Simply Beatiful

Lying off the coast of Sumatra, Belitung is famous for its tin deposits, not its tourism. But with a major movie being shot on the island and a new hotel with all the amenities under construction in the center of the provincial capital, visitors with a spirit of adventure may find their slice of paradise on its truly gorgeous, unspoiled beaches. Bruce Emond visits the island.

A trip to Java – short, simple, unthreatening – seemed in the offing. Tickets (air for Surakarta, train for Cirebon) were reserved, and it was simply a matter of choosing between the two court cities steeped in tradition and famed for good food.

“But you can go to Java anytime,” a friend chided me. “Try something different.”

It’s hard to step out of one’s comfort zone, to try something new, including when it comes to a hurriedly planned trip. The tried and true, without any unexpected hassles (or exciting surprises) is just easier to deal with. This time though, everything seemed to be pulling me to a small island with a funny name.

Belitung was one of the places my friend mentioned when we discussed different areas of Indonesia. “People don’t go there much,” she said. By chance, just before my vacation began, I sent an SMS to film producer Mira Lesmana about an interview, and she replied she was in Belitung shooting Laskar Pelangi, the screen adaptation of Andrea Hirata’s best-selling book about a group of school friends growing up on the island.

“I’ve heard it is beautiful there,” I said.

“It’s beautiful indeed,” she replied.

I was being nudged in Belitung’s direction, but still there was resistance on my part. I looked into Bangka, the larger island in Bangka-Belitung Archipelago province, which was formed in 2000 after a separation from South Sumatra. Bangka, the world’s second largest producer of tin, is more developed than its cousin, with more hotels and resorts and several airlines serving its capital, Pangkalpinang, rather than the two that venture to Belitung. My 2003 Lonely Planet Guide to Indonesia included a couple of pages on Bangka’s attractions, but Belitung was curiously missing.

The flight to Pangkalpinang was a go, but everything coming back was fully booked. There was, however, a bookable round-trip flight to Tanjungpandan, Belitung’s capital. Enough of excuses: Belitung lay waiting to be discovered.

Friendly People

The descent to Belitung’s airport reveals a pockmarked landscape of white-ringed craters standing out amid clumps of brush and forest. Under brooding late afternoon skies, it is eerie and stark, like the set of a sci-fi movie.

Later, after talking with locals and driving eastward across the island, I learned the craters are pools of water, the legacy of the tin mining operations on the island. For tin built Belitung.

Reminders of the island’s mining heyday are all around. Tanjungpandan is a small, clean town, with wide, well-paved streets and a seafront that bustles with families on the weekend. Most activities are centered around the old harbor and its market, and near the traffic light at the independence monument and the statue of Belitung’s symbol, a machete and a shark, with small shops and sidewalk eateries. Dangdut music blares through the Barata department store and shoppers pick through the goodies at Puncak grocery.

Outside the town, on the drive along smooth asphalted roads to Tanjung Tinggi and to western Belitung, traditional rumah panggung (elevated houses) stand on well-tended plots next to more modern dwellings. Satellite dishes are in nearly every front yard. It’s a simple life for most residents, but there does not seem to be the abject poverty that can be found in some corners of the country.

At the Tanjungpandan museum, occupying an old Chinese mansion on Jl. Melati, intricate models show the process of excavating tin over the ages and the huge dredgers that once crowded the harbor. One of them, dating back to the 1920s but no longer operational, can still be found a short walk from the main harbor.

Mining jobs drew the migrants whose descendants remain on the island today, creating a uniquely diverse population of almost 140,000 people, according to the 2005 census. Once part of the Sriwijaya kingdom, the islands of Bangka and Belitung were home to several traditional Malay sultanates, and were briefly under British colonial rule in the 1800s. Pepper was one of their main products, but the opening up of tin mines in the 19th century drew Chinese workers to the islands.

