Indonesia | Paradise Islands & Stunning Minangkabau Highlands of Sumatra

Описание: During our six weeks on beautiful Sumatra we also discovered the Banyak Islands.
The Banyak Islands are a very remote and incredibly beautiful archipelago 3 to 4 hours by boat off the coast of Sumatra. Getting there is a little adventure itself but sooo worth it. We enjoyed our time on Palau Sikandang to the fullest! Afterwards it was time for us to travel about 570 km southward as we wanted to be in Bukittinggi for the infamous Pacu Jawi bull race. The Minangkabau Highlands around Bukittinggi with gems like Sianok Canyon and Harau Valley are very scenic and well worth a visit even without going to a bull race. But if you happen to be in the region during the right time it's an experience not to be missed. The Pacu Jawi races are held by the Minangkabau people to celebrate the end of the rice harvest and the races take place in various villages (just ask your local guesthouse for the information).

HOW TO GET TO THE BANYAK ISLANDS?
Starting in Singkil you can either take the big public ferry (cheapest and most comfortable option, but not running daily), a public wooden boat (100.000 IDR per person, from harbour Danau Anak Laut outside Singkil) or charter a private speedboat (we heard it costs about +/- 2.5 Mio IDR but never negociated with anybody... travel time is much faster with this option).
The ferry and wooden public boat both go to Pulau Balai. From there you have to take another long tail boat to your accommodation. Usually the guesthouses offer pick up services (prices vary depending on the location of theislandobviously).

We can highly recommend Nina's Bungalows on Pulau Sikandang! If you are locking for a beautiful but simple beach bungalow option (budget travelers) this is for you. The beautiful island is located approx. 1 h from Pulau Balai.

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