Ocean’s Elegance: Backwater Shores of Remote Indonesia
Life around Shallow Waters
This isn’t about a particular place in Indonesia. There are thousands, if not millions of them here. Indonesia is globally known for its rich resources.
Plundering its lands for crude oils, rubber, and coffee plantations. For tourism — there are volcanic regions, tropical forests, beaches, and diverse cultural history.
Bali is a good example of over-tourism. It sure is a pretty destination, but there’s so much more to explore.
With islands clustered anywhere you head inside the borders of Indonesia, they make for backwaters that have never seen waves before.
Life around Unmoving Shallow Waters
Backwaters — it is simply defined as more or less stagnant water. When wind rages in a direction, the ocean does its part in nature. But the islands on the outer ring of the cluster make for a natural border.
Eventually protecting the archipelago from sea calamities and letting through smooth flowing waters.
Basically, your surfboard has no place here. Sounds less exciting now, doesn’t it? Like Hoi An in Vietnam, I found the laid-back life fascinating in these regions.
Many villages that make a living by these shores are quite fascinating to visit. The best part? Thousands of them remain invisible to global travelers.
After all, they’re only small villages with people going by their lives. Neither do most have a steady supply of necessities like electricity and water nor are there comfortable beaches to sunbathe in. Forget those cute cafes, and restobars in tourist-loving villages.
Nothing gets more real than this.
Living in Indonesia, I stayed at one such place in a not-so-far island in the Riau Islands province. While Bintan Island is popular for its resorts and seafood around here for weekend getaways, we stayed at a local homestay.
Staying at an Offbeat Homestay
We stayed at a part of the island away from Tanjung Pinang, the capital of Riau Provinces, in a town called Tanjung Uban Kota. While Bintan itself is considerably laid-back, this was more.
Nothing could get more local when the person who came to pick us up at the ferry point was our host, a day guide, and the homestay owner as well. He even made us breakfast the following day.
Hell, the dude was so friendly we thought we came out to visit a relative. Even felt nostalgic at some point.
Having been to Bintan before and only aware of the resorts, we didn’t expect much from beaches here. But somehow, our host kept insisting on how clean his shores were. I only wished he was right.
But witnessing it firsthand was quite surreal.
Though there was a little beach sand, it wasn’t a full-fledged beach – just not that sandy. It was more of a ‘She Sells Seashells by the Sea Shore’ shore. Shells stuck beneath anywhere you set your foot on.
The shallow regions stretched out a good kilometer. And the waves were way off. The shore facing North, neither could one witness a picturesque straight sunrise or sunset.
But looking back at it, it was one of the best shores I’ve stood by.
You see, with summer tourism idealized with large sandy (probably lively) beaches, blue waves, and beach shades, and of course that corner with water sports activities, the concept of escape from daily life materializes.
Valuing Significances of Territories
Sure, beaches are fun. I’d die to live in Goa with a beer in one hand for the evenings. But it is where you choose to relax that concerns me.
For a beach, you can go anywhere else in the world.
In these remote Indonesian backwater shores, the crystal clear waters letting you breathe in coral life beneath you are way more compelling than baby waves.
It wasn’t a whole snorkeling deal, yet a variety of little fish, camouflaging sand crabs, and seaplants moved as I made my way through.
As dusk fell, we raced down upon the shallow rocks amidst the waters not far from shore to peek at the deepening orange sky. Breeze soft and little waves gently lapped the rocks we stood on.
With no one else in sight, the whole stretch of shoreline seemed to belong to us at that moment. The only voices that broke the silence were waves, the forests that whispered back to the winds, and an occasional bird howl.
Long after everyone went in, I sat here a couple of hours — spotting lights far off on other islands.
Running a Southeast Asia-focused travel blog, I was aware of the place’s geography, I could tell those lights were lit either in Malaysia or Singapore.
Fishermen after midnight
Not wanting to sleep early, I walked out to a hammock nearby with my phone for music. My Spotify meditation didn’t last long — there were more interesting things in place.
Walking back to my shore gazing spot, I glanced once again at the far lights of the neighboring nations across the sea. But there were more lights this time.
Squinting my eyes, I saw that these new seemingly nearby lights were moving. Why were there boats out at this hour? I stood wondering until one of the lights flashed right to my eyes for a nanosecond.
It hit me. They weren’t boats, they were fishermen with torches walking far beyond the shore. The waters were pulled away for the nights after all.
Listening closely to the silent wind, I could make out their faint laughter. Our homestay host who happened to be awake then explained that it was easier to catch sand crabs and dong dong fish at night with waters low.
Staying a little longer, I saw it more clearly in the dark.
Two locals fixed and hammered a boat tilted amidst the shallow water with a single torch. Some were in groups of 2 or 3 and conversed as they passed.
Some gathered at the same shore I stood on, curious about what their partners had in their nets. They sat, spoke, and smoked a while on the sands before leaving.
Early in the morning, none of the same fishermen were in sight. Instead, one man rowed through the still waters that had now risen. The sun rose at its pace behind him.
No this isn’t the 4K YouTube ad of Indonesia. Explore off the itinerary and get to the offbeat parts — you’re bound to find something of beauty. The country is filled with natural gems.
The backwater is only a part of it.
