Seven kilometres
Sand and coastal casuarinas.
Estudiar4 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gilang Nzoom — CC BY-SA 4.0 · sbamueller — CC BY-SA 2.0
A long sandy beach stretching some seven kilometres along the Indian Ocean beside the city of Bengkulu, hence its name, Long Beach. Shaded by coastal casuarina trees, with a promenade and food stalls along it, it is the townspeople's favourite outing, especially at sunset. The beach faces west, so the sun sets over the open ocean in a lovely scene, and in the evening the stalls fill with grilled food, corn and coconuts. City festivals are held here, among them the annual Tabot festival in Muharram. The beach is free and always open. But Indian Ocean waves are strong and currents dangerous, so swimming is unsafe on most days; stick to walking and playing on the sand. The best times are late afternoon and sunset; combine it with nearby Fort Marlborough in one city outing.
Sand and coastal casuarinas.
The sun over the Indian Ocean.
An annual festival in Muharram.
South-west of central Bengkulu, on the Indian Ocean
Mostly not: Indian Ocean waves are strong and rip currents dangerous. The beach is for strolling and sunsets, not swimming.
