island group in Indonesia
The Banyak Islands are a group of tiny islands off the western coast of Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, primarily visited on surfing charters. The islands are about 100 km north of the island of Nias.
Kepulauan Banyak is Indonesian for "Many Islands".
To enjoy the beauty of this group of islands, it's recommended to visit here between March to August. That's because the weather is sunny and calm, making it the best time for island hopping, kayaking and snorkeling.
The nearest airport to the Banyak Islands is the small Syekh Hamzah Fansyuri Airport on the Sumatra mainland, near Singkil. The nearest major airport is Medan's Kuala Namu International Airport (KNO), more than 250 km away.
There are frequent boats from Singkil to Balai on the Banyak Islands. The boats only leave at high tide.
Waves are high and can reach 6 meters. There are 12 spots for surfing, spread across the Banyak Islands. The most visited surfing spots are Amandangan Beach and Violation Beach on Bangkaru Island.
The unique view of the sea is at the coral reefs, filled with marine plants and reef fish of various colors and various sizes. Enjoying the beauty of biodiversity can be done by using snorkeling, especially for places that are hard to see by boat with see-through floors.
Trekking on the Tuangku Island while enjoying the beauty of its forest. The journey can be started from Kampong Haloban and along the way tourists might encounter Mouse Deer, Nias Beo, Squirrel, Wild Boar and Butterfly of various colors. There is also a Bat Cave and Swallow's Nest Cave. But be careful of the Estuary Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) which sometimes appears in river.