As a maritime country, Indonesia is blessed to have numerous exotic beaches and islands. It's like every corner always has multiple hidden spots which have barely been discovered by humans. From the east to the west, the country actually offers magnificent and absolute beauty on its landscape that make people believe that heaven on earth is real.

People around the world know Bali. However, I should say that Bali is only one of seventeen thousands of islands that are worth to explore.

I am going to share why Belitung is an ultimate destination you have to visit in Indonesia other than the islands of gods, Bali.

After spending my first day in Belitung by visiting its main attractions, my kind of 'real' holiday began on the second day. I am always that type of person who loves to explore exotic beaches. Swimming at the ocean is something that I recently found interesting and relaxing. It's been commonly known that having vacation at the beach or ocean is good for our mental health and stress relief. Every element of the ocean can help us to unwind. From the sensation of our feet that touch the sand, the smell of the ocean, the infinity view of the blue water until the sound of the waves and seagulls.

According to an article by Travel + Leisure, it is stated that our brain processes natural backdrop much better. Hence, by looking at the infinity view of the ocean, our brain can "reduce the sensory stimuli and promotes mental relaxation". Nonetheless, it has also been scientifically proven that recreations at the mountains or other green spaces do not contribute mental health as much as beach vacation does.


We started our day at 8 AM. After having a fantastic breakfast by the beach at our hotel, we met our tour guide at the lobby at 8 AM sharp. About 3 minute drive from our hotel, we stopped by the well-known Tanjung Tinggi Beach. The movie Laskar Pelangi had a scene shot at this beach which then made the beach popular and known as 'Pantai Laskar Pelangi'. We came pretty early and hence, there were not many tourists yet.

The huge rocks were seen scattered all over the beach and the ocean. This actually the characteristic of Belitung landscapes. It's believed that the rocks have been there even before the dinosaurs era. Some said the rocks were actually the meteorites which fell on the earth, and another source told that these all rocks were resulted from submarines volcanoes. Looking at these rocks' sizes made me realise how small we are in this universe. Just like Adam Levine's song Lost Stars lyrics: "who are we? Just a speck of dust within the galaxy."



The tour guide accompanied us to climb to the rock and the view from the top was very beautiful. You could see the clear water with its gradient colours. The sun was shining above and its light went through the water as if it allowed us to peek deeper what the sea had in store.

I was so tempted to spend some more time to swim there but we needed to move on and start the island hopping.

We rented a private boat for the day. A quite big boat just for the four of us: me, my mom, the guide and the boat captain. We visited around six or seven islands which I could not remember all of the names. The journey from one island to another island took about five to ten minutes.

We visited another Belitung's iconic spot, the lighthouse which was build during Dutch colony in 1800s. The white building is still standing tall and seems maintained. I was informed that it used to be opened for public where visitors could go inside the tower but now it has been closed. This tower is located at Lengkuas Island. The island is quite big and you could find several food stalls complete with shady seats for those tourists who could not stand the sun. Just next to the seats, there were a group of graves of the former lighthouse keepers' and family. The graves are fenced off and maintained which makes the area still tourist friendly. Still, on this island, you could take several Insta-worthy shots on the rocks.




Next we visited was Batu Berlayar Island which could only be possible to explore when the tides are low so you could see the sands and go around this small island. The rocks were formed from granites and it is located in the middle of the ocean.

Last but not least, we were brought to have a bit more challenging adventure to find a 'cave' on Tanjung Kelayang Island which is my favourite. We went inside the island through a small forest. There was a gigantic rock in the middle of the island and some of the smaller-sized ones on top of another. I did not expect that we would've had quite a walk and went barefoot. We tried to find the edge of the island through these granite rocks. I, at first, doubted as my tour guide kept asking us to go further and further. "What are we actually looking for?"

It was quite challenging as you have to jump up and down on the rocks to move. I was always at my squad position anticipating slippery rocks. Then, finally, my tour guide said, "Nah, coba berdiri disitu" (Now, try to stand there) for taking photos. I should admit that my tour guide is good at taking photos and angles, very recommended if you love taking photos like I do!

I finally found the uniqueness of this place! The place became even more magical when the sunshine lighted these rocks. Done taking photos with the rocks, we went back to the beach. There are several swings and food stalls. My mom decided to chill on a shady place while I spent time soaking at the sea. The water was just so clear and the wave was gentle. The sun had been up above me which was perfect as it balanced the cold sea water. This feeling was just so perfect and really describes the word 'unwinding' for me.

After about half hour, we went back to Belitung. Because we already had rice box for lunch at Lengkuas Island, we now looked for some snacks while also heading to a gift shop. We tried pempek Belitung (fishcakes). I thought the pempek would be boiled like the ones in Bangka. I was glad to know that in Belitung, they usually fried the fishcake.

At around 4 PM, we decided to call the day and went back to the hotel. I planned to chill down at the hotel pool or beach. However, when I looked down to the pool area from my room balcony, both my mom and I changed our mind. The pool was so crowded and they were having a small event by the beach celebrating the Indonesia's Independence Day. Hence, my mom just straight went to the bathroom, took a shower and chill on bed while I grabbed my i-pod and tuned in my songs at the balcony overlooking the beautiful sea view. After about one and half hours, my mom told me to get ready for dinner at the hotel.



We slept pretty early that day not only because we were tired but also because we needed to catch our early morning flight back home tomorrow.