Banyak Islands

Pulau Banyak means many islands, and there are around ninety of them scattered off the south-west coast of Aceh, most uninhabited, with white sand, shallow reef and a handful of settlements on the larger ones - Balai on Pulau Balai is the administrative centre. Getting there means several hours by boat from Singkil, which is itself a long drive, and that keeps numbers very low. Green and hawksbill turtles nest on several beaches and a small conservation programme monitors them. The reefs suffered from bleaching and from the 2004 and 2005 earthquakes, which lifted parts of the sea floor and killed coral outright, and recovery has been uneven. Accommodation is simple guesthouses and a few small resorts, with limited power and no banks.

What you actually see

• Around ninety islands - most of them uninhabited, with shallow reef between.
• Turtle nesting beaches - green and hawksbill, monitored by a small programme.
• Earthquake-lifted reef - coral killed outright when the sea floor rose in 2004 and 2005.
• Very few visitors - the boat journey keeps numbers down.

When to go

March to September; the sea is rough outside that. Three days.

Honest expectations

Access is a long drive plus hours by boat, and crossings are cancelled in bad weather. There are no banks or ATMs - bring cash. Power is limited. Reef condition is patchy.

Nearby

Singkil is the mainland port; Gunung Leuser National Park is inland.