The Chinese population flourished and formed cooperatives, making up about 40 percent of the population in the 1920s, according to Periplus’ Sumatra Adventure guidebook. Although the Depression prompted many of them to return to China, the ethnic Chinese community remains a sizable and prominent part of Belitung.

Even today, despite reform and the repealing of anti-Chinese regulations of the 1960s, it’s still unusual to find open displays of Chinese culture except during the Lunar New Year or other holidays. In Belitung, they are everywhere, from Tanjungpandan’s downtown Pasar Bawah market with its temple and gateway, to the Chinese cemeteries and temples that suddenly emerge during a drive across the island, including a beautiful temple near Burung Mandi beach in eastern Belitung.

A few minutes’ drive from the temple, the pleasant, thriving community of Manggar is renowned for its coffee shops, where ethnic Chinese men drink and talk at all hours.

Here, being Chinese Indonesian and showing it does not seem to be reason for suspicion or questions about your place in the community. Tellingly, many Chinese Indonesians fled to Bangka and Belitung during the May 1998 riots.

All Together Now

Other groups continue to come today for work. The flight from Jakarta to Tanjungpandan was filled with locals returning home bearing gifts of donuts and other foods of the big city, and workers – identifiable by their “everyman” uniform of work boots, jeans and jacket, and a preference to stick together – from Java employed in the tin mines and, increasingly, the vast palm oil plantations on the island.

There also is a small Bugis fishing community near Tanjung Kelayang, Balinese transmigrants and, of course, people from Palembang and other parts of nearby South Sumatra. With no group forming a clear majority, there is the feeling of equals living in harmony.

“Most people in Belitung are descended from migrants, so we are all the same in that respect,” says Tanjungpandan museum director Wahyu Hidayat, himself the son of Sundanese parents. He has lived on the island most of his life, since his military father was assigned there.

He acknowledges that outsiders may see it as strange that a “non-native” is running the museum devoted to preserving the island’s heritage, but its ethnic diversity is found within the neatly kept institution’s walls. There are Javanese kris, Dutch ceramics and many examples of Chinese culture, from traditional attire to porcelains and furniture, in the museum’s collection.

The blending of cultures, combined with Belitung’s relative prosperity, has created some of the friendliest and most helpful people I have ever encountered in 18 years in Indonesia.

“People in Belitung live well, there is tin, they have enough, so there is no need for hostility,” says Saldoto, also known as Acai, who runs an airport pick-up and transfer service.

We welcome others, he says. He points to the Balinese transmigrant community, and their success in their new home. “Most of them have cars now, the good models,” he adds, without a trace of resentment.

As I say goodbye, he tells me, “When people help you here, it’s not because they want to show off. It’s because they want to do it.”

Smile and They Will Come

Belitung is patiently awaiting its admission into the rarefied club of exclusive tourist destinations. It has the prerequisite star quality to gain entry – breathtakingly gorgeous white-sand beaches and tranquil clear-blue waters – but it is not quite ready for its close-up.

Twelve years ago, Periplus predicted that rapid changes were taking place on the northern shore, with several resorts in the works. It did not happen the way it was supposed to. The desolate facade of a luxury hotel at Tanjung Kelayang is overgrown with weeds; work stopped in mid-construction when the owner, reportedly a member of a prominent political family, became caught up in other matters.

Another resort is situated a few kilometers up the road, near a secluded stretch of beach. Its published rates are equivalent to those of its ilk in Bali and Lombok, except that a dearth of guests has led to a quiet sense of desperation and poor maintenance. Empty mineral water bottles and snack packets lie strewn on the front lawn, the in-room phone does not work and rust has started to form in the off-limits swimming pool (“We’re still waiting for the chemicals to come,” the receptionist says weakly). A flavorless plate of fried rice is all that is available for dinner, despite an extensive published menu.

Now, though, Belitung may come into the spotlight in a big way.

A big new hotel is being built across from the independence monument in Tanjungpandan, with a disco and fitness center among its amenities. Another wing is being added on Pondok Impian, currently the town’s best hotel, located at the beachfront.

