Bintan Island Paradise

Far away from the nearest large Indonesian island Sumatra, but very close to the dynamic city and city-state of Singapore, the small Indonesian island of Bintan is located, as part of Pulau Riau. The short journey from Singapore, it is only 45 minutes by ferry, makes Bintan a popular haven for stressed city slickers from Singapore. Especially on weekends and public holidays in Singapore, be prepared to meet a lot of people at hotel pools and bar. But on regular working days in Singapore it might happen that you are not only at pool and bar, but also completely alone when walking along the many kilometers of glorious palm-fringed sandy beaches. Therefore I will present here three examples of hotels in different price ranges on Bintan:

Budget: Bintan Cabana Beach Resort, seen from 35US$

 

Situated in 14 arc of tropical lush gardens and located directly at the beachfront, the Bintan Cabana Beach Resort offers simple but nice, many of them with panoramic view over the ocean.

The Bintan Cabana Beach Resort offers many activities, like kayak, snorkeling, bicycle riding, banana boat or fishing, to mention just a few outdoor sports.

Seafood lovers can also replete with delectable savories in alfresco dining style that sits above the calm, glistening waters—while you indulge in the panoramic view of a breathtaking seascape. 
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Midrange: Nirvana Resort Hotel, seen from 71US$

 

A tropical and romantic hub for honeymooners and couples with an array of recreational facilities guaranteeing an entertaining and relaxing holiday. Enjoy international and Indonesian cuisine from the restaurant’s themed buffets and later lounge by the outdoor pool and order cocktails from the poolside bar. 

The Nirvana Resort Hotel is one of five hotels that are nestled into huge tropical gardens of the Nirvana hotel compound. Enjoy the sound of the waves and the wind on your skin while you sit at one of the many palm trees, which spread along a 2km long sandy beach lined up.

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Top End: Bayana Tree Bintan, seen from 278US$

 

The Banyan Tree Bintan is a top end luxury hideaway situated between the beauty of the South China Sea and natural. Each of the 61 luxurious Balinese-styled villas comes along with a private Jacuzzi and free wireless internet. The private talcum-white private beach is just a few steps away. The championship golf course and the Banyan Tree Spa make this 5-star resort is the most comfortable choice in Bintan.

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How to get there:

Bintan is not reachable by air. The resort area can best be reached by ferry from Singapore. There is a regular ferry service operated by Bintan Resort Ferries to travel between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore and Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal in Bintan. The journey takes about 55 minutes.
From Indonesia, there are regular speedboat services running between Telaga Punggur Ferry Terminal in Batam and Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal Bintan. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes.
And a Pelni cruise ship sails to Jakarta weekly.

 

Gili Islands, a tropical paradise

The Gili islands are a group of three small islands off Lombok′s west coast.

• Gili Meno is very quite and peaceful and offers the best beaches of all Gili islands. If you want to stay on your own while wandering along the beach, your are right here.
• Gili Tarawangan is a party island. Tourism is well developed here and pary people will find everything they desire within 1km on the beach.
• Gili Air is closest to Lombok and has more of a rural, established feeling than the other two.

Most tourists are from the younger generation, they relax in the sun, do snorkelling or simply walk along the beaches. On the islands no motorized vehicles are allowed. So the main way of transportation are bicycles and small horsedrawn carriages, called cidomos. And because there are nearly no trader and beggar, the stay is much more relaxed than it is on Bali, for example.

The Gili Eco Villas Resort is a beachfront getaway, located on Gili Trawangan. It offers an outdoor pool, massage services, and glass-bottom boat tours.
The villas at Gili Eco feature furnishings made from recycled teak wood. The living area has a comfortable rattan sofa, while the kitchen includes a gas stove and fridge. Each villa has an outdoor shower area which I like most.