Bintan Island stretches all the way from the Straits of Malacca to the South China Sea. Bintan, an astonishing get-a-way destination comprises almost 3,000 large and small islands, immediately across Singapore and Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
The island rejuvenates our mind, body, heart and soul with a blessed tropical climate, precious pearly white sandy beaches, blue crystal clear waters, friendly people which bring us the idle hours of blissful moments.
Golfing
Golfers get-a-way seeking tremendous rates and superb accessible courses out breaking the hustle and bustle of the city.
There are five outlandish golf courses, some of the best in Asia offering spectacular signature holes, fast greens, undulating fairways and scenic water hazards.
Golf enthusiasts will enjoy the unique challenges that test their individual techniques and risk-reward levels through the thick forests and wetlands, scenic coconut groves and foliage-framed greens.
Inland Hiking
Visitors are able to head inland for hiking and are promised to be rewarded by the marvellous 360° view when they reach the 340-metre summit by Bintan’s hilly tropical trek.
Listening to the melodies of nature from the winds swishing through the leaves to the chirping of birds and insects, pondering over the girths of ancient tropical trees, hikers would also stand a chance to try wild seasonal fruits such as durian, jackfruit, rambutan, mangosteen, duku, banana, papaya and pineapples.
They would also catch at glimpse of rare animals such as the Silver Leaf monkey, Sun Birds, eagles and many more.
To top it off, hikers could cool off with a dip in the princess pool at the base of a waterfall upon descent to receive a shower of blessings according to local tradition.
Beach activities
If you feel like really getting wet, well, try some sea sport activities. Its pristine white beaches offer extensive water sports facilities from wind surfing to kayaking, boogie boarding, sailing, banana boat rides, snorkelling, canoeing, scuba-diving, jet skiing, wakeboarding, fishing, diving and more.
Bintan is the classic tropical island paradise that offers the best of the sun, sand and sea most of the year. There are two distinct seasons in Bintan. From November to March, the north-eastern wind brings in the waves and swells from the South China Sea during the monsoon season.
This is a time that wind sports lovers would arrive in droves for activities like wind surfing, boogie boarding, long boarding and more.
From April to October, the calmer sea is just right for diving, water skiing and jet skiing. It's also a good time for beginners to learn scuba-diving and snorkelling, and explore Bintan's underwater world when it is at its most colourful and vibrant moment.
Luxurious Spas
The spas in Bintan offer a range of experiences to soothe the body, mind, heart and soul.
Indulge yourself into inner peace and harmony, embracing ancient remedies refined over the years to modern western therapies and beauty care treatments ideal for relaxation and wellness.
Seafood
Seafood is a special treat in Bintan. The seafood is caught fresh and are priced fairly reasonable. It is normally served in quaint restaurants on stilts over water, called the ‘Kelong’, often offering a panaromic view of the South China Sea.
Dishes that are a must to try would be amongst chilli crab, steamed prawn, grilled fish with spicy sauces, drunken prawn, and so on. The specialty of Bintan is the "Gong Gong" or Pearl Conch (Strombus canarium) which can be found only around Bintan Island.
The huge wet market that is usually teeming with people is definitely worth a visit. It is a true bargains galore for almost everything especially fresh seafood.
Bintan Elephant Park
Home to Sumatran elephants, Bintan Elephant Park offers a wonderful interactive adventure with the elephants. The park organizes elephant rides into the forest. Thus, you are exposed to the touch of completely being in nature.
They offer a feeding the elephant’s sessions too. Visitors are made able to feed this lovely creature. Other offerings by this park would be the elephant shows. Elephants are trained professionally to perform stunts to impress the audience without any harm caused to the animals.
Local Tours
The adventurous ones can take on the ultralight sea plane flight with Air Adventures to explore the island with a bird’s eye view. While the ones seeking to enrich their senses and minds can opt for a cultural and heritage tour.
There is a wealth of historical sites such as the Penyengat, Raja Ali Haji Monument, the Colonial Graveyard, Chinese Pagodas, Banyan Tree Temple, and Grotto Santa Maria, each holding a colourful story of Bintan. Learn the ways of the locals with a visit to the Gypsie Village or Tanjung Pinang. With friendly island locals and varied attractions, there is plenty to make Bintan a perennial holiday destination.
Eco-Farm Tours
Gain the experience of walking through cultivated paddy rice fields, vegetables, fruits and horticulture on the Eco-Farm Tour, through a discovery journey on nature’s eco-cycle and mechanics around the eco-farm.
The eco-farm tour will give visitors, especially urban dwellers, the opportunity to embark on a journey of discovery on nature’s eco-cycle and the mechanics around the eco-farm.
The eco-farm is a haven of greenery where fruits such as pineapples, dragon fruits, corn, papaya, jack fruit, etc are planted, and fish are reared organically.
Vegetables such as green spinach, red spinach, kangkung, lettuce, baby kailan, egg plant, cucumber, spring onion, green bean, bitter gourd, lady fingers, chilli are grown for culinary uses, and plants such as ginger (alpenia galanga), laos (languas galanga), kencur (kaemperia galanga) turmeric (curcuma longa) are grown for medicinal uses.