The Beach

Pretty much all over the coast of Borneo, the beaches are more like being at a lake - you can't get far away enough from the sedimentation, and Ketapang area is no exception. However, there are still some lovely coastlines, the water's warm and there's plenty of popular fishing locations.

The most popular beach in the area is arguably Tanjung Belandang, about 20-40 min. north of Ketapang on the road to Sukadana. There are some stilt huts on the beach where you can enjoy a coconut, and a more 'developed' area with a (usually dirty) swimming pool and 'flying fox' zipline cable ride. A few times during the year there will be special events on the beach, such as motorcross bike racing or concerts, with as crowded and festive as Ketapang gets. Even on a regular weekend there's sure to be quite a few visitors as this and Pulau Datok are the most social beaches in the area.

Only a few kilometers south of Tanjung Belandang is the growingly popular Air Mata beach, which has some decent mangrove areas making it very popular for birdwatching and nature photography. It's a more relaxed atmosphere, but not completely deserted as on the weekend there will be a few family picnics and young couples.

If you go all the way to Sukadana town, the main beach is Pulau Datok, which has banana boat rides and other activities on the weekend. There's also lots of food vendors, although I can't say I'd recommend any of them.

For a more exclusive atmosphere try Pagar Timun, about 2 hours south of Ketapang town (near Kendawangan town). There are some very impressive villas here, but it is fairly difficult to arrange rental as they are all individually owned.

A few minutes south of the villas you can get a boat to Pulau Sawi, which is an amazing little island of coconut trees. Only a handful of families live here, with no electricity and no shops so bring everything you need. The neighboring island is much larger and uninhabited. Unlike mainland Borneo, the water here is crystal clear, with some rocks but also lots of sand. Ask around for Pak Haji, a round trip day trip (about 40-60 min each way) is around Rp. 300,000. The sea can get quite rough so ask for advice on the best times to leave and come back. You can try to work out an overnight stay on the island, but make sure to bring enough supplies as resources are limited.

There are a few other amazing little gems of untouched hidden beaches, but if we put them up on this blog then there'd be nothing left for you to discover, and what would be the fun in that?