them for your dates. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each picture; map: OpenStreetMap. Last checked 10 October 2026.