Lengkuas Island

Pulau Lengkuas is a small island off the north coast of Belitung, one of the granite-boulder islets that give the coast here its character - rounded blocks the size of houses piled in shallow turquoise water - and on it stands a cast-iron lighthouse built by the Dutch in 1882, prefabricated in Europe and assembled on site, around fifty metres and eighteen storeys of internal spiral stair. It still works. Visitors climb it when the keepers allow, which has been intermittent, for the view over the boulder field and the shallows. The island has clear water, a small beach and reef offshore, and it is the standard stop on the island-hopping boat trips from Tanjung Kelayang that also take in Batu Berlayar and the boulders at Tanjung Tinggi.

What you actually see

• An 1882 cast-iron lighthouse - prefabricated in Europe, still working.
• Granite boulders in turquoise water - the coast Belitung is known for.
• An eighteen-storey climb - the internal spiral stair, when it is open.
• Island-hopping stops - the standard boat circuit from Tanjung Kelayang.

When to go

March to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Lighthouse access has been opened and closed repeatedly - do not count on climbing it. Boat trips are per boat and shared. The island is small and gets crowded when several boats land at once.

Nearby

Tanjung Kelayang and Tanjung Tinggi are on Belitung; Tanjung Pandan is the town.