Belitung Land of Laskar Pelangi

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2D1N in Belitung

In the end of 2016 my colleague and I decide to spare our time to Belitung Island. Belitung Island located in Bangka-Belitung Province (this province get this name from two main island which is Bangka and Belitung). Before Laskar Pelangi (book and then film), this island isn't one of favourite tourism destitation in Indonesia, but after Laskar Pelangi, many tourist come to Belitung Island to see the actual place where the Laskar Pelangi took palce.

How to get there and getting around in Belitung

Note: I live in Jakarta, so I will write how to get to Belitung from Jakarta.

The choice of the airline to Belitung quite limited. Citilink and Garuda just have one flight to and back to Jakarta (morning for the flight to Belitung and evening for the flight back to Jakarta). Airline that has many choice is Sriwijaya Air together with NAM Air (two of them are Sriwijaya Group).

For this trip I use Citilink to get to Belitung and NAM Air to get back to Jakarta. And in this trip we get help from Zona Belitung for the tour package (accomodation and transportation).

Tips:

1. If you want to go to Belitung make sure that you choose Tanjung Pandan (H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin Airport that located in Belitung) as your destination not Pangkal Pinang (it's located in Bangka).

2. I get information from out tour guide that the public transportation in Belitung is limited. There is angkot (car that used as public transportation) but just operates in morning and noon (for the sake of student that comute from home to school). There is bus that connect city in Belitung but just from 06.00 to 18.00). So use tour package is a claver choice to explore Belitung.

Expense

Citilink Rp. 821.725

NAM AIR Rp. 972.200

Tour Package Rp. 650.000*

Additional Fee:

Snorkling set Rp. 20.000

Entrance to Museum Kata (plus get booklet Laskar Pelangi) Rp. 50.000

Total 2.443.925 (without Additional Fee)

* Note: This trip is a group trip so, the tour price lower than usual.

Day 1 29 October 2016

To the Belitung Island

We heading to Belitung by Citilink plane that become the first flight from Jakarta(CGK-Soekarno-Hatta Airport) to Belitung. It depart in 5.55 am and arrive in Belitung in 07.00 am.

Tips: Make sure you have spare time when you want to go Soekarno-Hatta Airport, especially in busy hour (morning and afternoon) because the traffic jam is unpredictable. And, this airport just can be reach by land transportation (bus, car, taxi, motorcycle). I usually spare approximately 3 hours (for domestic flight) or 4 hours (for international flight) before the boarding time.

Mie Belitung and Jeruk Kunci Ice

When we finally arrived in Belitung, our friend (Ka Dita) from Zona Belitung was already waiting for us. She escorted us the elf bus and introduce us to Bang Syarif, our tour guide. Bang Syarif brought us to Dinasty Restaurant to enjoy our first meal in Belitung (Mie Belitung and Jeruk Kunci Ice).

Tips: People in Belitung called Abang for man and Kaka for woman.

Mie Belitung taste like Mie Koclok or boiled noodle with really thick seafood sauce. Those who addicted to seafood will like Mie Belitung.  It taste well with Ice Jeruk Kunci (or Hot Jeruk Kunci, depend on your preferences). Jeruk Kunci is kind of orange (orange is jeruk in Indonesia) that originated from Bangka-Belitung.

Tanjung Kelayang, the begining of Hoping Island tour

After the breakfast, we went to hotel (to change our outfit for today activity). We headed to Pantai Tanjung Kelayang where we will begin out Hoping Island (we hoping from one island to another island in the given time). In there we got the life vest and we took the group photo. After that we headed to the fisherman boat. Bang Syarif told that the boat driver is a real fisherman. So if he doesn't accompany group of tourist he goes sailing to get fish. Cool right!

Pulau Kepala Burung Garuda

Our first stop is Pulau Kepala Burung Garuda. This island called Kepala Burung Garuda because the rock in this island look similar to head of the garuda bird (kepala = head, burung = bird, garuda = kind of bird). We didn't exactly landed in this island we just stop near the island and got spare time to take a picture. (I think it's useless to if we landed in the island because we cannot see the bird head form if we stand in the island)

 Pulau Lengkuas

Bang Syarif said that this island get its name from derivative with Indonesian tongue from lighthouse. I don't know it's right or not but this story is cute. This island became famous because there is light house that placed in this island. 

This light house still function well even this being built when Dutch colonize Indonesia. This light house is used to make sure that the big ship didn't crash to the stone that scattered around in this area. The light house is consist of 19th level and you have to climb around 313 stairs (yes it's quite high). But it's worth to do this because scenery from the top level is magnificent.

Tips:

You need to pay Rp. 5.000 if you want to go inside the light house, but this is usually already include in the tour pax.

