A tender and a shuttle to the beach (Bintan, Indonesia)

Bintan Island is part of Indonesia's Riau Archipelago, and a short boat ride from the city of Singapore. It’s a good thing I’m not superstitious because its name means “haunted, frequented by a ghost or ghosts.” Haha! As far as land space, Bintan is 2.5 times the size of Singapore, the closest major city. The best way to reach Bintan is by small plane or boat. It’s a 45-50 minute ride via motorized catamaran across the Singapore Straight to the Bintan Resort area where we were.

A few quick facts about Bintan - It has a population of 371,270 and is a true mix of cultures like Malay, Buginese, Chinese and the Orang Laut (sea people). It is very close to the equator so has a tropical climate throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from 70-90F (average of 79F). Humidity ranges from 61-96%. The majority religion is Islam, similar to the rest of the nation (with the exception of Bali). As with other places we’ve visited in Indonesia, the people were warm and welcoming.

We arrived around 7 a.m. yesterday for what was basically a short stopover as we were sailing again at 2 p.m. We debated even getting off the ship. Ronnie decided to stay onboard but I wanted to at least see a little of the island so I decided to ride the tender over, get on the shuttle and see where it took us. None of us had been there before so we didn't know what to expect. But with the shuttle running every 30 minutes, even if there's not a lot to see or do, it's nice just to get out and see what's around. So I, along with some others from the ship, tendered across the beautiful blue water to shore. 

After a 15 minute ride, we were greeted by some very friendly locals and then taken by bus to the Bintan Resort, the most prominent of the resort hotels along the beach. The sand on the beach was a powdery white and the water was crystal clear. No wonder Indonesia is promoting Bintan as the next best tourist destination after Bali!

 

Sembah (Indonesian greeting demonstrating respect)

Selamat Pagi! (good morning)

Selamat Datang! (welcome)

Some interesting info about Bintan from our ship newsletter Currents: Bintan’s history is traced to the early 3^rd century. The island flourished as a trading post on the route between China and India, and over the centuries it came under the control of the Chinese, the British, and then the Dutch when it was declared part of the Dutch East Indies through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. In the 12^th century, the Bintan island in the Strait of Malacca was known as the “Pirate Island” since the Malay pirates used to loot trading ships sailing in these waters.”

Thankfully we didn’t see any of those and just enjoyed a pleasurable (but hot) walk around the resort. We're back on the ship now cruising the South China Sea on our way to Muara, Brunei - another of those places I've never even heard of!

a quick photo op stop

beating out a welcome

greetings by drummers

resort path to the beach

warungs (food stalls)

 

interesting root system

 "love locks" rusted from salt and humidity

cool looking retro phone booth

ship people wandering resort grounds

a quiet, clean and peaceful beach

 

 

beach at Bintan Resorts

Bintan Resorts

covered snack area near beach

convenience store within resort

 

The store carried the usual convenience store items - cold drinks, some interesting snacks, a few gift items, etc. Didn't buy any but I'm guessing most of them were pretty good.

fried noodle flavored chips

Tic Tac cassava snacks

rambutan chips

durian chips (think I'll pass...)

my friend Leslie making a purchase

Indonesia shadow puppets in on-ground souvenir shop

Lagoi Bay - a beautiful beach

If you're a serious beach person, I could definitely recommend this beach. However, it's a long way from the greatest country on earth!