The Andaman and Nicobar Islands… Well, just the Andaman Islands as you can’t visit the Nicobar Islands.
We’ve renamed this island group, the Land of No islands. No fishing. No visiting the beach after dark. No walking on the beach. No scuba diving. No walking in the forest. No visiting of islands not on the list, of which there were 12. And even some of those you couldn’t go to… No, no, no.
It is easy to see why the Phi Phi Islands are so popular. Sheer cliffs, secluded bays, white sands and clear waters. Ashore there are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops, there’s enough to keep you busy at all hours of the day.
The bay at Pulau Pangkor where we anchored was pretty nice. Wide sandy beach, little island with beach in the middle of it. It would’ve been nice to have found it ten years ago before pollution had started to make its mark on it.
Pangkor Marina is a well run marina and ship yard with reputable tradespeople making it a popular haul out and refit facility for cruisers.
Pangkor CIQP is pretty straight-forward from Pangkor Marina although all the official offices aren’t near the marina. You will need to hire a car or use taxis. The offices are in the neighbouring districts of Manjung and Sitiawan.
If anchored at Tanjung Kelayang, Belitung, you will need to hire a car and driver for the day to clear in or out with Immigration, Customs, Harbour Master, and yes, that silly green book is still required here. Ervan at the jetty will organise for you, he’s the go-to man while you are here.
Karimun Jawa will charm you a little more each day. With several well-protected anchorages, white sandy beaches, reefs and a laid back easy living vibe makes Karimun Jawa a favourite of ours.
Tanjung Kelayang, in the north of Belitung has a bit of a different look to most of Indonesia. The island is quite flat and surrounded with large round boulders. The water is shallow and clear here. The local fishermen have transitioned to tourism and with this the fish stocks are increasing. The jetty is the heart of the area. At the cafe you’ll find indonesian food, beer and friendly folk.
We’ve visited Bawean in both monsoons and have had some of our most memorable experiences here. The northen anchorage is well protected but beware of out of control barges! The outer islands are beautiful and worth the effort.
Gili Gede is a delightful island off the south west coast of Lombok and is the largest of the southern gili islands, or the Secret Gilis as they are known due to been less touristed than the popular Gili T, Air and Meno. However, numerous resorts are now popping up between the five traditional villages on the island offering different eating and drinking establishments.
Moyo Island is a densely forested and sparcely populated island just off the north of Sumbawa and the Moyo Island anchorage is a easy dinghy ride from the small village, resort and the island’s unique attractions.
Its generally not considered “best practice” to change antifoul brands, but sometimes circumstance and availability requires change. We changed from International to Jotun without a problem.
We were never really comfortable with our bruce anchor and now it has been relegated to the reserves bench. My research into anchors lead me two names and a cross Tasman contest, Rockner (NZ) vs Sarca (AUS).
Our house batteries, inverter/controller and solar panel controller had a complete melt down. Why this happened, we don’t know as we weren’t on the boat at the time. End result, we needed to replace the lot while in Darwin.
Home of the fearsome Komodo Dragon and a diver’s paradise, UNESCO listed Komodo National Park offers dramatic scenery above and below the water.
Riung, or “Rastafar-Riung” as we’ve renamed it as the town exudes a Bob Marley vibe evident in the cafes, bemos and dreadlocked locals. A low key town exists supporting some tourism with people coming here to visit the 17 Islands National Park.
Labuan Bajo is the gateway to Komodo National Park and a perfect place to anchor up for a few days. Organise some diving, indulge in the many restaurants and bars and stock up on supplies.
The entry into the harbour of Kalabahi, Alor has been likened to the fjords of NZ. It is truly beautiful but the fish farms and mosques firmly remind you that this is Indonesia.
Saumlaki was our first stop in Indonesia after leaving Darwin in 2018. Two battered crew and a wounded boat were pleased to be there and looking forward to the beginning of another adventure.