BINTAN ISLAND INDONESIA

BINTAN ISLAND

Bintan Island is the most popular with its beaches.

I have been there twice and the island brings me lots of joy indulging in the wavering sea.

Strong sea waves and safe for sea lovers to just play, swim or surfing.

Another uniqueness is to get a good traditional massage on the beach itself, facing the sea.

The island is popular with sea activities due to its powerful safe waves, and the island was developed by the Japanese.

BINTAN RESORT BEACHES

 Bintan Resorts, located at the northern part of Bintan – where many of the resorts are internationally or Singaporean owned as the island is marketed to Singaporeans for whom Bintan is a short ferry trip away

All you need to do – take a ferry form Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Tajung Pinang. Complimentary land trasnfer from Tanjung Pinang's Pier and Bintan Agro Beach Resort & Spa located at Pantai Trikora Km 36, Teluk Bakau, where I stayed for 3D2N.

Tourists can also go for the Bintan Discovery Tour (full day) which covers villages, Trikora Beach, Kawai (Fishing Village), shopping, Historical Island of the Riau Kingdom, Senggarang Temple (200 years old Chinese Temple). Packages includes fresh coconut water, lunch and taxi fare at S$70/adult and children, S$50/adult and S40/children.

Some of the well-known sites of attractions are – Penyengat, Tanjung Pinang City, Raja Ali Hj Monument, Colonial Graveyard, Chinese Pagodas, Banyan Tree Temple and its many beaches and resorts. Natural Maritime Culture is also part of the historical nature's heritage of mangroves, many species of animals and birds and exotic maritime nature of the sea life.

Penyengat – is a historical small island about 2.5 square kilometres in area offshore of Tanjung Pinang, which was a religious, cultural and administrative centre of the region in the 19^th century of the Riao-Johor sultanate.

MASJID RAYA SULTAN RIAU

Masjid Raya Sultan Riau was built in 1818, is an exquisitely kept yellow mosque also called the 'sulfur-colored mosque'. It has many domes and minarets. The unique feature of the mosque is that the mortar used was the special egg-white mortar as the cementing material; eggs were presented to the Sultan by his subjects on the occasion of his wedding. The mosque houses a rare 150-year-old hand written Koran in its Islamic library. 

I really like the Masjid Sultan Riau due to its uniqueness - a mosque that can stand on egg-white mortar, alone. 

BAYAN TREE TEMPLE AT SENGGARANG

The Bayan Tree Temple, is about 100-year-old, located at Senggarang town, outside central of Tanjung Pinang. One temple is in ruins and the other three temples, each about 100-year-old, are located within the courtyard facing the sea. The interior of these temples depicts colorful paintings and wood carvings. Chinese devotees from Singapore are often seen offering prayers, here.

TRIKORA BEACH

The Trikora group of beaches is situated on the eastern side of Bintan and are numbered from 1 to 4 from south to north. The approach road from the capital city is 45 km to its northeast and passes through a locals town called Kangka Kawal and a fishing town called Teluk Kawal.

TELUK KAWAL FISHING VILLAGE

HISTORY

Bintan island is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It is part of the Riau islands province, the capital is Tanjung Pinang, lies in the island's south.

Bintan's history is traced back to early 3^rd century. The island flourised 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.

The island has beaches with beach-front hotels and resorts; the most prominent of these beaches is the Bintan Resorts set over an area of 300 ha of tropical environment. Indonesia is promoting Bintan as the next best tourist destination after Bali.

DECEMBER 2008/2007