Kei Island Girls Trip Itinerary

If you have been following my story about my passport mishap incident, then you would know that my sister and I unexpectedly ended up celebrating our Eid holiday in Kei Kecil Island.

Not many Indonesians have visited this island, especially if you are not the adventurous type who likes exploring the far eastern part of Indonesia.

Before I jump into the itinerary — which I hope can inspire you to visit this beautiful island — let’s start with a little geography lesson first.

Where is Kei Kecil Island?

Beautiful Kei Kecil Island lies within the Kei Archipelago, a group of islands located in the southeastern part of Maluku Province.

When I told my sister that we should go to Kei Island for the Eid holiday, she had absolutely no idea where it was.

She thought it must be some island not too far from Java… only to realize later that Kei is actually closer to Papua than to Jakarta!

I literally had to pull out the map and circle the island for her. 🙂

How to Get to Kei Island

There are a couple of ways to reach Kei Kecil.

Option 1

• Fly Jakarta – Ambon with Garuda Indonesia
• Continue Ambon – Langgur (Kei) with Lion Air / Wings Air

Option 2

• Fly Jakarta – Ujung Pandang (Makassar)
• Continue Makassar – Langgur (Kei) with Sriwijaya Air

We personally preferred the second option, because the transit time in Makassar was only about two hours, making the journey smoother and faster.

Once you arrive, the main airport is Langgur Airport, which serves Kei Kecil Island.

Now that we know where it is and how to get there, here’s the itinerary for our free-and-easy beach holiday.

Our Kei Island Itinerary

Day 1

Fly from Jakarta to Kei Island.

Day 2

Arrive at Langgur Airport in the morning.
Check in to the hotel.

In the afternoon after lunch we visited:

• Goa Hawang
• Mangrove Beach
• A short city tour around Langgur

Day 3

Full day trip to Bair Island, often called the Raja Ampat of Maluku because of its stunning limestone formations and turquoise water.

Day 4

Morning trip to Ngurtafur Sandbank to chase pelicans and take tons of pictures.

After returning in the afternoon, we spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing — just staring at the ocean and occasionally dipping into our giant turquoise “pool”, also known as the sea.

Day 5

A road trip around the island, including a visit to Matwaer Beach on the other side of Kei Kecil.

Day 6

Fly back home.

Our Thoughts

Unlike many destinations in eastern Indonesia where travel involves a combination of boats, ferries, and long road trips, getting to Kei Kecil Island is surprisingly easy and straightforward.

However, infrastructure was still quite basic when we visited.

There were no proper hotels or resorts at that time. Most accommodations were simple guesthouses run by locals, catering mainly to backpackers. Very few rooms even had air conditioning.

Hotels in the city center offered slightly better facilities, but honestly, when you are in Kei Kecil, you will want to stay right on the beach.

We found our accommodation through TripAdvisor. It didn’t have air conditioning, but it was charming and comfortable enough. Our room had an ensuite bathroom and a private verandah, and best of all, it came with our own stretch of beach.

Every afternoon we would sit on the beach chairs, listening to the waves and occasionally taking a dip whenever we felt like it.

Total bliss.

Because really, this is exactly what a beach holiday should feel like.

(Although… I wouldn’t have complained if there had been air conditioning!)