Pulau Bawah

The first thing you'll notice when you're on your way to Pulau Bawah in your speedboat is its blissfully secluded location. The picture perfect cluster of tiny castaway islands is actually quite a ride away from Tarempa, a modest town, located on Pulau Siantan and home to a few thousand people.

Typically, Tarempa is one of the more common departure points whence to depart to Pulau Bawah, together perhaps with Pulau Matak and Pulau Jemajah; it all depends on how you entered Anambas. But if you start your speedboat trip from any of these three ports of call, it's about a 2 hour journey to Pulau Bawah.


Paradise home away from home

As you set foot on Pulau Bawah, like most visitors before you lucky enough to be able to experience this breathtaking slice of paradise, you'll invariably be hit with the overwhelming realization that you may actually be finding yourself on the cusp of paradise.

Take the stunning lagoons for example. The sparkling blue hue they radiate is such a deep and stark azure, it's unlike any body of water you've ever seen before.

The plants and trees blanketing the rolling hills meanwhile, are just as intensely coloured. The vegetation on these remote bounty islets is utterly verdant, so verdant in fact, it looks like something out of a glossy golf magazine. Of course Pulau Bawah's hills aren't pampered by a team of greenkeepers at all, they're naturally stunning, the result of countless years of some of the most ideal weather conditions.


Does it get any better than this?

Once your eyes have become accustomed to Pulau Bawah's rich kaleidoscopic of colours, it's time to explore the sheer wealth of coral offered by the lagoons. Lagoons? Yes, Pulau Bawah doesn't just feature one lagoon; by a stroke of geological serendipity, the islands positioning actually created three lagoons, albeit interconnected, though never exceeding about 20 meters in depth.

The gin-clear water harbours a veritable treasure of coral gardens, exotic fish species in endless colours, shapes and sizes, along with bivalves, crustaceans and a range of other invertebrates.

Pulau Bawah is nothing short of a thriving worldly Eden.


Idyllic tranquillity Pulau Bawah-style

Stand up paddling and kayaking are some of the popular activities at Pulau Bawah, as well as swimming and snorkeling of course.

The white sandy beaches also make for a superb backdrop when having an afternoon barbecue. Better still, make it an evening barbecue and enjoy a spot of unreal star gazing whilst relishing the fresh seafood on offer.

Whatever it is you're going to be doing on Pulau Bawah, better cherish the moment - it's a rare one.