Pahawang Island

Pahawang lies in Lampung Bay a short crossing from the mainland at Ketapang, and it became the standard weekend escape for Jakarta and Lampung after the trans-Sumatra improvements made the drive manageable. It is small, with a village, homestays rather than resorts, and shallow water around it that suits snorkelling directly off the beach - clownfish, a planted coral restoration area, and a shipwreck in shallow water are the usual stops. The signature spot is Pasir Timbul, a sandbar between Pahawang Kecil and the main island that appears at low tide as a strip of dry sand in open water and disappears again as the tide comes in, which is what everybody photographs. Weekends are busy with boat parties; midweek is much quieter.

What you actually see

• A tidal sandbar - Pasir Timbul surfacing at low water between two islands.
• Shallow snorkelling - clownfish, coral restoration plots and a small wreck.
• Village homestays - the accommodation rather than resorts.
• A short crossing - forty-five minutes from the Ketapang jetty.

When to go

April to September; low tide for the sandbar. Two days.

Honest expectations

Weekends bring large boat groups and the sandbar gets crowded. Coral has been damaged by anchors and by visitors standing on it. Facilities are simple; power can be limited.

Nearby

Bandar Lampung is north-east; Kiluan Bay is west along the coast.