Anambas Islands

Anambas Islands
Islands and Regency

Anambas Islands seen from far.

Seal

Anambas location in the South China Sea.
Country Indonesia
Province Riau Islands
Capital Terempa
Area
 • Total 637.10 km2 (245.99 sq mi)
Population (2010)
 • Total 37,493
 • Density 59/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone WIB (UTC+7)

Anambas archipelago (Indonesian: Kepulauan Anambas) is a small archipelago of Indonesia, located 150 nautical miles northeast of Batam Island in the South China Sea between the Malaysian mainland to the west and the island of Borneo to the east. Geographically part of the Tudjuh Archipelago, it is administratively a regency within the Riau Islands Province.

The Anambas archipelago contains a large reserve of natural gas that is exported to countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. The island of Matak is the main base for oil exploration.

Other islands are Siantan (Terempa), Mubur, Jemaja and Kiabu (Airabu).

According to CNN, the Anambas Islands are one of Southeast Asia's most spectacular coastal spots, with good snorkelling and diving spots. One of the Anambas islands with good tourism potential in particular is Pulau Bawah . Pulau Bawah, located about 150 nautical miles northeast of Singapore, is actually a cluster of islets that collectively surround three lagoons, each of which suitable for snorkelling, scubadiving and beach activities.

The shipwrecked vessels Seven Skies and Igara attract a variety of indigenous marine life and offer diving opportunities.[1]

Whilst the majority of the population generates their income from fishing and fishing-related industries, tourism has been gaining traction. Hostel and hotel rooms are available in Jemaja and Tarempa, along with some homestay locations.

Get in

The most common way to travel to and from Anambas is by ferry. However, a flight from Bintan to Matak is also available.

By ferry

Two operators offer a ferry service to Anambas. One ferry runs from Tanjung Pinang, Bintan, to Anambas, the other departs from Batam. The Bintan ferry sails at 7.00 am and the Batam ferry departs at 9.00 am. Both ferries stop at Letung first, which is located on Pulau Jemaja, and then make the final hop to Tarempa, Pulau Siantan. Advanced booking is recommended.

The Pelni-owned cruise ship, Bukit Raya, also runs out of Tanjung Pinang. It ferries about 1000 passengers to and from Anambas twice a month. The journey takes up to 20 hours.

By plane

The flight departs from Bintan at 1.00 pm every Monday and Saturday and does a quick turn-around flight about 45 minutes after arrival in Pulau Matak. Flight time is about one hour. Since the aircraft is modest in size, with a capacity of just a few dozen passengers, booking ahead is recommended.

Administration

The Regency is divided into seven districts (kecamatan) - tabulated below with their 2010 Census population:[2]

Name Population
Census 2010[3]
Jemaja 5,621
Jemaja Timur
(East Jemaja) 		2,028
Siantan Selatan
(South Siantan) 		3,177
Siantan 9,920
Siantan Timur
(East Siantan) 		3,290
Siantan Tengah
(Central Siantan) 		2,755
Palmatak 10,620

See also

References

  1. ↑ Macguire, Eoghan (17 April 2012). "Asia's top five tropical island paradises". CNN. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  3. ↑ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Anambas.

Coordinates: 3°6′N 105°40′E / 3.100°N 105.667°E / 3.100; 105.667


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/24/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.