We were supposed to be travelling to Taiwan for our Babymoon but due to the recent Novel Coronavirus, we changed our plans and decided to go to Bintan instead.
However, if you are more adventurous and would like to take advantage of this opportunity to travel (because flight tickets are now pretty cheap), you can make your flight booking easy by doing a quick search online and you might find Tigerair flight ticket to be quite value for money for short-haul regional trips.
It has been more than 18 years since I last visited Bintan and the only memory that I have of Bintan was going on a simple family vacation trip to Club Med where I joined the Kids Club and was involved in activities such as archery, flying trapeze, sailing, and many more.
Currency/Costs
Many people tend to think that Bintan is a pretty expensive place and we don’t deny that because if you mainly hang around the Bintan Resort Areas for the entire duration of your trip; it is definitely going to be super expensive because of the additional 10% service charge and 11% government tax. What that means is that for every $10 you spend at the Bintan Resort Area, you actually spend $12.10. This amount could add up quite a fair bit if you are a big spender.
Just so you know, the currency being used here is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) and not the USD.
Our Accommodation
We put up at The Anmon Resort Bintan for 3 Days 2 Nights and it costs us $333.79 after some promotional discounts on Agoda.
There were a couple of reasons why we chose to stay at The Anmon Resort Bintan:
- The Anmon Resort Bintan is relatively new and they opened their doors to welcome guests since 2019. During our stay there, we heard that their official opening is going to take place sometime in March 2020.
- Glamping has been a way of life for us whenever we travel abroad. From our first glamping experience at Lake Shoji, Japan to our second glamping experience at Otiake, New Zealand (we haven’t blogged about this yet); we have been searching for our next glamping adventure and The Anmon Resort Bintan was just the perfect answer!
- The Anmon Resort Bintan is within walking distance to Treasure Bay and the new Marine Life Discovery Park. The deluxe teepee-style glamping tent that we stayed at was just a 5-minute walk to the new Marine Life Discovery Park.
- Shuttle service is provided to-and-fro the Ferry Terminal and The Anmon Resort Bintan. The Ferry Terminal and The Anmon Resort Bintan is just a 8-minute drive away.
Our Deluxe Teepee-Style Glamping Tent
Every glamping tent is air-conditioned and comes with an enclosed patio and a private ensuite bathroom. Just so you know, the private ensuite bathroom was something that our previous glamping experiences did not offer so this is where The Anmon Resort Bintan stands out.
Also, the WiFi connection is amazingly strong and stable throughout the resort. We were expecting the Internet connection to drop at some point but it did not and we suppose one of the key reasons for that is because The Anmon Resort Bintan operates an intuitive Digital Concierge feature that runs on an AI platform to provide guests a 24-hour access to information. Through the Digital Concierge, you can request for toiletries, in-room dining service and many more.
In case you are wondering, the glamping tent can also sleep up to 4 guests (bedding provided at no additional costs); hence, making it perfect for families with children.
An access card is required to enter the tent and a safe is provided in every tent to store any valuables or belongings. There is also a mini-bar fridge available to keep all your drinks chilled. We must say, the service at The Anmon Resort Bintan is top notch and very personalised. We totally enjoyed our accommodation experience and will highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a unique dessert-themed glamping place to stay at.
The Anmon Resort Bintan Facilities and Amenities
The Anmon Resort Bintan has a full-service restaurant known as the Compass Rose Restaurant and this is where the daily buffet breakfast is served. Personally, we felt that the daily buffet spread did not offer much variety as compared to the experiences that we had in Batam.
An average meal at the Compass Rose Restaurant costs about $18 and if you are in the mood for some Shisha and Bintang Beer, it will cost you $37 and $11 respectively.
One area that The Anmon Resort Bintan impressed us the most was the outdoor alfresco area where you can just unwind and watch a movie while you sip a glass of margarita.
If that does not help to cool you down, you can have a splashing good time at the outdoor container “swimming pool” that is situated just next to the outdoor alfresco area.
The Places and Activities That We Visited and Did
Treasure Bay
There are tons of activities that you can do at Treasure Bay; from Bouncy Castle, Slip & Slide, Stand-Up Paddling, and Kayaking to Riding the ATV and Setting off Some Fireworks.
If you buy the 1-day Adult Pass that cost $75 SGD, it includes Slip & Slide, Cable Tube, Mangrove Pontoon Tour, Use of Giant Floats, Lagoon Kayaking, Paddle Boat, ATV, Rodeo Bull, 2-Wheeler Transport, Beach Volley Ball and Beach Soccer.
For us, we prefer to go a-la-carte because there are more options that are not included in the 1-day adult pass and we also like the flexibility of choosing what we wanted to do.
