Hello Everybody -
Since adding the 19 new locations on Christmas Day, 2018, I haven't heard much in the way of confusion or complaints, so it was a surprise when I heard from one of the world's most illustrious travelers that he/she though he/she had traveled to the Tudjuh Archipelago, and instead had gone to the wrong place!
From Wikipedia: The Tudjuh Archipelago (Indonesian: Kepulauan Tujuh)[1] is a large group of islands in north-western Indonesia, off the west and north-west coast of the island of Borneo in the South China Sea. Administratively the islands belong to the Riau Islands province of Indonesia. The Tudjuh Archipelago consists of four island groups, the Badas Islands, the Tambelan Islands, the Natuna Islands, and the Anambas Islands.
The reason that these islands are classified separately on MTP is because they are definitely not part of Java, they are not part of Borneo, and they are not part of Sumatra. The Indonesian divisions MTP had been using were based off of the TCC divisions, and those don't work for these islands, which sit by themselves geographically.
One might be confused for thinking that the Tudjuh Archipelago is the same thing as the Riau Islands Province, but it's not. The Riau Islands Province covers Tudjuh, as well as many other islands closer to Singapore along the main shipping lines. One of these, Bintan, is home to the provincial capital Tanjung Pinang, as well as the largest regional airport (TNJ). Bintan is just a short ferry ride from Singapore, but is NOT part of Tudjuh.
The good news is that Tudjuh is up and coming, with a new airport on the Anambas (LMU), an existing airport on Natunas (NTX), and another under construction on Tambelan (IATA code not yet available), and with regular flights from TNJ. Here are a couple of articles about these beautiful, relatively unspoiled islands (note: some transport info in these is out of date).
https://www.indonesia.travel/us/en/destinations/sumatra/bintan-island/anambas-island
https://www.indonesia.travel/us/en/destinations/sumatra/the-natuna-islands
https://www.singaporenbeyond.com/itinerary/3-days-remote-island-paradise-natuna/
So please enjoy Tudjuh - which appears to be a natural island paradise in every way... but do go to the right place!
Yours in accuracy,
Charles Veley | Founder & CEO