Just make sure that you have clean toes (especially from sand) and not wet (or wet but the water doesn't drip to floor). You can use the foam that placed in the main entrance of the light house to clean your toes from sand.

Respect other by make sure to take turn when you climb the stairs and down the stairs, especially after 7th level (in each level, the stairs getting narrow).

In each level there are sufficient palce to rest, so just move away from stairs and rest. You can take picture to near the light house window.

Pulau Kepayang

Pulau Kepayang is the only island in this area where we can found the groundwater, so this island is used as place to rest (usually to lunch, rinse, or even shalat).

Tips:

All group will go to this island usually at lunch time, so it would be very crowded. Make sure you keep close to your group to prevent getting away from your group.

The food that being served in mostly seafood (fish, prawn, and squid), so if you have seafood arlergic make sure you tell the tour guide about it.

There are mushola (place for pray) in this island, but the sajadah, sarung and mukena are limited. The sajadah and mukena quite smelly (but it's totally understandable).

Pulau Batu Berlayar

This island called Batu Berlayar because the stone or called batu in Indonesia (really big stone) in this island look like sail in the ship (layar in Indonesia). Near Pulau Batu Berlayar, there are Pulau Pasir (pasir = sand). But this island can only be found when the sea is reflux, so if you are not lucky (like me), you cannot see this island.

Pulau Kelayang

This island is located near Pulau Kepala Burung (it's located next to Pulau Kepala Burung). This actually not part of our tour but because the latest episode of My Trip My Adventure in Trans TV (it's TV program that promote tourism in Indonesia) took place in this island, so we asked the tour guide to let us landed in this island.

Tips: The shooting location is located in inner part of the island, so you have to walk through the forest first. Make sure you wear appropriate shoes or slipper. But if you don't have just don't use any (barefoot).

Snorkeling near Pulau Kelayang

This spot wasn't suppose to be our snorkeling spot, but because rain (yes rain) and snorkeling schedule that being pushed from morning to afternoon, we have to satisfied with this. In this location, you can see many (really many) clown fish (or more popular as Nemo in Finding Nemo film). Clown fish live in sea anemone (than usually it hasn't colorful). The coral reefs in this area are mostly  not colorful too (maybe because it's near shoreline). So I didn't satisfied with this spot (honestly).

Pantai Tanjung Tinggi

After Hoping Island tour we got back to Tanjung Kelayang to rinse and changed our wet clotes. After that we headed to Pantai Tanjung Tinggi (one of the film site of Laskar Pelangi).

Tips:

Prepare Rp. 5.000 to pay the toilet in Tanjung Kelayang.

This is a perfect place to watch sunset, so if you go here near sunset, just stay for a while to enjoy the sunset.

Note: Laskar Pelangi is 2008 Indonesian film adapted from the popular same titled novel by Andrea Hirata (Wikipedia). Andrea Hirata, the writer, wrote the story about 10 kids that attend SD Muhammdiyah Belitung. This story inspired by real story that happen to the writer's childhood. So, the film site, the replica of the school and Museum Kata (private museum that build by the writer) become popular tourist site.

Shopping for Souvenir and Dinner

I won't review this. So, let's skip.

Day 2 30 October 2016 (Laskar Pelangi Tour & Tranfer out)

Kaolin Lake

This lake is not natural lake. It's was formed from the site of the mining kaolin (white clay). You can still see the yield of kaolin across the Kaolin Lake. 

Tips: Watch your feet, especially in the edge of the lake because it's quite crumbly. 

Replica of SD Muhammadiyah

The real SD Muhammadiyah already turn into MI Muhammdiyah and still active as school so the local government build the replica. This is the second replica that being made (the first one is build in good material so it doesn't similar to the school that appear in film). 

In front of this replica, there is 

Note: You need to pay Rp. 3.000 (it's also included in tour pax).

Museum Kata Andrea Hirata

This museum located near across the Andrea Hirata home (you can see the home from in front of the museum). This museum founded in early 2010 by Anrea Hirata and called as first Indonesia’s literary museum. This museum is really unique, even the wall is unique.

Note: You need to pay Rp. 50.000 to enter this museum (it's not  included in tour pax).

Tips: There is a cafe in front of this museum where you can enjoy Belitung Coffee with reasonable price.

Lunch in Manggar

I will skip this too.

Back to Jakarta

We got back to Jakarta by NAM Air at 14:55. The whole two days was amaizing. Belitung is beautiful (everywhere look instagramable). We had a really good time in Belitung.

Note: It's not the last flight to Jakarta, so if you want have more time in Belitung you can choose NAM Air at 16.40)