Anambas Islands
A Scatter Of Islands In The Open South China Sea, A Long Way From Anywhere In Every Direction, Repeatedly Named Among Asia'S Finest Tropical Islands And Reached By Almost Nobody · Tarempa, Riau Islands
The Anambas sit in the OPEN SOUTH CHINA SEA, roughly equidistant from Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay peninsula and a long way from all three - which is the entire explanation for what they are. WHITE SAND, WATER THAT READS AS THREE DIFFERENT BLUES, granite outcrops and reefs with almost nobody on them; the islands turn up regularly in lists of Asia's finest and the lists change nothing, because GETTING THERE IS A PROBLEM NOBODY HAS SOLVED. Flights into MATAK are limited and the airport exists largely for the offshore oil and gas industry that works these waters; the alternative is a FERRY OF MANY HOURS from Tanjung Pinang or Batam. TAREMPA, the main town, is built partly over the water on stilts. There are a handful of small resorts and homestays and no tourism industry to speak of, which is either the whole point or the reason not to bother - and the lists naming these islands among Asia's best have changed none of it.
Anambas Archipelago, South China Sea, Riau Islands, Tarempa, Riau Islands, Indonesia
THERE IS NO GATE. ACCESS IS THE WHOLE ISSUE: FLIGHTS TO MATAK are limited, weather- dependent and partly tied to the oil and gas industry, while the FERRY FROM TANJUNG PINANG OR BATAM takes many hours and runs on a schedule that changes. BUILD IN SPARE DAYS AT BOTH ENDS. ACCOMMODATION IS A HANDFUL OF SMALL RESORTS AND HOMESTAYS, concentrated around TAREMPA and a few outer islands, and must be booked ahead - there is no walk-in market. INTER-ISLAND BOATS ARE ARRANGED LOCALLY on the day. THE SEA IS ROUGHEST DURING THE NORTH-EAST MONSOON, roughly NOVEMBER TO FEBRUARY, when crossings are disrupted and some places close. Bring cash; banking is minimal and cards are close to useless.