Anambas Islands

The Anambas are a scatter of over two hundred and thirty islands in the South China Sea, roughly midway between peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, administratively part of Riau Islands province and about as far from Indonesia's tourist infrastructure as anywhere accessible gets. Tarempa on Siantan is the main town, built partly over the water on stilts. What is here is reef, granite boulder coastlines, white sand and clear water, with dive sites including wartime and later wrecks; a CNN listing some years ago called them the best tropical islands in Asia, which brought a brief flurry of attention that has not translated into much development. Access is the constraint - small aircraft to Matak, or long ferries - and there are no international connections, few hotels and limited banking.

What you actually see

• Over two hundred islands - granite and sand scattered across the South China Sea.
• Tarempa on stilts - the main town built partly over the water.
• Reef and wrecks - clear water diving with very few other boats.
• Almost no development - the access difficulty has kept it that way.

When to go

March to October; the north-east monsoon closes it. Four days.

Honest expectations

Getting there is genuinely awkward - small flights or long ferries, both weather-dependent. Accommodation is limited and banking is thin; bring cash. Very little English is spoken.

Nearby

The Natuna Islands are north-east; Tanjung Pinang and Batam are west.