Singkep Island, Riau islands - Indonesia
Singkep is the most southern Riau island. Dabo singkep is the main town in the island. The town itself is quite small and fun to explore.
The main town of Singkep is Dabo. Huge open-cast tin mines pockmark the island. Up to the 1980's, tin mining brought prosperity to the island. The mining corporation invested in the welfare of its employees, for example by changing the city square into a garden like park, complete with trees and a fountain. After the tin market collapsed, the mining corporation left the island, and Dabo turned into a sleepy city awaiting better times.
Singkep has some pretty beaches yet to be discovered by the western tourists. Some 4 kilometers south of Dabo is the white sandy beach Pantai Batu Berdaun. Although not that pretty as it used to be in Singkep's better times, it is still good for a nice swim in the sea, or for just strolling around. A sight more land inwards is the waterfall of Batu Ampar. However, also here time took its toll. Much of the natural beauty of the place is revealed by the traces left behind by local tourists visiting the place during the weekend.
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