BINTAN RESORTS - RIAU ISLANDS

Bintan Resorts, also known as Lagoi, is the northern part of the Indonesian island of Bintan.

Bintan Resorts is a colony of Singapore in all but name, full of expensive resorts and manicured lawns. Very much a family-oriented resort, there is little to do here but laze by the beach, golf and maybe dabble in water sports. The area is separated from the rest of Bintan by barbed wire, checkpoints and armed guards.



HOW TO REACH BINTAN RESORTS

While Bintan has a small domestic airport, virtually all travelers arrive by boat from Singapore.

Bintan Resort Ferries has 5-7 departures daily from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bandar Bentan Telani at the western tip of the Resorts. You can obtain an Indonesian visa on arrival here. The trip takes 45 minutes and costs S$47.20/33.10 one-way return peak (Fri-Sun), S$36.20/25.10 off-peak; note that it's often cheaper to buy a package tour with lodging included.



WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN BINTAN RESORTS

As a destination, Bintan Resorts is rather artificial and the water is a mite murky (especially in winter). Still, the beaches are much better than anything in Singapore and most of the resorts are built to a high standard.

However, do not solely devote your entire vacation to the beach. Visit the town areas of Bintan especially Tanjung Pinang to savor a taste of the local lifestyle and enjoy cheap shopping and tasty local fare.

Golf is popular, with several excellent golf courses charging much lower prices than in neighboring Singapore. Water sports of all sorts are also popular, although the scuba diving here is lackluster due to the poor visibility.

Note that during the northeast monsoon (November until March), there is usually quite a bit of wave action on the beach. This is good for surfing and body boarding, but not good for most anything else.

Spas are increasing in number and quality in Pasar Oleh Oleh, with prices a little below that in Singapore.



WHERE TO STAY AT BINTAN RESORTS

Budget

Shady Shacks on the east side of Bintan is a small, family-run collection of wooden huts on the beach. Good value for money but extremely basic - just a mattress and mosquito net in each room, although there is an adjoining bathroom with cold-water showers and a manually flushed toilet. Perfect if you want a back to basics, away from everything break.

Midrange

* Nirwana Beach Club (formerly Mana Mana). Tel. +65-6339-8878, [6]. The cheapest digs in town, the chalets (beachside huts) here can fit three, offer air-con and attached bathroom, and go for S$100/74 peak/off-peak. The resort has no pool, but the beach is pretty good and this is the local hub for watersports like surfing and boating. Hosts loud beach parties on Fri/Sat only.

Splurge

Bintan Resorts is chock full of luxury resorts.

* Banyan Tree Bintan. Tel. +62-770-693-100, [7]. The most opulent option, all accommodation here is in private villas, with jacuzzi-equipped villas going for US$350++ and pool-equipped villas for a whopping US$750++ and up (discounted rates, not rack). The kind of place for a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon.

* Bintan Lagoon Resort. Tel. +62-770-691-388, [8]. Big villas available as well as well-equipped hotel rooms. The hotel owns two golf-courses, 2 swimming-pools and Alang Alang Sea Sports centre. This offers nearly every water sport excluding wind surfing.

Sources: www.wikitravel.org
Image Sources: www.realdestination.com