The cost of a holiday to Belitong (well, this holiday anyway)

This is not an exhaustive list of prices but it does give an idea of the general costs I incurred in getting there and back.

Taxi to the airport with Express Taxi Group (better than Bluebird I think) Rp 60,000 one way

Flight : Return Jakarta to Tanjung Pandang was Rp 1,150,800 with Batavia air. Swirijaya also fly to Tanjung Pandan. The flight takes aproximately 45 minutes and I was delayed by an hour on the way out. Standard baggage allowance is 20kg. I booked 2 months in advance of my trip but it is possible to find flights for Rp 350,000 each way.

There is an airport departure tax to pay which currently stands at Rp 40,000 per person, one-way.

Hotel : Here it get’s a lot more subjective. You could pay Rp 1 million per night or you could probably couch surf or do homestay. There are more hotels on the island than you can find on the websites but I have no idea why. I think the island is just badly marketed considering how famous it is. (Particularly for the book “Laskar Pelangi”( trans. Rainbow Troops), the amazing rocks that dot the beaches and bays and the pure white, powder-like sand compared to the volcanic, often black, grain sand you find on most islands.

I chose the Harlika Hotel in an executive room at Rp 250,000 for four nights and the Kelayan Beach Cottages in an air-conditioned room at Rp 300,000 per night for 2 nights.
Both places had western style toilets and a shower. The Harlika actually had a bath but I’m not a fan of cold baths, even in a tropical climate.
The Kelayan Cottages had a mosquito net and judging from the water on the bathroom floor this is extremely necessary.
Don’t forget, the cafe next to the Harlika is not suitable for families.

The staff at the Harlika and Pondok Impian II are really friendly. Pondok Impian II is one of the Harlika owner’s other properties where I stayed in 2011. The Pondok Impian II has a selection of rooms available from Rp 250,000 upwards and they also have two cottages at Rp 500,000 per night each which are beautifully appointed.

Staff at Kelayang are a little shy I think.

I hired a motorbike for 6 days at a cost of Rp 50,000 per day and petrol is about Rp 8,000 a litre. A car is available at Rp 250,000 per day.

Food is widely available and you get a variety of prices. You can pay 15,000 for Nasi Goreng/Mie Goreng and the main town has a KFC if you don’t like Indonesian food. I also saw a pasta rerstaurant in Tanjung Pandang. Loads of fish is available. Beers average out to about Rp 30,000 per big bottle (although they are cheaper in one of the shops, tokos, and can be kept in your fridge) and I paid Rp 1,000 for iced tea and Rp 4,000 for hot black coffee.

At Tanjung Tinggi I bought a fresh coconut for Rp 8,000 and Rujak, a fruit salad served with spicy, sweet peanut sauce for Rp 10,000 from a mobile seller.

So, working on an average of Rp 20,000 for lunch and Rp 100,000 for dinner it basically cost Rp 3,890,000 for 6 nights/7 days (about £250)

If you bear in mind that I was on my own and could have halved the room cost that would have brought it down by Rp 800,000 (about £50) I also stayed in mid range accommodation and could have brought that down significantly. Food costs could also be reduced depending on where and what you eat.

Check out the other blog entries on the island for more details and pictures.