Pulau Banyak, Tropical archipelago in Aceh Singkil, Indonesia
Pulau Banyak is an archipelago off the west coast of Sumatra, in the Aceh Singkil regency of Indonesia, made up of around 99 islands of varying sizes. Most of the islands are uninhabited and covered with palm forests, sandy beaches, and shallow bays ringed by coral reefs.
The islands were used for centuries by fishing and trading communities moving along the western coast of Sumatra, though permanent settlement remained sparse. The earthquake and tsunami of 2004 permanently altered the shape of several coastlines across the archipelago.
Fishing shapes the daily routine on the inhabited islands, where small wooden boats go out at dawn and return by midday with the day's catch. On shore, nets are spread to dry in the sun and the catch is often sold directly from the boat.
The archipelago is reached by boat from small ports on the Sumatran coast, and the crossing takes several hours depending on the weather. Visitors should carry enough cash for their entire stay, as there are no ATMs and shops are very limited on the islands.
Some of the outer uninhabited islands are regular nesting grounds for green sea turtles, which return each year to lay their eggs on the same beaches. Because these islands see almost no human activity, the turtles face far fewer disturbances than they would elsewhere.
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