Bintan region consists of hundreds of large and small islands scattered in the waters of the South China Sea. No wonder when finally the nickname of Bumi Segantang Lada (Pepper Sprinkled Land) pinned on Bintan. Because the sprinkling of the island is like a jumble of pepper. In addition to being known as a bauxite-producing region, Bintan is also awarded a stunning landscape.

One of the interesting places to visit in Bintan is Trikora Beach.

Trikora Beach is one of Bintan Islands mainstay tourism. Its charm extends along 25 km on the east side of the largest island in Riau Islands Province. The sand is white and smooth with turquoise water. Not to mention the natural stones are large, reminding me of the location filming Laskar Pelangi on the island of Belitung.

According to local people's story, this Trikora name comes from a foreign tourist who visited this beach decades ago. Because the foreigner did not know the area he visited, he asked one of the citizens who happened to meet him. 

It was unknown what he asked, which obviously contained the words three corals. Feeling strange with the words three corals the citizen then spread the word three corals to other residents. Due to wrong pronunciation, finally the word three corals turned into Trikora. 

Another version mentions that the name of Trikora Beach is connected with Tri Komando Rakyat which was echoed by the proclaimer, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Sukarno, in connection with Indonesia's confrontation with Malaysia in 1961. 

Backed by Indonesia's disagreement with a merger plan between Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak by the British colonials. At that time the Riau Islands became the largest marine defense base. And it seems this version is more widely embraced, because it is considered more having the spirit of nationalism. 

Apart from the different versions of the origin of the name Trikora, the beach is located in Malang Rapat Village, Gunung Kijang District that still has its own charm which is hard to miss it's beauty.

Note: This article was published on XPress Air Inflight Magazine, September 2017 edition.