Penyengat and Tanjung Pinang

A Tiny Island Seat Of The Riau Lingga Sultanate Where The Malay Language Was Standardised Into What Became Bahasa Indonesia, And Where A Mosque Is Said To Have Been Built With Egg White In The Mortar · Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands

Pulau Penyengat is a small island fifteen minutes by boat from Tanjung Pinang on Bintan, and it matters out of all proportion to its size. IT WAS THE SEAT OF THE RIAU-LINGGA SULTANATE and, more importantly, ITS INTELLECTUAL CENTRE: RAJA ALI HAJI wrote here, producing the Gurindam Dua Belas and - the thing that actually counts - THE FIRST MALAY GRAMMAR AND DICTIONARY. The Riau Malay he codified is the direct ancestor of BAHASA INDONESIA, the language of two hundred and eighty million people, and he is a National Hero for it. THE MASJID RAYA SULTAN RIAU, completed in 1832, is bright yellow and green and is said locally to have been built with EGG WHITE MIXED INTO THE MORTAR, thousands of eggs donated by the people. Royal graves and palace ruins stand in the trees. There are no cars on the island at all - you walk it, or take a motorcycle becak hired by the hour at the jetty, and the whole circuit takes an hour or two.

Pulau Penyengat and Tanjung Pinang, Bintan, Riau Islands, Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands, Indonesia

PENYENGAT IS REACHED BY PUBLIC BOAT FROM TANJUNG PINANG, about fifteen minutes, running frequently through the day from the pier and costing almost nothing; they stop in the evening. THERE ARE NO CARS ON THE ISLAND - you walk, or take a MOTORCYCLE BECAK, which is hired by the hour at the jetty and is how most visitors do the circuit. THE MASJID RAYA SULTAN RIAU IS AN ACTIVE MOSQUE: modest dress is required, robes are lent at the door, and visitors should keep clear at prayer times, particularly on FRIDAY MIDDAY. THE ROYAL GRAVES AND PALACE RUINS are open and free with caretakers to tip. TANJUNG PINANG HAS FERRIES from Batam and, internationally, from SINGAPORE AND JOHOR - which makes this one of the easiest entries into Indonesia.

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