Indonesia steps up campaign to attract more tourists

Jakarta

ON the island of Belitung, which sits between Sumatra and Borneo, 15 minutes is all it takes to leave the world behind. Those who make the hop from the main island to the tiny ones off its shores find beaches with sand as soft and white as sugar and wide sunlit vistas free from pestering vendors.

Karmila Santi, marketing director at tour-services portal belitungisland.com, said of the islands: "Usually, they're uninhabited. You can get there by jet ski or by boat."