Belitung Island Travel Guide & Things To Do (Indonesia)

by David & Intan

Belitung is a very underrated tropical island in Indonesia with some incredible scenery and nature.

This island is about the same size as Bali, but much less famous, and just like Bali it has a lot of amazing things to see and do. It’s even been recognized as a UNESCO Geopark for its unique landscapes.

We spent two weeks in Belitung and were blown away by some of the picture perfect islands and white sand beaches with granite boulders. It’s a paradise for island hopping.

This travel guide for Belitung will explain how to get there, where to stay, and everything else you need to know before you go!

Where Is Belitung Island?

The Bangka Belitung islands are two islands (‘Bangka’ and ‘Belitung’) located just off the southeast coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Belitung (also known as ‘Belitong’ by the locals) is the smaller island of the two, and it’s surrounded by lots of tiny islands and granite rock formations, making it the perfect place to get in a boat and go island hopping!


 
 

How To Get To Belitung Island

Belitung island can be reached by flying or taking the ferry.

Generally the best way to get there is to fly into the airport at Tanjung Pandan (TJQ).

Non-stop flights are available from Jakarta (CGK) and Pangkalpinang (PGK), with one way prices as low as 750k Rupiah ($45 USD) and a flight time of only 1 hour. If you’re coming from Bali, you’ll need to transit in one of these places on the way to Belitung.

There used to be non-stop international flights from Kuala Lumpur as well, although those were discontinued during Covid and haven’t started up again yet.

You can shop for flights to Tanjung Pandan at Skyscanner.


 
 

How To Get Around Belitung Island

The best way to get around Belitung island is to rent a scooter or hire a private car with driver. You can book either of these with your hotel, or with Billitone Capture (+62 853-1555-5288).

The roads on Belitung island are in great shape, and traffic is surprisingly light. We normally don’t travel by scooter, but when we saw how open the roads were on Belitung we couldn’t help ourselves!

If you need a private airport transfer by car, there are always plenty of taxis available at the airport when you arrive. The Grab and GoJek apps work at the airport as well, and they can be used for short trips in the city.
 

Where To Stay In Belitung

 
 

Beachfront Hotels In Belitung

For beachfront hotels in Belitung, there are a bunch of options in all different budgets:

Sadly, some of the hotels in Belitung have struggled a bit since Covid because the tourist numbers haven’t fully recovered, although the situation seems to be improving lately.

My top choice for a beachfront hotel would be the Sheriton Belitung Resort. It’s a 5-star hotel in a perfect location with a private beach, swimming pool, and buffet breakfast.

They can also help arrange island hopping tours by boat, and other activities like kayaking, fishing, snorkeling, and stand up paddleboarding. Sheraton is located on the northeast side of Belitung, so it’s perfect for island hopping.

Sheraton Resort Beach

Private beach at the © Sheriton Belitung Resort

Sheraton Resort Pool

Swimming pool at the © Sheriton Belitung Resort


 

What To Do In Belitung

• Island Hopping Tour

There are lots of great things to do in Belitung, but by far the best is the island hopping tour in northwest Belitung.

You’ll go by boat and see perfect white sand beaches, turquoise water, rocky granite islands, underwater coral reefs, and even a Dutch lighthouse from the 1800s. The snorkeling is top quality.

You can’t visit Belitung without doing this boat tour! We enjoyed it so much we actually did it several days in a row.

Read More: Belitung Island Hopping

Belitung island in Indonesia

Island hopping in Belitung is a great way to visit deserted beaches and other sights

Drone picture of Batu Berlayar island in Belitung

Drone picture of Batu Berlayar, one of the most photogenic little islands near Belitung.

Lengkuas island lighthouse and palm trees in Belitung

The Dutch lighthouse at Lengkuas island


 

• Leebong Island

Aside from the popular island hopping tours in northwest Belitung, there’s also a nice little island in southwest Belitung that’s owned by the 3-star Leebong Island Resort, which has sea view villas and overwater bungalows.

