Banyak Islands Indonesia: Travel Guide For Sumatra

by David & Intan

The Banyak Islands in Indonesia (also known collectively as Pulau Banyak) are a group of paradise islands northwest of Sumatra.

If youโ€™ve ever dreamed of living the Robinson Crusoe lifestyle and having a remote tropical island all to yourself, with a primitive bungalow and crystal clear water as far as the eye can see, this is your chance!

The Banyaks are very budget friendly and they have some of the best white sand beaches in Sumatra. We spent a week at the Palambak Island Resort and it was a bit like heaven on earth.

This travel blog will explain how to get to Banyak Islands, where to stay, and everything else you need to know before you go!

Where Is The Banyak Island Group?

The Banyak Islands are located off the west coast of Aceh Province in North Sumatra, Indonesia.

The population is about 8,000 people as of 2024, but most of these live in the main town on Balai Island.

The rest of the 99 outer islands in Pulau Banyak are mostly uninhabited, with a few basic bungalow accommodations scattered throughout.

Beautiful beach at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia       Island hopping boat at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia

MB Palambak Island Resort Beach in Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia Palambak

Beach scenes near the Palambak Island Resort


 

How To Get To Banyak Islands

 

โ€ข Step 1: The Car Journey To Singkil

Getting to the Banyak Islands in Indonesia takes a bit of time and hassle. Hereโ€™s a complete explanation in two parts.

First of all, the nearest international airport is far away in the city of Medan, on the opposite coast of Sumatra. Medan airport (KNO) gets daily flights from places like Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta starting at $40 USD for a one way ticket. You can shop for flights to Medan at Skyscanner.

The city of Medan is conservative and not very touristy, but itโ€™s safe and there are some hotel options. We stayed at MB Apartments which has a breakfast option, and we also used the Grab and GoJek apps for some convenient food delivery (Pizza Hut and Indonesian food).

Once you arrive in Medan, itโ€™s an 8-10 hour drive to the harbor town of Singkil. The price for this is about 900k Rupiah ($65 USD) per car, and the private driver can be arranged by your hotel in Banyak or you can book a driver online here (surcharges may apply).

(Tip #1: If you want to see something neat on the long drive from Medan to Singkil, check out Lae Mbilulu Waterfall near the halfway point. Itโ€™s a big twin waterfall just 30 minutes from the main road!)

(Tip #2: If you need a place to stay overnight in Singkil, check out MB Camp Singkil. This is a hotel run by the same people as Palambak Island Resort, and right now itโ€™s the only decent accommodation in Singkil. They also own MB Apartments in Medan.)

Pulau Banyak Islands Drone Picture From Sumatra Indonesia

Beach at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia Palambak
 
 
 

โ€ข Step 2: The Boat Journey To Banyak Islands

You can see a map below showing the location of the Banyak island group in the sea west of Sumatra.

Once you reach the port in Singkil, you have three main options to get to the Banyak Islands: wooden boat, ferry, or speedboat. We took the ferry.

Thereโ€™s a public boat called the Kapal Kayu Besar (big wooden boat) that goes to Pulau Banyak daily, or a public ferry that goes twice weekly (Sundays and Wednesdays).

These are the two cheap, slow options and they take 4 hours. Price is 50k Rupiah (~$3) per person.

Map Pulau Banyak Islands Location Sumatra Indonesia

Map showing the location of the Banyak island group in Sumatra, Indonesia (ยฉ Wikimedia)

If you go to the Banyak Islands with the wooden boat or public ferry, they will drop you in Balai Island, a shabby and noisy gateway town that doesnโ€™t really offer anything except supplies.

From Balai, youโ€™ll then need to take a second boat (a small wooden motor boat) to your island of choice where youโ€™ll be staying, such as Tailana or Palambak. This journey takes about 1 hour and costs an extra 200k Rupiah (~$14). The scheduling is very flexible as long as you give a little bit of advance notice.

The third main option from Singkil is to charter a speedboat directly to Pulau Balai or Palambak Island, and this only takes about 1.5 hours total. It costs 1.5 million Rupiah per boat to Balai, or 1.7 million to Palambak.

Basically, a speedboat is the fastest and most flexible way to get to the Banyaks, but itโ€™s also the most expensive. If you share a speedboat with other travelers, you can divide the costs.

Pulau Banyak Islands Drone Picture From Sumatra Indonesia Palambak

Pulau Banyak Islands Drone Picture From Sumatra Indonesia

Indonesiaโ€™s smallest island?


 

Where To Stay In Banyak Islands

Thereโ€™s a growing number of places to stay in Banyak Islands, with basic facilities but amazing scenery. There are also local homestays in the gateway town of Balai Island, but those are shabby and noisy, and donโ€™t have the tropical scenery Pulau Banyak is famous for.

