Back From Bintan

I’m back from Bintan. But I’m so swamped with work that it will be a couple of days more before I can write my review of the hotel that we stayed in — the Angsana Bintan Resorts & Spa. The ’spa’ part sounds good, no? It was, it was! It was so wonderful that I think I’ll have a separate post for a mini-review of the spa.

In the meantime, here is a pic of my twins having fun in the Bintan sun, even if the skies were a bit downcast at that time (hence the drab, grey sky), and the pristine beach whose sand was so fine, they got into the very fabric of everyone’s swimwear! I took this photo using a borrowed D80 and my dream 18-200mm VR lens. The camera, with its battery grip, was a lot heavier than my usual D40 plus 18-135mm lens combination but the resulting pictures, given the right settings, were crisp and sharp and awesome. Which just makes me want to have this lens all the more…

Anyway, where were we? Ahh, yes. This post is supposed to be all about Bintan.

Here are a few quick facts about Pulau Bintan (Bintan Island):

• Bintan is part of Indonesia, hence, they’re one hour behind Singapore. For example, 0835 Bintan time is actually 0935 Singapore time. Keep this in mind when planning your flight and ferry bookings.
• Bintan is accessible via a 50-minute ferry ride from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. The ferry terminal is a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride (less than S$10 fare) from Singapore’s Changi Airport.
• Bintan may be in Indonesia and almost all the hotel staff Indonesian, but the rates for the room, spa, food, and green fees are all in Singapore dollar or US dollar. In short: everything’s exhorbitantly priced!
• Bintan is a golfer’s paradise, being home to Bintan Lagoon Golf Club’s Jack Nicklaus Seaview Course and Ian Baker-Finch Woodlands Course, Laguna Bintan Golf Club’s 18-hole championship Greg Norman Course, and Ria Bintan Golf Club’s 27-hole Gary Player Course. The green fees will burn a hole in a pocket though. No, make that, the green fees will burn off your entire pocket and maybe even your trousers! Unless, perhaps, if you’re from Europe and thinking in terms of €.
• You’ll be going through Singapore and Indonesian Immigrations, so you’ll need to bring along your passport for a trip to this island.
• ASEAN passport holders don’t need any visa to enter Bintan but visa-on-arrival is available for certain nationalities. Click here if you wish to find out if you need a visa or not to get into Bintan.
• You can buy your Singapore-Bintan ferry tickets on the spot at Bintan Resort Ferries’ (BRF) counter at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, subject to availability. But it is highly recommended that you book your ferry tickets in advance, especially if you intend to go on a weekend or public holiday. You can make your bookings through Bintan Resort Ferries’ website up to 10 am of the day before your departure.

For more information on Bintan Island, its hotels, spas and golf courses, check out Bintan-Resorts.com and VisitBintan.com.

Tags: Bintan