There are day trips to Pulau Leebong departing from Pegantungan harbor, or you can stay overnight at the resort. Their official website has more info about the day tours. Leebong has a beautiful white sandbar and other things to see.

Book Now: Leebong Island Resort


 

• Tanjung Tinggi Beach

Possibly the most photogenic beach in Bangka Belitung, with perfect blue-green water and giant boulders. It’s a good sunset spot too.

Tanjung Tinggi can be reached with a 30 minute drive from town.

Read More: Tanjung Tinggi Beach

Drone picture of Tanjung Tinggi

Drone pic of the granite rocks at Tanjung Tinggi


 

• Tanjung Pendam Beach

This is the main beach near the town in Belitung, and it’s very popular with young people since it sits right on the edge of Tanjung Pandan city.

Since it’s west facing, Tanjung Pendam Beach is also a great spot to watch the sunset. The floating trees give it a surreal look, and if you’re lucky you’ll even get boats passing by in the distance.

Sunset at Tanjung Pendam Beach

Tanjung Pendam beach

Sunset at Tanjung Pendam Beach

Sunset and floating trees at Tanjung Pendam


 

• Batu Baginda

This was one of my favorite experiences in Bangka Belitung.

Batu Baginda is a short (but moderate) hike that takes you to the top of an absolutely massive boulder, where you have views of the whole southern half of Belitung island on one side, and the Java Sea on the other.

Better yet, if you have a drone, you can take some aerial selfies to see how tiny you look on top of the boulders!

Read More: Batu Baginda Hike

Drone picture of the Batu Baginda giant boulder in Belitung

Drone selfie on the giant boulder at Batu Baginda. See me?

Drone picture of the Batu Baginda giant boulder in Belitung

Another angle showing the size of the boulders


 

• Kaolin Lake

This is a bright turquoise mineral lake that’s still being mined today. It’s a unique landscape that makes for some great photos.

The lake is easy to reach since it’s only a short distance from Tanjung Pandan city.

Drone picture of Kaolin Lake

Drone picture of Kaolin Lake


 

• Balancing Rock

This is a giant balancing granite boulder that’s not too far from Tanjung Tinggi beach, so it’s easy to combine with other sights on the island.

From the road, it’s just a short 10 minute hike to reach the rock (map location here), and at the top you get nice views of the surrounding countryside too.

This boulder is massive and impressive. It’s great for pictures from pretty much any angle!

Balancing Rock

The balancing rock is one of Belitung’s most peculiar sights

Balancing Rock

Another angle of the balancing rock. Balinese woman power.


 

• Peramun Hill

Bukit Peramun is a dense jungle where you can go trekking and see Indonesian wildlife.

It has hills and giant boulders, banyan trees, caves, and tarsier sightings. Tarsiers are the little bug-eyed primates that hop around in the trees at night eating insects.

One of the highlights of this forest is a giant banyan tree called the ‘thousand root tree.’ It’s very photogenic, but it’s hard to find without a local guide. We searched for hours and didn’t find it, so a guide would be very helpful to have.


 
 

• Penyabong Beach

This is a secluded beach in southwest Belitung, about 1.5 hours from Tanjung Pandan.

There is a nearby resort with private villas, or you can combine it with a visit to the Batu Baginda rocks. You can find a Google Map to the beach here.

Penyabong beach has nice white sand and no crowds, but sadly trash has built up here over the years. We picked up some rubbish on our way out. Please keep this place clean.

Pantai Penyabong Beach

Penyabong beach

Drone view of Pantai Penyabong Beach

Drone pic of Penyabong beach


 

• Serdang Beach

This is a nice white sand beach with colorful boats, on the east coast of Belitung island.

It’s a bit harder to reach than some of the others, but you’re rewarded with a wide open beach that has snow white sand and no crowds.

Sadly, there’s a lot of trash at this beach, and it’s also a bit isolated. It requires about 1.5 hours of driving from Tanjung Pandan city.