If you’re a sporty person, the 1-day pass might just be more suitable for you. However, if water sports ain’t your cup of tea, you would be better off with the a-la-carte options.
Scooting Around Treasure Bay & The Anmon Resort Bintan
We rented an electric scooter for about $30 to get around Treasure Bay and The Anmon Resort Bintan. Although there is a buggy service that’s available, having an electric scooter makes it very convenient as it saves waiting time. Furthermore, it also allows for many interesting photo stops along the way.
Seafood Dinner @ Kampoeng Kelong Seafood Restaurant
To get to Kampoeng Kelong Seafood Restaurant, a transport was arranged to fetch us from The Anmon Resort Bintan to the Mangrove area where we then had to take a speedboat to get to the Kelong Restaurant. The setting is rather tranquil, serene and we highly recommend it.
There are also other Kelong Restaurants within the vicinity but we chose Kampoeng Kelong Seafood Restaurant because of its more reasonable pricing.
Although we ordered small portions, our entire dinner which comprises of cockles, butter prawns, seafood fried rice, sambal kangkong, hotplate tofu, and mushroom soup was enough for up to 4 persons and it costs us $80.
Adventure Mangrove Night Tour
We went on an Adventure Mangrove Night Tour that cost us $16 per person and although the entire experience was a safe and pleasant one; we were slightly disappointed as there weren’t that many fireflies.
If you really want a magical experience, the best time to go for this would be between April to June and also, choose a New Moon Phase and not a Full Moon Phase. It can be very distracting to spot some fireflies especially when the moon is fully illuminated.
Sky Lantern and Fireworks
An option to light up a Sky Lantern or set off some fireworks at the main activity centre and if you are planning for a surprise marriage proposal; this is just the perfect setting for it after the magical Adventure Mangrove Night Tour.
The Impromptu Half Day Tour to Tanjung Pinang
We had a whole day to ourselves and we were deciding how best to spend our time. Hence, we decided to go on an impromptu half-day tour to Tanjung Pinang. The private transportation costs us about SGD$92 for 6 hours and entrance fees to some of the attractions are not included.
Here are some places of interest that we visited during the half day tour:
Gurun Pasir Bintan
Gurun Pasir Bintan (also known as Bintan Desert) is the perfect place to get some Instaworthy shots. The entrance fee costs $4 per person and you can be there for as long as you like.
We advise that you bring along a hat, a tripod, and some sunscreen protection as it can get scorching hot.
Vihara Avalokitesvara Graha (Guan Yin Temple)
There are no entrance fees to the temple and it houses one of the tallest statues of the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) in Southeast Asia (this grand and majestic brass statue is 16.8m tall and is coated in 22 carat gold).
What is also interesting about the temple is that it has a dragon fruit plantation that sits right at the front of the temple.
Vihara Ksitigarbha Bodhisatvva (500 Lohan Temple)
Entrance fees to the 500 Lohan Temple costs $3 per person and the temple compounds are mightily impressive and big. Although the highlight of the temple is the 500 life-sized Lohan/Arhat stone statues (each with intricate physique and facial expressions that is different from the next), some visitors might consider the gigantic Buddha statue at the entrance of the temple to be the highlight instead.
Tanjung Pinang Traditional Market
We reached Tanjung Pinang Traditional Market at about 1600 hours and we were hoping to see if we could get any souvenirs to bring back.
However, many shops were closed and our driver told us that the best day/time to visit would be in the morning during the weekends. Hence, it was pretty much a missed opportunity for us.
Tanjung Pinang Mall
As there were nothing much that we could do or see at Tanjung Pinang Traditional Market, we asked our driver to bring us to a mall in Tanjung Pinang where we could do some shopping.
Our driver chose to bring us to Ramayana and honestly, there was nothing much that we could shop for over there. If you really want to do some serious shopping in Tanjung Pinang, head to Tanjung Pinang City Centre instead.
Marine Life Discovery Park
On the last day of our Bintan trip before returning Singapore, we visited the Marine Life Discovery Park (MLDP) that is just a 5-minute walk away from our glamping tent.
The MLDP is a rather new attraction where visitors can learn more about marine life through snorkelling, diving, or touch-pool activities and entrance fees cost $15 per person.
When we were there, some parts of the Marine Life Discovery Park were still under construction and though we managed to do some snorkelling; it was not a pleasant experience as it was really slippery and murky.
At the touch-pool, there are starfishes, sea snails and a baby shark which we had a chance to interact with and we also got to see some sea turtles.
There is also an integrated mangrove and aviary where we learnt about the flora and fauna that forms an integral part of the region’s marine life ecosystem.
Overall
We had a great time in Bintan and we definitely look forward to visiting again!