Translate to :
Few travellers reach the remote outer islands of Riau. Getting there is half the problem. Head to the better serviced islands first, and you can usually organise to island-hop from there.
Singkep is the third-largest island in the archipelago. Huge tin mines once provided most of the island’s jobs, but since their closure much of the population has moved elsewhere and the island has reverted to being a sleepy backwater.
The main town, Dabo, is shaded by lush trees and gardens and clustered around a central park. A large mosque dominates the skyline. The fish and vegetable markets near the harbour are interesting, and Jl Pasar Lamar is a good browsing and shopping area. Batu Bedua, 4km from town, is a lovely white-sand beach fringed with palms.
There is accommodation available at the simple Wisma Gapura Singkep (Jl Perusalaan 41).
You can eat at the markets behind Wisma Sri Indah or try any of the warung on Jl Pasar Lama and Jl Merdeka. Food stalls and warung pop up all over the place at night.
There’s one boat a day to Tanjung Pinang on Bintan (3 hours) and daily ferries to Daik on Pulau Lingga. Boats dock at Singkep’s northern port of Sungai Buluh, from where there are buses to Dabo. Several shops in Dabo act as ticket agencies.
Penuba is a small island wedged between Singkep and Lingga. It’s an idyllic place to do little but swim, walk and read. There are some great beaches near the north-coast village of Tanjung Dua and others near the main settlement, Penuba, on the southeastern coast.
Penuba is a sleepy village centred around the Attaqwa Mosque. Accommodation is available at the house next door - ask around for the caretaker - and you can eat at several warung along Jl Merdeka, the main street.
A daily boat travels to Penuba from Tanjung Pinang (3 hours) on Bintan, or you can charter a boat from Singkep for the half-hour trip.
Pulau Lingga
Not much remains of the glory that was once the royal island of Lingga except a few neglected ruins. Today there are few creature comforts and little in the way of modern development. The island resembles a crown and rises sharply from the shore to form the three jungle-clad peaks of Gunung Daik. The central peak reaches 1163m and is the highest point in the archipelago. Locals maintain that it has never been climbed.
Daik, the main village and arrival point, is hidden 1km up a muddy river. The town it-self is pretty much a single street, with some cargo wharves and about a dozen Chinese shops. It has a certain tropical, seedy charm and a very laid-back atmosphere.
The main site of historical interest is the modest ruin of the palace of Rajah Suleiman, the last rajah of Lingga-Riau. Next to the palace are the foundation stones of a building said to have housed the rajah’s extensive harem. The palace was made of wood and little survives today, though the surrounding jungle hides overgrown bathing pools and squat toilets. The ruins are a two-hour walk from Daik and you’ll need very clear directions or a guide to get you through the maze of overgrown forest paths.
On the outskirts of Daik the Mesjid Sultan Lingga houses the tomb of Rajah Mahmud I, who ruled in the early 19th century. A half-hour walk from town is the Makam Bukit Cenckeh (Cenckeh Hill Cemetery) on a hill overlooking the river. The crumbling graves of Rajah Abdul Rakhman (r 1812-31) and Rajah Muhammed (r 1832-41) are here. The remains of an old fort are nearby.
There is one basic hotel in Daik, near the ferry dock on the main street. There are a few small warung on the main street.
There are daily boats for the two-hour trip from Daik to Dabo on Singkep, and a daily service to Tanjung Pinang (3 hours) on Bintan.
Natuna Islands
These islands are right off the beaten track and difficult to reach. The population of Pulau Natuna Besar is fairly small, although there’s an extensive transmigrasi programme along Sungai Ulu, with settlers from Java growing cash crops such as peanuts and green peas. The islands are noted for fine basket-weave cloth and various kinds of traditional dance. One particularly idiosyncratic local dance is a kind of Thousand & One Arabian Nights saga, incorporating episodes from Riau-Lingga history.
Ask in Tanjung Pinang on Pulau Bintan about infrequent boat services to Natuna.
