Belitung - The Rainbow Troops Pilgrimage Trail

Belitung - This pilgrimage began with footsteps on Tanjung Tinggi Beach, where ancient rocks and the sea hold the whispers of time. The wind blew gently, carrying us back to childhood—when dreams were still simple and hopes hadn't yet asked too many questions.

Before the Statue of Dewi Kwan Im, we learned about stillness, about faith that grows, lives, and silently protects one another. The journey continued to the Replica of SD Muhammadiyah Laskar Pelangi School, where aspirations were once written by small hands on old chalkboards and thin notebooks.

Children's laughter erupted as we ran alongside them, unburdened, without distance. That's how pure happiness feels. As the flag was saluted, we fell silent. This is the root, this is home, where we learned to be ourselves.

And at Waroeng Kopi Ake, a cup of coffee closed the journey—warm, honest, like Belitung itself. This is the Laskar Pelangi Pilgrimage, a journey of taste and memory, to discover the true Belitung.

Footsteps on Tanjung Tinggi Beach

This journey began when I stepped onto the White Sand of Tanjung Tinggi Beach in Ciput Village, Sijuk District. This peninsula is wrapped in the sea's quiet and iconic granite rocks, also the filming location for the Laskar Pelangi Film that propelled it onto the world stage. Once, this place thrived as a local fishing port. Today, it greets visitors with its wide sandy expanse and cultural tales whispering of Belitung's true essence.

There's a sense of affection and regret while wandering this beach. Behind its history and beauty, visitor numbers have slowly dwindled. Tanjung Tinggi Beach, once bustling with footsteps and stories, now often meets only silence. As if time moves slower here, waiting for those who once fell in love with its sea, rocks, and history that never truly left.

Tranquility at Vihara Dewi Kwan Im

The journey continued to the Statue of Dewi Kwan Im, located in the Vihara Dewi Kwan Im complex, Burung Mandi Village, Damar District, East Belitung. This religious and cultural site has been a spiritual icon of Belitung Island since the vihara's founding in 1747, bearing witness to the journey of the Chinese community that shapes Belitung's diversity. The approximately 12-meter-tall statue stands as a symbol of peace and hope, overlooking Burung Mandi Beach, framing the silence from above. Here, natural beauty merges with spiritual life, inviting each step towards a deeper understanding of feeling and unfolding stories.

This vihara is a place of worship visited by devotees from various regions across Indonesia, bringing their prayers and hopes. Amidst the quiet, dedicated caretakers manage and maintain this sacred space, preserving order and peace so every act of worship can proceed calmly.

Stepping into the Heart of the Story: The Replica School and Museum Kata

We then stepped into the SD Replika Muhammadiyah Laskar Pelangi (Replica of SD Muhammadiyah Laskar Pelangi) located in Lenggang Village, Gantung District. This simple wooden school on a sand dune is the silent witness to the children's struggles in Andrea Hirata's phenomenal novel. This replica was built to revive the spirit of learning among dream-filled children despite limitations. Inside its classrooms, warm conversations flow, honest little stories are heard as if the wooden walls themselves stored laughter and hope. To feel a more authentic togetherness, we chose to play and run in the open air, celebrating a more vibrant atmosphere, like the spirit of the children themselves.

Not far away, we stopped at the Museum Kata Andrea Hirata (Andrea Hirata's Word Museum) on Jalan Raya Laskar Pelangi. Indonesia's first literary museum, founded by Andrea Hirata and opened in November 2012, preserves dreams and inspiration from Belitung soil. Inside, living words hold stories, journeys, and the footprints of Laskar Pelangi that have greeted the world. Here, we are invited to believe that from a small village, dreams can grow large and spread far.

Closing at Waroeng Kopi Ake

Before closing the journey, we paused at Waroeng Kopi Ake. This shop, established since the early 1920s, has endured across generations. In this simple place, coffee is brewed not just by measure, but with stories and patience. Through brief chats, we could hear firsthand how Waroeng Kopi Ake preserves taste, tradition, and warmth to keep them alive amidst changing times. A cup of coffee here makes the perfect closing—warm, honest, and representing Belitung's genuine hospitality.

From the beach whispering history, the soothing sacred site, the school igniting dreams, the museum immortalizing words, to a cup of traditional coffee—each location is a fragment. 

When woven together in this pilgrimage, these fragments create a complete understanding—that Belitung is not just a place, but a living feeling within memories, the sea, the rocks, the smiles of children at the Laskar Pelangi school, and its warm cultural heritage.