Bright colored boat at Pantai Serdang Beach

Serdang beach

Bright colored boat at Pantai Serdang Beach

Bright colored boat


 

• Bukit Berahu Beach

This is a small beach with cottages and an old resort at the top of the hill.

It’s near the main road, so you can easily stop here on the way to other sights like Tanjung Tinggi beach.


 
 

Best Restaurants In Belitung

The Belitung restaurant scene is still a work in progress, but here are some good options we found:

  • What’s Up Cafe: Great food and good atmosphere. We ate here almost every day. Portions are a little small, but the prices are fair enough. They have indoor and outdoor seating, A/C, good WiFi, and they accept cash or credit cards for payment.
  • Tarsius Coffee: Nice little cafe across the street from Tanjung Pendam beach. Good place to work, with fast WiFi and lots of power outlets.
  • Happy Resto: A popular bakery and restaurant in Belitung.
  • Koffie Boon: Coffee shop and bakery with lots of nice creations in Tanjung Pandan city.
  • Ayam Goreng Karawaci: Fried chicken takeaway restaurant near Tanjung Pendam beach.
  • The Well Restaurant & Cafe: A high rated Western restaurant on the north side of Tanjung Pandan city. They have barbecued ribs, grilled chicken, milk shakes, and more.
  • KFC: If you’re itching for familiar food, Belitung does have it. Just throwing that out there. We ordered KFC on the GoJek app one evening when we were too tired to eat out.

Drone pic of Batu Berlayar island in Belitung Indonesia


 
 

Other Tips For Belitung

  • Credit Cards: Hit and miss. Some hotels and restaurants in Belitung accept credit cards, but keep cash handy just in case.
  • ATM: There are plenty of ATMs in Tanjung Pandan with good withdrawal limits. Foreign cards work fine in my experience.
  • WiFi: Hotels in Tanjung Pandan generally have decent WiFi. This is quickly improving.
  • Cell Service: Local SIM cards like Telkomsel have good reception in Tanjung Pandan and elsewhere on the island.
  • Apps: Grab and GoJek are both available in Tanjung Pandan. You can use these for short rides or even food delivery to your hotel.
  • Malaria: According to this Lancet study from 2018, malaria has been eliminated in Belitung. That’s great news, but it’s still a good idea to wear mosquito spray to protect from dengue fever.


 
 

Is Belitung Safe?

Yes, Belitung is safe! We spent weeks here traveling all over the island, and I’d say it’s a very safe place.

Indonesia is a low crime country in general, but be sure to wear mosquito spray when out and about, because there’s a risk of dengue fever anywhere in the country.

With that said, we got more than two dozen bites each on our trip and never got sick with anything, so dengue is not exactly rampant here.


 
 

Belitung Private Driver & Motorbike Rental

If you want to explore Belitung in the comfort and safety of a private car with a driver, my recommendation would be Billitone Capture (+62 853-1555-5288).

Their price is 400k Rupiah ($26 USD) for a day tour of driving and sightseeing in Belitung for 1-5 passengers. That's the total price for the whole car + driver + petrol. For longer distance trips, there may be a surcharge.

If you'd rather travel by motorbike, they have that too. Their scooter rentals start at 75k Rupiah (~$5) in Tanjung Pandan city.

Banyan tree roots on a rock

Banyan tree on the rocks at Tanjung Tinggi


 

Best Time To Visit Belitung

The best time to visit Belitung is generally from April to October. This is Indonesia’s dry season, so it’s less rainy, with more sun, smoother seas, and better snorkeling visibility.

We were there in July for two weeks and the weather was mostly great, although there was some rain in the evenings and at night.

Months to avoid are November to January, when there’s a lot more rain. If you have to go in the rainy season, give yourself some extra days as a buffer in case of bad weather.


 
 

Map Of Things To Do In Belitung

Here’s a map of some of the best things to do in Belitung island.

The blue icons on the map are things you can see by driving, and the purple icons are islands to see by boat.

Keep in mind this is far from a complete list, and I’m sure you could find some more interesting sights if you look around.


