Banyak Island Hopping Boat Rental #TheLightofAceh (2)

Traditional boat and traditional cruise anchoring on Ragit Kecil Island, Aceh Singkil

If you’ve ever dreamt of having a tropical island entirely to yourself, complete with palm trees, powdery white beaches, and crystal-clear waters. the Banyak (Many) Islands are situated about 30km west of Singkil.

Banyak Island Hopping Boat Rental

One of the most popular tours on offer is the Island Hopping around Banyak. As the name blatantly suggests, you’ll be heading on a full day tour to see -you guessed it- 5 islands that are only a short boat ride away from shore. I’m usually a huge fan of island tours since they’re a great way to explore a range of nearby islands.

READ TOO: Banyak Island Hopping Trip and How To Make The Best of Them

Which vessel you choose to visit the Banyak islands is a crucial decision. Aside from your own personal preference sitting on a wooden bench in a traditional boat, banging up and down in a speed boat, or relaxing on the deck of a fishing or dive boat. 

The type of boat will also determine where you can go, how long you spend in each place and, in some cases, what you can see on the way.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages, as outlined below:

Traditional boat

Traditional Boat Banyak Island Hopping

They were charging for one boat Rp. 800.000,- (Rupiah), but you can easily negotiate the price to around Rp. 600.000,- or less depending on how many people are going on the tour. Usually, it cost Rp 100.000,- for every passenger.

This is the local way to travel, noisy and a little bumpy but so atmospheric and of course a great photo opportunity. Lunch and snorkeling equipment aren't included in the price. All meals are suitable for Muslims and there is a vegetarian option on request, just ask when you book.

Prospect:

• Usually a smaller group size on organized tours
• Relatively cheap to charter privately
• Can park up on all beaches

Consequence:

• Noisy / splashy

Speed boat

Speedboat Banyak Island Hopping

There is nothing like the thrill of a speedboat to add a little adrenaline and glamor to this tour. There are many different sizes of speedboats. The operators will use the boat that is large enough for their passengers without having too many empty seats. 

The boat sizes range from 12 to 15 seats. Please note, this isn’t suitable for pregnant ladies onto the speedboat trips as it is sometimes bumpy and, although it's unlikely, this could cause a problem.

Prospect:

• Fast, can save travel time over long distances
• Can park up on all beaches

Consequence:

• Potentially bumpy ride. Not suitable for infants under 18 months, pregnant women or anyone with back problems
• Expensive to charter

Traditional Cruise

Traditional Cruise Banyak Island Hopping

Prospect:

• Very smooth ride
• Superior comfort on board (usually has a covered deck and a sun deck, kitchen, toilet)

Consequence:

• Can’t park up on any beaches, only cruise around may be possible to go ashore by transferring to traditional boat boat
• Relatively more expensive
• Is usually more focused on activities (fishing, diving) than sightseeing

Join-in or private?

The final decision you need to make is whether to go with a group tour or with a privately chartered boat. It is very expensive to charter a speed boat for the day here unless you are a group of at least 6 people. 

READ TOO: Banyak Island with Exotic Seabird

Private traditional boats, however, are generally more affordable and are our recommended way to visit the local islands.

@zlvn - Please note that the order the Islands are visited in does depend on the sea conditions on the day. You'll get a roughly equal time at each place.

Thanks for visiting Banyak Island Hopping Boat Rental. I hope things will get interesting going forward. 

This trip sponsored by Department of Culture and Tourism of the Province of Aceh. Realising Aceh as One Syariah Featured Travel Destinations in Southeast Asia in 2017 #TheLightofAceh #HalalTourism

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