• Understand
• Get in
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Talk
• Stay safe
• Get out

Mana Mana beach, Bintan Resorts

Bintan Resorts [1], also known as Lagoi, is the northern part of the Indonesian island of Bintan.

[edit] Understand

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 watersports. The area is separated from the rest of Bintan by barbed wire, checkpoints and armed guards.

[edit] Get in

Bintan is an island with no airport, so your only choice of arrival is by boat. Most travelers arrive from Singapore.

Bintan Resort Ferries [2] 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.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By bus

An overpriced shuttle bus ferries visitors from ferry terminal to the resorts. Services are timed to meet ferries and cost S$3-5 one-way, S$5-9 return. However, many resorts offer free shuttle services for their guests.

[edit] By car

Indorent [3] has the monopoly on car rental in Bintan Resorts and charges accordingly. A full day's car rental will cost you S$100/130 with/without driver.

[edit] By taxi

Indorent monopolizes taxis too. The shortest trip costs S$10, while one-way transfer out of Bintan Resorts to Trikora/Tanjung Pinang is an extortionate S$60/55.

[edit] See

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.

[edit] Do

Golf is popular, with several excellent golf courses charging much lower prices than in neighboring Singapore. Watersports of all sorts are also popular, although the scuba diving here is lacklustre.

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 bodyboarding, but not good for most anything else.

However, do not solely devote your entire vacation to the beach resort. 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.

[edit] Buy

In Bintan Resorts, Indonesian rupiah are practically useless, all prices are denoted in Singapore dollars and cash payment is expected in dollars. While all shops will accept rupiah, prices would be converted from Singapore dollars at very poor rates and rounded up. Prices are expensive compared to Singapore and very expensive compared to almost anywhere else in Indonesia. You also need to add 10% tax and 10% service charge to almost anything you buy.

• Pasar Oleh-Oleh. [4]. This cluster of huts offers Indonesian goods at inflated prices, but it's still cheaper than the hotel gift shops and minimarts. Return shuttle transfer from most resorts for S$6.

• Factory Outlet is located just next to the ferry terminal. It has a reasonable selection of clothes and prices are comparable to what is available in your average Singapore clothing shop, which is much more expensive that what is available elsewhere in Indonesia.

[edit] Eat

In the hotels is nearly every food available. This reaches from the traditional Indonesian food over the usual European food to some Sushi-Bars.

• Hello-Hello Restaurant. In Pasar Oleh-Oleh. Offers authentic Indonesian food at almost-reasonable prices. Figure on S$10-20 per head for a full meal.

[edit] Drink

Bintan Resorts' nightlife is limited to hotel bars.

• Silk, Bintan Lagoon Resort, [5]. Bintan's first full-fledged nightclub. Opened in September 2006, and it remains to be seen whether it will take off.

[edit] Talk

Bintan Resorts' sole industry is tourism, so English is widely understood.

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Budget

There is no budget accommodation available in Bintan Resorts.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Stay safe

Behind its barbed wire Bintan Resorts is, like Singapore, safe. You can even drink the tap water.

[edit] Get out

The exact same way you got in - by ferry! If you have the cash, you can rent a car with a driver for about S$100 and visit the real Bintan. Places to visit include Tanjung Pinang and Tanjung Uban.

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