Travel Tips

Bengkulu, a small relaxed town, is the provincial capital of the province of the same name, is a port town facing the Indonesia/Indian Ocean. Time zone: WIB (UTC+7). Bengkulu has only an area of 144.52 sq km (55.80 sq. miles) and population 253,456 people about 1,935 people per sq km, 96% are Moslems (2003).

It was formerly the site of a British garrison, which they called Bencoolen. From 1939 – 1942 Bengkulu was a home-in-domestic-exile for the Indonesian nationalist leader Soekarno who later became Indonesia’s first president during the struggles against Dutch colonial rule.
The shores around the town of Bengkulu are scenic and unspoilt. Presently growing as a tourist destination, Bengkulu offers many new sights and experiences.

Bengkulu Province is easily accessible by land, and air transportation. You can catch regular buses from Medan, Padang or Jakarta. There are daily flights from Jakarta only.

Jl. Suprapto and Pasar Minggu are in the modern town center, which is connected to the old town area around Fort Marlborough by the straight Jl. A. Yani. All your dailly needs can be found here.
*Jl. is short for jalan which in English means street or road, sometimes written as jln.

It is a tiny island, that’s why the island is called Tikus which means mouse. The island has a good potential to develop marine tourism. This alluring island is surrounded by coral reefs that teem with various forms of marine life, soft and hard corals, and fish of all colors and sizes. Unpolluted and really clear water is reasonable for astounding diving and snorkeling around pristine coral reefs. For surfing you should walk far out through the reefs. Beware of sea urchins! I’ve seen some small water snakes in some spots of the reefs. But they weren’t aggressive. They won’t attack you if you don’t disturb them.
The island is 40 minutes – 1 hour from Tapak Paderi beach by boat. The island can be seen from the beaches of Bengkulu.

There is no any inn on the island, except some small houses for the light house guards. If you want to stay you can camp free of charge on the island, but you need to ask permission first from the guard of light house and fill in a visitor book. There is no any food stall on the island, so you must also bring your own food and water.

You can only reach the island by chartered fishing boat, which will be quite expensive Rp. 250,000 up to Rp. 350,000 depends on the type of the boat and the way you bargain. You can find boats for rent by asking around the fishermen or the local people at some beaches such as Tapak Pederi beach, Zakat beach, Malabro beach, Pasar Pantai beach (Tapak Paderi beach is recommended, it’s easy to get there by city transport from city center). Fishermen will drop you off on the island, and pick you up in the afternoon (or depends on when you want them to pick you up). Usually the boat crew will naturally expect a tip on the trip to the island, they would be glad to receive a pack of cigarette (Gudang Garam Internasional brand is recommended) as a tip. They will serve you better and more friendly after getting a tip.