Then there is Laskar Pelangi, which is being shot around the island, with the cast and crew making Gantung, author Hirata’s hometown, their base. The Miles Production film, starring Tora Sudiro and Cut Mini, has excited locals and there is anticipation about what lies ahead when it brings Belitung’s beauty to a national audience.

The Belitung Pos runs daily front-page stories about the shoot, including profiles of several local children hired for major roles. But the readers’ SMS forum also included a message complaining that the production was a lost opportunity for the local tourism authority to promote the island.

The woman in charge of bringing Belitung’s attractions to the world is Hotmaria Ida. It’s not an easy task, Belitung’s Tourism Office head admits, because successful tourism is not just about pretty vistas, but having the human resources, infrastructure and funding.

Belitung is not tourist-convenient like Yogyakarta or Bali, with its polished resorts and their smooth-as-clockwork efficiency, and it certainly is not for visitors wishing for major thrills. But Ida is positive about the future, especially with recent developments.

In February 2008, the tourism office, which had been part of the transportation department, was given individual status and moved to new premises on Jl. Sudirman.

It’s a commitment to developing tourism potential, Ida says.

The office has placed advertorials in Jakarta-based magazines, and plans to invite select media for the Belitung leg of the Sail Indonesia event in October. There is so much to offer, she says, from the beaches to diving, especially with many shipwrecks lying off the coast.

She thanks me for my interest in Belitung, and asks me about my experience. I tell her I have been impressed by the natural beauty and especially the people’s friendliness. She nods and smiles.

“I always tell people that a smile is so important in hosting visitors. And it’s one of our greatest assets here. It is what we have to offer.”

During my entire five-day trip, I see a handful of tourists, all around the

Tanjung Tinggi area of the island. On my last day, as we stop to buy the area’s famous terasi (fermented shrimp paste) in town, I meet a Malaysian, Michael, who runs a 14,000-hectare oil palm plantation.

“I tell my boss all the time that we chose the right place to invest,” he says. “It’s peaceful here, the people are kind and don’t make any problems. I couldn’t wish for a better place to work.”

The question I am asked wherever I go is how I like the island. It seems a bit self-conscious at first, but the questioners beam with pride when I tell them how much I like the simple pleasures.

At check-in for my return flight to Jakarta, again, the man behind me asks if I enjoyed my trip. I did, I say. Belitung may not be for everyone, but after years living in Jakarta, it has restored my faith in Indonesia, in the true meaning of this country. And, yes, it’s beautiful indeed.

Getting There

Linas Air and Sriwijaya fly from Jakarta to Tanjungpandan’s HAS Hanandjoedin Airport. The airport is about 30 minutes from town. A shared unmetered taxi (four passengers) is about Rp 40,000 each; if you hire the taxi alone, it runs to Rp 100,000.

Getting Around

With convenient cash-and-credit schemes allowing easy purchase of motorbikes, public transportation now runs on an infrequent schedule in Tanjungpandan. Most places of interest can be reached on foot from major hotels and there are ojek (motorcycle taxis). However, for trips outside of town, including to the beaches of Tanjung Tinggi and Tanjung Kelayang, the best option is to hire a car and driver. Daily rates vary from Rp 200,000 to Rp 350,000, not including gas, for trips to the east and south. Cika Travel, run by Saldoto (tel. 0719-21578), is helpful, and local hotels also have the names of drivers. We also were able to hire a motorcycle on Jl. Patimura for a trip to Tanjung Tinggi for Rp 50,000 for the day. Ask friendly Bono at the Internet kiosk Buana Net at Jl. Patimura 7, up the street from Pondok Impian hotel.

