Moon Rock Bay
“Hidden gem” in the Anambas archipelago
Moon Rock Bay (locally known as Pantai Batu Berlayar or simply Batu Bulan) is one of the most visually stunning “hidden gems” in the Anambas archipelago, which is part of Indonesia’s Riau Islands province.
We were there with two buddy boats. And the view from the top of Moon Rock was fantastic.
With our shallow draft and great anchoring system, we had several nights of easy access to snorkelling, secure restful sleep, and no concerns when the storms came in for one day.
Why It’s Called “Moon Rock”
The bay gets its name from the massive grey granite formation that is hangs round like the moon on the side of the island. Large, round, no trees, it calls out as a vantage point.
Pros and cons
The Ultimate Photo Op: Climbing the lower boulders gives you an incredible vantage point. The contrast between the grey stone, the white sand, and the multi-tonal blue water is a photographer’s dream.
Swimming & Snorkeling: The water here is incredibly calm and transparent. You can see the sandy bottom and we saw a shark swimming near the shore from the top of the rocks.
Over-fished: Moon Rock Bay , so much of the area is over-fished. The reefs were beautiful locations for snorkelling but we had to go oiut of the bay to the north side to see real fish, in real numbers. We did get to see a lobster, a shark, and many other fish – we’d go again in a heartbeat.
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