Bintan is the largest island in the Riau province, area 1.140 sq. km, with a coastline of about 105 km.Bintan is a mere 45 minutes from Singapore by ferry - the perfect weekend getaway from the city state. With its 105 kilometres of pristine white beaches, clear waters, secluded coves and generous greenery, Bintan is truly a tropical paradise. Its tranquil surroundings entice visitors to relax, unwind and forget the hustle and bustle of the city life.
Bintan is the largest of 3,200 islands in the Riau Archipelago, the third largest of provinces in Indonesia.
Bintan is truly a tropical paradise. Its tranquil surroundings entice visitors to relax, unwind and forget the hustle and bustle of the city life. You can take a stroll along the beach, bask in the sun on the soft white sand, swim in the cool waters or simply doze off in a hammock. In comparision with the beaches of Singapore, Bintan's are so much better.The shores are gently sloped and shallow all the way to a great distance from the coast, the typical characteristics of natural beaches. Thrill seekers can choose from an adrenaline-pumping variety of water sports or take a leisurely swing at the beautiful designer golf course. Nature lovers can take an eye-opening journey on the mangrove and island excursions organized by Riau Island Adventures to explore the island’s flora and fauna. True to its tag as a leisure destination, almost all hotels offer
Bintan is very close to the equator and have a tropical climate throughout the year, with temperatures ranging from 21° to 32°, with an average of 26° Celsius. Humidity ranges from 61 to 96 percent. The period between October to March is characterized as the north monsoon season with more rainfall and stronger winds, but the weather is generally sunny all year around.
Due to it's strategic location and size Bintan has a rich history. Riau has for centuries been the home of Malay and the Orang Laut people (sea nomads). Later migrants came from south China and Indochina. Today people from a large region of Asia have settled here.
The friendly people and the absence of any serious criminal activities guarantee visitors a totally relaxing stay – which is a very pleasant surprise for guests who repeatedly felt threatened in Barbados, Jamaica, and other "dream islands" in the Caribbean.
The minimum needed if you are on a weekend trip from Singapore is a pair of shorts, some sandals and your bathing costume. The mossies can be a problem so bring some repellent. The sun is strong even when it is overcast so slip, slop, slap as the Aussies say.
Money is all important in Indonesia as well as the rest of the world, the local currency here is called rupiah. Notes commonly used today is 500, 1.000, 5.000, 10.000, 20.000, 50.000 and 100.000 Rupiah. Coin values are 50, 100, 500 and 1.000 rupiah. It is not allowed to bring more than 50.000Rp out of the country. One of the small everyday problems you will encounter is to have enough of the smaller values, as most people are not able to change a 50.000 or a 100.000 rupiah note, or that is anyway what they will tell you. All hotels accept credit card payments by Visa, MasterCard, and American Express card.
Food In Bintan Island
Spicy crabs drenched in thick gravy, huge green mussels oozing juices in a bed of fried brown garlic slices, shimmering ocean prawns cooked to light-wine perfection, tenderly plump fish siphoned fresh off the ocean floor - in short - Bintan is the place for the seafood specialists and food-hungry hoards. When the sun goes down and the stars twinkle in the twilight, this beautiful Riau island transforms itself into a wonderland of gastronomic delights. Nightly, like the lady of the night, it unveils a seafood spread fit for the gods but which ordinary mortals like you and I can feast to our heart's content.
You will love dining in a kelong-style restaurant set on stilts (there are many dotted around the coasts) while the balmy sea breezes gently lift drops of sweat off your brow. Do not turn down the chef's recommendation - dig your fingers into gong-gong (no, it's not the Mandarin word for 'grandpa') - but a succulent shellfish popular with the islanders.
Beyond Bintan Resorts lies Tanjung Pinang, the seaside capital town of Bintan Island located about an hour and a half south from Bintan Resorts by car. It's back to "yester-years" as busy shoppers mill the open-air market stalls fingering plastic bags of sea cucumbers, dried shrimps, crunchy crackers, savoury ikan bilis (anchovies), and all kinds of sweet, sour or salty tidbits.
Foodies will love the wide variety of sun-dried seafood including spongy scallops and oyster-flavoured squids, while it's not surprising to see others stuffing their bags with kerupuk (prawn crackers) and emping - paper-thin slices of fried belinjo fruit curls.
Get Nice Shopping In Tanjungpinang City Bintan Island
Shopping here is fun and often extremely exhausting - simply because you will have to jostle with crowds and elbow off eager-eyed bargain-hunters who are all too ready to snatch priceless finds at amazing prices! At every street corner, traditional Indonesian wares adorn the shops and fill right out to the pavement. It seems like everything under the sun is for sale - antiques, Chinese porcelain, old silver coins of the Straits Settlements, Dutch colonial chests, and Arabic coins laid out on the ground at Senggarang near a famous Chinese Temple.
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