Located off Sumatra’s east coast, Belitung is almost surreal in its perfection. This quiet island is laced with sugar-white beaches, crystalline shallow waters, and surreal granite boulders that rise like sculptures from the sea. Tourist attractions are few, so life here unfolds slowly: wade through sparkling tide pools, snorkel above coral gardens, and settle into a beachfront warung for warm grilled fish topped with fiery Indonesian sambal. About 12 miles inland, shaded trails wind through Bukit Peramun—a low forested hill where tarsiers blink from the treetops and medicinal plants grow wild. Then, head to Tanjung Pandan, the island’s small urban heart, to browse markets brimming with rainbow-dyed kain pelangi and see wooden perahu boats that are still crafted by hand. End the day climbing to the cast-iron lighthouse on Lengkuas Island, a Dutch relic wrapped in vines, for a 360° view of paradise.
