The kaolin mining lakes near Pangkalpinang are one of Bangka's most unexpected sights. The water is a vivid, almost unnatural turquoise — the kind of colour you'd normally associate with a Caribbean lagoon — surrounded by white chalky banks and ruined mining infrastructure. It's become popular on Indonesian social media, and you'll sometimes find people setting up shots on the banks.
The lakes are former open-pit mines where kaolin (white clay used in ceramics and paper) was extracted. They have been abandoned for years and the mineral runoff has given the water its distinctive colour. Not somewhere to swim, but striking to look at and a thought-provoking counterpart to the beach tourism a few kilometres away. The short drive from Pangkalpinang makes it easy to combine with a city morning.