So you've decided to channel your inner Robinson Crusoe and you're set to visit Pulau Akar, live the paradise life for a while. Next step is to decide how you want to get here.
Anambas aerial service
It's good to know that there are two main means of transport to get to Anambas, the island archipelago to which Pulau Akar belongs.
Plane or Ferry
The quick and easy way to get to Anambas is by airplane. I won't take you longer than a couple of hours; in fact, it's the most expedient way to enter the Anambas island chain by far.
The ferry can take up to 10 hours, though a 7-8 hour journey is probably more the average. Not quite a marathon, but perhaps not really feasible for travelers without too much time.
Anambas ferry
The flip-side of a more speedy arrival by plane is cost of course, as a plane ticket will set you back a bit more than taking the slower route by sea. That said, you'll find that plane tickets to Anambas are very reasonably-priced.
The Anambas airport is in Letung and you can fly to Letung from Batam, located just off Singapore, or from Jakarta. This flight operates Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. (If you're departing from Jakarta, just replace Batam.) Ticket cost should be around 1,500,000 Indonesian Rupiah for a one-way ticket or 3,000,000 Rupiah for a roundtrip, although it can be higher during the peak months, .
Meanwhile, a one-way ferry ticket is about 500,000 Rupiah. Please note, however, that actual price can change, given various factors that have an impact on ticket cost.
The other thing to note is that the ferry stops at Jemaja first and then carries on to Siantan, usually after about a 30 minutes lay-over in Jemaja. If you're destination is Tarempa, Siantan, then you can walk to pretty much anywhere within the kampung from the ferry terminal, depending on the amount of luggage you've got on you of course.
Water taxi
From Tarempa, you can take one of the numerous water taxis to Pulau Akar. This trip takes about 1.5 hours, subject to sea state.
Now, if you took the plane Matak Airport, then do note you'll be dropped off at the ferry terminal in Matak by airport taxi, from where you can take a water taxi to your final destination.
Speedboat water taxi
If you flew into Letung, rather than Matak, you'll be taken by airport taxi to the local ferry that plies between Letung and Tarempa. Both airport taxi rides, Letung's and Matak's cost about 50,000 Rupiah per passenger.
Incidentally, since Anambas comprises a scattered island-peppered area, most of the time you'll be taking a water taxi to get around. Some of the best activities in Anambas are island-hopping, SUP, kayaking, windsurfing and foil/kite-boarding.
Upon arrival in Anambas, try to hook up with a steady boatman, because you'll not only be able to build a report, but you'll likely also get a better rate when you use his boat for your trips.
Pompong vs. Speedboat
Lastly, for your information, there are two kinds of water taxis in Anambas: the much slower but cheaper "pompongs" and the faster but higher-cost speedboats. The other thing that distinguishes these two vessels is that pompongs are diesel-operated and, as such, are quite a bit louder, as well as smokier.