 

How Long To Stay

You can see the top highlights of Belitung island in 3 or 4 days, although there are plenty of hidden gems to explore if you have extra time.

We spent two weeks in Belitung and still didn’t see everything.
 

Belitung Hotels

 

Our Belitung Video

Last but not least, here’s a 4K Belitung drone video from our trip to get you excited about experiencing everything this island has to offer.

Happy travels!


 

More Indonesia Travel Tips

Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this travel guide for Belitung.

Don’t forget to check out my blog post about island hopping in Belitung as well. It’s definitely one of the best activities to do there!
 

See Also

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10 comments

laura June 19, 2022 - 7:46 pm

Hi , that is a fantastic guide of Belitung , really help us to organize our tour for this summer but unfortunately Kloot is not offering the island hopping, nor driver . could you recomemend us another contacts. Thanks

Reply
David & Intan June 20, 2022 - 7:33 am

Hi Laura, thanks for pointing that out. I just updated the article with new information. For a driver, you can arrange that with Billitone Capture (+62 853-1555-5288). They can do airport pickups or a private driver for a full day of touring. This company has scooter rentals and island hopping boat tours in Belitung too.

Otherwise, your hotel in Belitung should also be able to arrange these things if needed. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions just let me know. Have a great trip to Belitung!

Reply
Kay December 31, 2022 - 9:18 am

Hi, I’m wondering if it’s expensive to spend 2 weeks in Belitung. Is it easy to find accomodations there?

Reply
David & Intan December 31, 2022 - 4:35 pm

Hi Kay! Sure, it’s pretty easy to find accommodation in Belitung. The prices are normally a bit higher than Bali, but still not too expensive. You can browse Belitung hotels here. Most of the accommodation is in Tanjung Pandan town.

Reply
Stanley Huang July 2, 2023 - 4:49 am

Thank you very much for introducing this place. Belitung has special significance for me. My father was born here, and when he was in his twenties, he left Indonesia for China for some reasons. Until his death last year, he never returned to the place where he was born. Therefore, I am curious about Belitung where he lived when he was a child. Perhaps one day I will visit here to fulfill his last wish.

Reply
David & Intan July 2, 2023 - 5:07 am

Thanks for sharing. Yes, a lot of Chinese Indonesian families live in Belitung. It’s a great island. I hope you can visit someday.

Reply
Kirsty miller January 4, 2024 - 1:31 pm

My husband and I have travelled a lot in Indo but I think you’ve beaten us lol
We are planning to go back to Sumatra this summer, but this time with our kids. We always said we would go back to Bukit luwang with kids so it’s time to make true on that!
Then we are deciding between the Banyak islands or Belitung. Which are obviously not close so we would have to choose… If you had to which one would you go for?! Thanks again for all the amazing tips, Indonesia is our favourite country and we have spent over 2 years travelling it’s amazing islands (across 20 years) so share your love of it!

Reply
David & Intan January 4, 2024 - 2:21 pm

Hi Kirsty! Would you be flying into Jakarta first? If so, I think I’d choose Belitung since it’s a lot easier to reach than the Banyak islands.

The Banyaks have a more private and primitive feel, which is fun, but Belitung also has some very nice beaches and there’s more to see and do, while still not being too touristy.

That sounds like a great trip. We loved Bukit Lawang and would love to go back sometime. I’m glad you guys have been able to explore more of Indonesia!

Reply
Komal April 18, 2024 - 4:57 pm

Hello, great article!
I’m not able to find any direct flight from Kuala Lumpur for this. Any idea if this might have changed recently?

Reply
David & Intan April 18, 2024 - 5:07 pm

Thanks Komal! Yeah, sadly they stopped doing the flights from KL during Covid and haven’t started those again yet. I just updated the article. Before Covid, AirAsia was doing 8 flights per week between KL and Belitung. Hopefully they bring that back eventually. For now, the only option is to fly from Jakarta or Bangka, or take the ferry.

Reply

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