teradesa.com One of the beach destinations in Bandar Lampung city that is currently attracting the attention of many visitors is Balak Island. Balak Island is located in the Pidada Bay area, Punduh Pidada sub-district, Pesawaran district, Lampung. Besides being exotic, this island with a quiet atmosphere makes every tourist who comes to this island will feel like a vacation on their own island.
The island with an area of about 200 hectares presents a view that is no less beautiful than other islands in Lampung. This island is one of 3 small islands in Pidada Bay. The other two are Lunik Island and Lok Island or Helok Island. The name Balak Island comes from the Lampung language Balak which means big, and this island is the largest of the other 2 islands. In an area of 200 hectares, there is a combination of solid rocks on the east and south sides and white sand on the west and north sides.
The soft white sand is spread out like a rug. The sandy beach is quite sloping and wide. If you walk along the east and south sides of Balak Island, you can see rocky cliffs that resemble walls as high as a dozen meters. The coast of Balak Island is covered in coastal plants, such as ketapang, sea putat, sea waru and wind grass. The center of the island is dominated by coconut, cacao, duku, and a number of other plants.
Some activities you can also do on this island include snorkeling, swimming, playing in the sand or relaxing while sunbathing on the white and soft sand. The location of Balak Island in Punduh Pidada Bay makes the surrounding water quite calm. This condition makes it easier for divers to enjoy the beauty of the coral reefs around Balak Island. About 80 percent of the coral reefs in these waters are still preserved.
One of the advantages of coral reefs on Balak Island is that the beautiful coral reefs are not so deep. In fact, even at low tide, the coral reefs can sometimes be seen clearly from the sea surface. At a depth of 2 meters, coral reefs with various ornamental fish are easily found. One of the characteristics of the underwater world in the waters of Balak Island is that it has a dense coral reef composition. Oxypora lacera, Pectinia lactuca and Montipora digitata coral reefs are easily found there.
Ornamental fish of various types and colors also live among these coral reefs. If you are lucky, you can meet hawksbill turtles that occasionally swim around the waters of Balak Island. The facilities available on this island are also quite adequate. On this island there are already available lodging in the form of cottages that you can rent to stay while on this island. Unfortunately, food is not provided by the Balak Island inn. So you have to buy at stalls around Balak Island or bring your own lunch.
There is also a generator available for electricity supply. However, you can only use this facility from 6pm to 12pm. Other facilities such as places of worship such as prayer rooms and toilets are also available on Balak Island. If you really want to feel the sensation of sleeping in the open, you can set up a tent on the beach. The island is very quiet and peaceful, so don’t be surprised if you don’t find anyone here other than the island guards.
If you come to Balak Island in the afternoon, don’t miss the enchanting sunset on the western horizon. To arrive at the location of Balak Island, you have to head at Ketapang Pier, with a travel time of about 1 hour from the center of Lampung City. The ticket price you have to pay to rent a speed boat and motorboat is Rp. 300,000 to Rp. 400,000 with a passenger capacity of 5-6 people, while for a motorboat is Rp. 250,000 with a passenger capacity of 15 people. Upon your arrival at Balak Island, you will be greeted with a pier and also the Balak Island welcome gate.
