Banda Besar (Lonthor)
The largest island, the oldest groves and the ruins of Fort Hollandia. Ten to fifteen minutes across the Sonegat, so it barely counts as a boat day.
By boat · Run, Ai, Hatta, Banda Besar
Island hopping the Banda group
Four islands, all by charter boat, all weather-dependent. Banda Besar is fifteen minutes away. Run is ninety and only on a calm day — which is the whole planning problem in one sentence.
- 4
- Islands beyond Neira
- IDR 800k–1.5m
- Day boat, per boat
- Oct–Apr
- When the outer runs work
In short
Island hopping here means chartering a day boat, and the practical limit is not distance but sea state: Banda Besar and Ai are routine, Hatta is usually fine, and Run only goes when the water is flat.
- A day boat to Hatta and Ai runs IDR 800,000–1,500,000 per boat, not per person.
- Two islands in a day is possible. Three is a day spent on a boat.
- Overnighting on Ai or Hatta changes the trip more than adding a day does.
The islands
What each one is actually for
Pulau Ai
Fort ruins above a house reef that drops away within swimming distance of the beach. Thirty to forty-five minutes out, and the best overnight on the group.
Pulau Hatta (Rozengain)
Steep volcanic walls and the most reliable hammerhead ground here, peaking late September to November. Forty-five to sixty minutes, sea-dependent.
Pulau Run
The island given up in the Treaty of Breda in 1667 so the English could keep Manhattan. Sixty to ninety minutes out, calm days only, and very quiet.
Banda Neira itself is the base: Fort Belgica (1611), Fort Nassau (1609), the museum and the jetty you leave from.
Charter logistics
What a boat day costs
Day boats are chartered per boat, so the per-person cost falls fast with group size. Prices move with season and fuel.
| Item | Indicative cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Day boat, Hatta and Ai | IDR 800,000–1,500,000 | Per boat, split among the group |
| Guesthouse, per night | from IDR 250,000 | On Neira; less on the outer islands |
| Heritage stay, per night | IDR 800,000–1,500,000 | Colonial-era property in town |
| Island-hopping tour, per person | around USD 40 | Shared day, transport and lunch included |
Book accommodation on the outer islands ahead. There is very little of it, and no fallback if it is full when you arrive.
A two-day plan
How to cover the group properly
One day is a compromise. Two days lets each island have a morning rather than an hour.
-
01
Day 1 · morning
Neira to Hatta
Leave early. Dive or snorkel the outer wall while the sea is at its flattest, which on this group is almost always before midday.
-
02
Day 1 · afternoon
Hatta to Ai
Beach time, the fort ruins, and the house reef. Either stay the night on Ai or run back to Neira before the wind gets up.
-
03
Day 2 · morning
Run, if the sea allows
The long crossing. Village, groves and the quietest island in the group — and the one most likely to be called off.
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04
Day 2 · afternoon
Banda Besar on the way back
Fifteen minutes from Neira, so it works as the fallback when Run is out, and as the last stop when it is not.
The calm season is when the outer runs are dependable. In the Jun–Aug monsoon plan for Banda Besar and Ai, and treat Hatta and Run as a bonus.
Can I do Hatta and Ai in one day?
Yes, and it is the standard day trip. It does mean a few hours at each rather than a morning, and it only works when the sea is settled enough to make the Hatta crossing comfortable.
How do I get to Run?
Charter boat from Neira, sixty to ninety minutes each way, calm days only. There is no scheduled service. If Run is the reason you are coming, build at least two possible days for it.
Is it worth staying overnight on an outer island?
On Ai, yes — it is the quietest night you will have and the house reef is there at dawn. Book ahead; accommodation on the outer islands is genuinely scarce.
When are sea conditions best?
The calm window, Oct–Apr. Hatta's hammerhead season peaks from late September to November, which overlaps the start of it.
Next in this silo
Build the boat days in
Plan your trip
Charter a boat day
Tell us which islands matter most and how many days you have. We place the outer run where the forecast gives it the best chance, with a fallback either side.
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