The best of both worlds can be had on Bintan island, a little slice of paradise southeast of Singapore, says Kenny Coyle.
Although few modern visitors will see many signs of it today, the Indonesian resort island of Bintan was once one of the major political, cultural and trading centres of the South China Sea.
Several hundred years ago, Bintan was the capital of the Sultanate of Malacca and later the Sultanate of Johor, turning it into a regional rival of Penang and Malacca. Indeed, if it hadn’t been for a pre-emptive invasion by the Dutch in the 19th century, it’s entirely possible that Britain would have grabbed the island rather than settling for another apparently less promising territory 40km to the north, an unassuming little place called Singapore.
The island is the largest of more than 3,000 comprising Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago and is less than an hour from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. The island’s volcanic history accounts for its white sand beaches and abundant greenery.
Today Bintan serves as a major outlet for the Lion City’s stressed and pressured population, offering them the open space and range of leisure pursuits that are on more limited offer to them at home.
Such is Singapore’s influence, that it’s possible to spend your entire visit without seeing a single Indonesian rupiah, the “Sing dollar” is accepted most in the north of the island’s Bintan Resorts enclave (www.bintan-resorts.com).
One of the island’s key attractions is the spa packages on offer.
Aside from the bewildering choice of treatments at very competitive levels of pricing, spa junkies can take a further step, learning the secrets of massage for themselves and their partners.
The Banyan Tree Bintan provides not only its signature portfolio of spa treatments, but also massage training. Its Spa Indulgence package includes a choice of 90-minute treatments and a 30-minute instructional session for couples, “Basic Steps of Massage”, led by a trained Banyan Tree Spa therapist. Prices vary depending on dates and availability but a weekend two-night stay in a Seaview Villa will start at just under US$500 for two.
Golfers are drawn to the island in droves too. Not really surprising when you consider that the island boasts a number of championship courses. There’s a Gary Player-designed course at the Ria Bintan, a Jack Nicklaus-designed one at Bintan Lagoon Golf and Beach Resort, there is a second course here too, and a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole course at Banyan Tree Bintan Resort.
Singapore-based specialist TravelGolf (www.travelgolf.com.sg) puts together a variety of golfing packages, which typically include two rounds of golf, green fees and buggy hire, overnight accommodation with breakfast, marine tax and land transfers. Prices start from around US$200 for a midweek visit.
Outside of the monsoon season (November to April) the island offers a whole range of watersport activities such as windsurfing, body-boarding, fishing and water-skiing.
The Angsana Resort can also arrange Hobie catamaran sailing lessons with an instructor for the adventurous.
The Bintan Lagoon Resort has been undergoing a rolling refurbishment and its 473 rooms, suites and villas offer a variety of accommodation options within a single, sprawling complex. Users of the villas also have the added convenience of their own golf buggies to get around the very extensive grounds.
The resort also boasts one of the largest food and beverage offerings on the island, a dozen different cafés, bars and restaurants from Japanese and Mediterranean eateries to the cool and chic nightspot of Silk, which features a live band six nights of the week.
Bintan is also hugely popular with families and ClubMed’s Ria Bintan resort prides itself on being one of the most child-friendly. The resort offers a tier of packages for families from Baby Welcome for the under-twos, the toddler Petit Club Med for toddlers of two and three, the Mini Club Med for kids aged four to 10 and finally, a package for young teens Juniors’ Club Med.
All these activities are well supervised and the resort also provides baby-sitting services too, so there’s no excuse for mum and dad not to enjoy their spa, golf or dining experiences here.
If you can bear to tear yourself away from the luxury resort areas, there are other parts of the island to explore.
There are a few traces of Bintan’s former glory to visit. Just offshore lies Pulau Penyengat. It was the Prince of Penyengat who sold Singapore to Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 in return for gold and the promise of British protection against his warring relatives. The island still has the impressive Mesjid Raya, the Royal Mosque, built in 1844, as well as the remains of a stone fort built to fight the Dutch.
The influence of Chinese immigration can be seen in Senggarang, a predominantly Chinese fishing village. Shoppers can find local handicrafts and foods in the shopping village of Pasar Oleh Oleh. For modern international brands, there is a branch of the Real Bandung Factory Outlet chain located next to the Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal.
So what of the future? Singapore is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar makeover with its Integrated Resort (IR) complexes at Marina Bay and on Sentosa Island. The raft of new projects will create a whole new array of leisure opportunities within Singapore itself. Will this detract from Bintan’s allure?
Selena Oh, senior marketing manager of Bintan Lagoon Resort, certainly doesn’t think so.“To start with, getting across to Bintan is an experience itself – a short pleasant ferry ride takes one into Bintan, one of the nearest Indonesian islands and in that sense, a different cultural pursuit and change of environs,” she says.
“Bintan Lagoon Resort with an area of over 300 hectares is about two-thirds the size of Sentosa.
“With stellar facilities such as a four-kilometre sandy stretch of beach, two 18-hole designer golf courses, a day spa, over 50 sea and land activities in addition to spacious accommodation and a wide range of wining and dining options, it presents a fantastic island break from the city, without compromising on creature comforts.
“Travellers coming to Singapore will find more reasons to extend their stay beyond Sentosa or the IRs. There will always be a market for those who want to get away from it all.
“Next year with the major events in Singapore including F1, there will be more opportunities to capitalise in view of the tight room supply in Singapore.”
WHERE TO STAY
ANGSANA RESORT AND SPA BINTAN
This luxurious property is a 135-room and suite hotel, with spa, golf course and tennis courts.
PRICE: Rooms from US$143.
BANYAN TREE BINTAN
Perched on a cliffside, Banyan Tree
Bintan is a villa-only resort. The 70 villas share the same golf course as its sister Angsana property.
PRICE: Rooms from US$370.
BANYU BIRU VILLAS
These villas are double-storeyed and come in four configurations, ranging from a 95-square-metre two-bedroom villa for four to a 200-square-metre four-bedroom.
PRICE: Rooms from US$222.
BINTAN LAGOON RESORT
This is the largest of the main properties in the Bintan Resorts enclave, with 416 rooms and suites and 57 resort villas. Extensive wining and dining options are matched by activity choices from watersports to paintball.
PRICE: Rooms from US$123.
BINTAN LODGE
Bintan Lodge’s basic accommodation will suit the more cost-conscious traveller. There are 10 standard units, 10 serviced apartments and one family-size apartment for rent.
PRICE: Rooms from US$54.
CLUB MED RIA BINTAN
This is a 302-room resort with a strong focus on family activities. It even has a Circus School to keep the youngsters occupied.
PRICE: Rooms from US$314.
INDRA MAYA VILLAS
Just 14 private villas are available here, for those who value seclusion. All have their own pools and some have access to a private beach area. There are two, three and four-suite villas.
PRICE: Rooms from US$376.
MAYANG SARI BEACH RESORT
These 50 village-style chalets offer garden or sea views. The chalets all have thatched roofs and private verandahs.
PRICE: Rooms from US$106.
NIRWANA BEACH CLUB
If being on the beach, then these 50 cabanas, both single and double rooms, set in a coconut grove just off the beach, may be ideal. They offer a free and easy alternative to the fancier resorts.
PRICE: Rooms from US$51.
NIRWANA RESORT HOTEL
This substantial property, 245 rooms and suites, is a firm family favourite. The suites have recently been refurbished and the large pool provides an option for those who don’t want to venture onto the beachfront.
PRICE: Rooms from US$99.