The following is a list of the main accommodations in the Banyak Islands:

  • Palambak Island (MB Palambak Island Resort or The Palambak Dream) โ€“ Best bungalows and also one of the biggest islands in the Banyaks. This is our favorite Banyak island and itโ€™s where we spent most of our time.
  • Tailana Island (Paradise Island Tailana) โ€“ Small island that started with very basic housing, but recently added new and improved beachfront bungalows. Good snorkeling. This is one of the only islands known for not having any mosquitoes.
  • Sikandang Island (Ninaโ€™s Bungalows or The Coral Sikandang) โ€“ Basic bungalows on a medium size island that you can circle in 2-3 hours walking.
  • Panjang Island (Kimo Beach Resort) โ€“ Most developed island, but also the most popular with locals so it can get a bit crowded, especially on weekends.
  • Tambarat Island (Ira Bungalows) โ€“ Basic bungalows on one of the most quiet islands in the Banyaks.
  • Tuangku Island (Banyak Surf Resort) โ€“ A surf camp in the โ€œBay of Plentyโ€ on Pulau Banyakโ€™s biggest island. Go here if youโ€™re a surfer who wants to catch the waves.
Beautiful beach at Palambak Island Resort In Sumatra Palambak

Beachfront at the Palambak Island Resort

Drone picture of Pulau Tailana Island in the Banyak Islands

Drone pic of Tailana Island

White Sand Beach

White sand beaches everywhere


 

Where We Stayed: Palambak Island Resort

We stayed at the Palambak Island Resort for most of our time in the Banyaks. Like the other islands, the facilities here are basic, but the quality and management is a lot better. Everything was perfect for us.

They have the best bungalows in the Banyaks, and the best meals too. The rooms are still basic, but you have a hammock, fan, mirror, and trash can, and a mosquito net that covers the whole room. The shared bathrooms have a cold shower, water bucket, and toilet paper. Electricity is by generator from 5 PM to 10 PM.

Meals were a variety of rice, veggies, chicken, fish, fruit, pancakes and more. Everything was hot and fresh. You can customize your meals yourself, or let them do it for you. Unlimited water refills are included too.

The island of Pulau Palambak Besar is as good as any in the Banyaks, with long white sand beaches that are all yours. Itโ€™s a big island (takes 3+ hours to circle), so youโ€™ll never feel crowded even if other guests are there. The only negative is the lack of good snorkeling, but you can do day trips to other islands for that.

Claudine, the Australian-Indonesian owner of Palambak Island Resort, was very helpful arranging transport for us and answering all of our questions about the Banyak Islands. English is one of her native languages and you can contact her via WhatsApp at โ˜Ž +62 812-608-1916.

Drone picture of Pulau Palambak Besar in the Banyak Islands

Palambak Island from above

White sand beach at Palambak Resort

Perfection

Palambak Island Pier in Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia

The old pier at Palambak Point

Sunset at Palambak Island in Banyak Indonesia

One of the incredible sunsets at Palambak Island Resort


 

Best Things To Do In Pulau Banyak

  • Island Hopping. You can do day tours of the nearby islands in Pulau Banyak with a wooden motorboat and driver. Our boat driver from Palambak cost 800k Rupiah for a full day tour of 5-6 islands, including the lighthouse at Pulau Rangit. This is a great way to see more of the area.
  • Kayaking. The Banyaks are fantastic for kayaking, and you can rent these from Palambak or Tailana. We got a single person kayak for 100k Rupiah ($7) per day, or you can rent a double for 150k. I wouldnโ€™t stray too far from the main islands though.
  • Trekking. Itโ€™s fun to walk the perimeter of your island. Palambak takes 3+ hours to circle, but smaller islands like Tailana can be done in 20 minutes. If you want to do real trekking on hills and jungles, youโ€™ll have to go to Tuangku Island.
  • Snorkeling. The best snorkeling spots seem to be at Pulau Asok, Tailana, and Palambak Kecil, and all of these can be reached near the beaches. Sadly we saw a lot of dead coral in the Banyak Islands, unlike other places in Indonesia.
Drone picture kayaking in the Banyak Islands

The Banyak Islands in Indonesia are great for kayaking

Tropical Palms Palambak

Another morning in paradise

Drone picture kayaking in the Banyak Islands

Crystal clear water


 

More Islands To See

  • Pulau Rangit. A pair of islands near Palambak. The small island (Rangit Kecil) has a lighthouse you can climb to the top, and the big island (Rangit Besar) is still undeveloped.
  • Pulau Asok. A long, thin island shaped like a cotton swab. Itโ€™s uninhabited and has some good snorkeling spots near the south end. Itโ€™s also great for drone pictures.
  • Pulau Bangkaru. One of the most remote islands in the Banyaks, so itโ€™s a bit pricey to visit. Several types of sea turtles come here to lay their eggs on the beach throughout the year.
Drone picture of Pulau Asok in the Banyak Islands

Drone pic of Pulau Asok, which is shaped like a Q-tip.