Places to Stay

For postcard-perfect panoramas, Lor-In Resort’s location at Tanjung Tinggi fits the bill. Unfortunately, its facilities need some serious attention; paying almost Rp 800,000 a night for a cottage is not worth it unless you have money to burn. Try instead Hotel Pondok Impian (everybody knows it as “PI”) on Jl. Patimura in town (tel. 0719-22076). It offers friendly service very much in the tradition of regional hotels and clean rooms (Rp 350,000 per night). Another good option is Hotel Martani, once the town’s top accommodation, located in an attractive old home near Chinatown and the market (Jl. Yos Sudarso 17, tel. 0719-21432). Best room in the house is about Rp 200,000 per night.

City Sights and Beyond

The City Museum (Jl. Pemuda) is in better shape than many museums around the country and its collection includes Chinese artifacts, remnants of Belitung’s tin industry and a couple of quirky exhibits, including a 44-year-old stuffed crocodile (he’s big and scary). Not for the fainthearted is the small zoo outside which features examples of the island’s fauna. Renovations are under way for the enclosures, but it’s still a zoo where most people come for entertainment (one of the signs warns visitors against “shooting” the animals, and it doesn’t have anything to do with cameras). Be warned: live chickens and a puppy (!) are the enclosure mates of the crocodiles and slothful snakes. Admission is Rp 1,500.

Pasar Bawah (lower market) is home to an interesting Chinese temple, built in 1868. Leave a donation. Ask for directions to the old dredger a few streets away. At night, there are fruit and food stalls along the street.

Great beaches are to be found at Tanjung Kelayang and Tanjung Tinggi, about 30 kilometers from town. Tanjung Kelayang, with its view of Pulau Burung (Bird Island, so called because its rocky formation resembles a bird’s head) is a great place to sit back at one of the food stalls and relax amid the gentle sea breezes. You can also hire a boat for a trip to some of the nearby islands, including Lengkuas, the site of a lighthouse. For a beach of your own, head up to Tanjung Tinggi’s white sands fringed by huge black boulders. Truly spectacular.

Belitung’s highest point is Mount Tajam (500 meters), on the road to the eastern part of the island. As the burial site of one of the propagators of Islam in Sumatra, it’s a sacred and mysterious place, and our driver said it is better to bring along a religious figure to ensure a safe journey. Chinese temples, tin mines and palm oil plantations are spotted on the drive eastward to a pretty stretch of beach called Burung Mandi. More interesting is the nearby Chinese temple built on a cliff that reportedly draws visitors from throughout Southeast Asia. Its very welcoming keeper, Akun, invites visitors to have their fortune read.

Also of interest in eastern Belitung is Manggar, with its famous coffee shops (black coffee is known simply as “kopi-o”). There is a hillside park nearby with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, as well as another rather sad animal park. (Please don’t feed the monkeys – they’ve already got their share of Beng-Bengs for the day). Continue on to Gantung, a small town made famous by Laskar Pelangi. The bridge into town is next to a tin plant; watch barges being loaded up with their pricy cargo. The drive back to Tanjungpandan passes through Badau, where there is a museum devoted to relicts of a former sultanate.

I didn’t make it down south, but Membalong is said to be home to some of the island’s best beaches, especially at Batu Baginde.

For more information, visit the tourism office at Jl. Sudirman 35. They have a tourism guidebook; ask for Mr. Susanto.

Eats

Naturally, seafood is everywhere in Tanjungpandan. Pandan Laut, next door to PI, has an extensive menu of Indonesian, Chinese and pasta dishes (spaghetti and its own version of macaroni and cheese). Try the local specialty of Gangan, fish head cooked with turmeric and pineapple in a spicy sauce. There also is ikan ayam-ayam, a firm-fleshed fish which tastes like, well, chicken. Very friendly and accommodating staff. In the city center, Happy Bakery (Jl. Veteran) does a roaring trade in donuts, buns and bread. Across the street, next to Barata, is Oila, a small cafe serving meatballs and snacks.

Souvenirs

Fish crackers, macaroon cookies, abon (dessicated fish) and shrimp paste are favorite souvenirs. The shops opposite the Puncak store have crackers and cookies. Also try Toko Sriwijaya across the street; owner A. Kim also sells shrimp paste.

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