Pulau Lengkuas
A white iron lighthouse from 1882 that still lights up every night. It stands alone among house-sized granite boulders. The view from the top is the single most iconic sight in all of Belitung.
If there is one place that represents Belitung more than any other, this is it. As your boat approaches, you can already see the 18-story iron tower from far away. Painted clean white, standing on a tiny island surrounded by giant granite boulders on all sides. This lighthouse was built in 1882, back when the Karimata Strait was the main shipping route for tin from Belitung to the rest of the world. Over 140 years later, its light still rotates every night.
Climb to the top. Twelve floors of slightly creaking iron stairs will take you to one of the best views in Indonesia. From the top, the sea is turquoise in the shallows and deep blue further out. Small granite islands scatter below like the backs of ancient creatures taking a nap. On the east side of the island there is a snorkeling spot with healthy coral reefs. Clownfish, angelfish, parrotfish, they are all here and not afraid of swimmers. Our tip: get here before nine in the morning. The light is still soft, the tour boats have not arrived in numbers, and you get Lengkuas all to yourself.