Drone picture of Pulau Rangit in the Banyak Islands

The lighthouse at Pulau Rangit

Island hopping at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia

A tiny, palm-covered island near Tailana


 

Other Tips For Pulau Banyak

  • ATMs: There is no ATM anywhere in the Banyak Islands. The last ones are in Singkil, so bring enough cash to cover your trip. We paid most of our bills by bank transfer, and some hotels like Palambak Resort also accept Paypal for payment. The only time we used cash was for the island hopping tours and boat transfers.
  • Cell Service: Telkomsel has good 3G/4G reception on many of the islands like Pulau Balai, Palambak, Tailana, and Panjang. We didnโ€™t check the others.
  • Culture: The locals in Pulau Balai and Pulau Panjang are very conservative Muslims, and if you wear anything less than a hijab there you may get unkind looks and comments. My wife was scolded by a man for wearing knee length shorts instead of a full body dress. This was at the beach in Balai. I would spend as little time as possible in Balai and Panjang unless you want to dress very conservatively at all times. Thankfully, what you wear on the other Banyak Islands is not an issue since theyโ€™re mostly private islands.
  • Trash: Thereโ€™s a plastic problem because the locals from Balai throw their trash carelessly into the ocean. We saw them doing this repeatedly, and we also saw piles of trash that washed onto the shore at Pulau Asok. Some of this may be seasonal (rainy season), but the problem is definitely getting worse. Hopefully awareness can be spread to the locals before more damage is caused.
  • Wildlife: Near some of the islands you can see dolphins, whales, sea turtles, manta rays, giant clams, and dugongs (sea cows).

Beach at Pulau Palambak Besar       Sunset at Palambak Island Pier in Sumatra

Tourist on the beach at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia Palambak
 

Safety Tips

  • Malaria: The locals told us there isnโ€™t Malaria in the Banyaks, and I personally wasnโ€™t able to find any confirmed reports of it being there, although that doesnโ€™t necessarily mean it isnโ€™t. According to this Lancet study in 2018, it seems Malaria is generally gone from the Banyaks. We were careful about avoiding bites (used spray in the day time and a sleeping net at night), but we didnโ€™t take prophylactics. Mosquitoes wonโ€™t bite when youโ€™re swimming, of course, but if youโ€™re lounging in a hammock or eating a meal at the dining room then itโ€™s something to watch out for.
  • Crocodiles: Be careful if you swim near Matahari Island or Tuangku Island (Haloban village), especially after dark. Crocodiles have been seen at both of these islands, and a local snorkeler was killed by one at Matahari. The other islands arenโ€™t known to have any crocs. Stay away from swamps and mangroves, and you shouldnโ€™t have any issues.

Beautiful beach at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia       Beautiful beach at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia

Palm curtain beach Palambak

Kayaking at Palambak Island Resort Palambak

Kayaking at Palambak


 

Best Time To Visit The Banyaks

The Banyak Islands in Indonesia are good to visit all year round.

North Sumatra has a tropical rainforest climate that doesnโ€™t follow the same weather patterns as the rest of Indonesia, so every month is rainy.

I wouldnโ€™t stress about when to visit Pulau Banyak. The driest months are February, March, June, and July, but the rainfall is still higher than places like Bali.

We went in the middle of what would normally be considered the rainy season (December), but we still had great weather most of the time!

The rain usually comes in the evenings or at night, and only lasts a few hours max.

Tropical Palms       Beach at Pulau Banyak Islands Indonesia

Sunset at Palambak Island in Banyak Indonesia

One of our last sunsets at Palambak


 

How Long To Stay

You can see the highlights of Pulau Banyak in a few days, but youโ€™ll probably want to stay longer because itโ€™s just such a relaxing place to be.

Read a book, nap in the hammock, soak in the ocean, watch the sunset, and go for a morning run around the island.

We stayed 1 week and the time flew by. This is truly a hidden paradise in North Sumatra.

Happy travels!
 

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8 comments

Qamarul August 23, 2022 - 8:51 am

great information, so detailed love to read it.

Reply
David & Intan August 23, 2022 - 5:08 pm

Thanks for reading!

Reply
Alex October 27, 2022 - 9:06 am

Loved reading it. Just one question, how do you get back to medan from singkil? Thanks

Reply
David & Intan October 27, 2022 - 8:11 pm

Hi Alex! Claudine, the owner of Palambak Island Resort, arranged a driver back to Medan for us. English is one of her native languages and you can contact her via WhatsApp at โ˜Ž +62 812-608-1916.

Reply
Dundee June 15, 2023 - 11:45 pm

Iโ€™d like to add that those are saltwater crocodiles and even though they are territorial animals if there no food in their proximity area they tent to travel to nearby islands. Please be aware anytime you go to the beach. Crocs are known to be extremely patient hunters. They can wait for weeks and learn behaviors of boat paths and โ€žschedulesโ€œ and then just wait. Always try to have one onlooker on the beach while snorkeling.

Reply
David & Intan June 17, 2023 - 3:33 am

That’s a fair point. Even though crocs haven’t been spotted outside of Matahari island or Tuangku island (Haloban village), it’s still possible for them to show up in other places. Definitely avoid mangroves and swamps since they like to hang out in those areas, and that’s where the last attack happened in Pulau Matahari.

Reply
Pati August 16, 2023 - 5:32 pm

Hi, is IT possibile to buy alkohol drinks on the islands?

Reply
David & Intan August 17, 2023 - 1:20 am

Hi. Generally there’s no alcohol available, except maybe if you stay at one of the surf resorts.

Reply

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