Benan Island

Benan Island (Pulau Benan) is a small inhabited island in Senayang District, Lingga Regency, Riau Islands Province, Indonesia. Located between Batam and Lingga in the South China Sea, it is known for its traditional Malay stilt fishing village, clear turquoise waters, and extensive mangrove ecosystems. The island is developed as a community-based marine ecotourism destination, offering village life, mangrove tours, and snorkeling while preserving local fishing traditions and coastal environment.

Visitors can expect a small, low-lying tropical island with a traditional fishing village built on wooden stilts over the water, sandy paths, mangrove forests, and clear shallow seas. The settlement features wooden houses, a pier and jetties, small mosques, and homestays. Surroundings include mangrove channels, seagrass beds, and nearby uninhabited islets. Activities center on walking through the village, boat tours through mangroves, snorkeling, fishing, and observing daily life of the Malay fishing community.

Benan Island is part of the Lingga archipelago historically within the Riau-Lingga Sultanate area. It has long been inhabited by Malay fishing communities whose livelihoods have centered on traditional fisheries and maritime culture for generations.

The island preserves traditional Malay coastal fishing culture with stilt houses, wooden boat building, and fishing practices. It is promoted as a community-based ecotourism village showcasing sustainable fishing, mangrove conservation, and local Malay hospitality.