by: Petrus M. Sitohang
It is true that Bintan Island not as popular as Bali yet. But to date more than 3,300,000 visitors have visited Bintan Resorts alone since it’s opening in 1996. Most of the visitors come from Singapore, Korea, Japan, Australia, United States and Europe. Quite some of them are honeymooners and golfers mad.
Bintan Island is home to the indigenous Malay and Bugis descendants who have long been assimilated with each other. The masterpiece “Gurindam Duabelas” was written by the great Malay poet Raja Ali Haji on Penyengat Island, an islet of 3 miles away from Bintan Island. Bintan island and its capital city of Tanjungpinang today is considered as one of the last bastion of Malay cultures and tradition.
But beside the Malay and the Bugis, the Chinese have also been settled on the island since as early as 13th century. Nowadays you can find almost all Indonesian major ethnics decendants live in this beautiful island.
Bintan island is one of not so many places in Indonesia which not affected by the sectarian conflict, terrorism attack or natural disaster that suffer many places in Indonesian for the last decade.
So, if you have not decided where to go for your next holiday, don’t waste your time. Make up your mind, go to Bintan.
HOW to get to Bintan?
1. From Singapore:
1.1. You can take ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bintan Resorts using Bintan Resorts Ferry catamaran. Ticket fare is around S$ 45-55 for two ways trip. Weekday four times a day. Weekend 6 times. Normal travelling time 55 minutes.
1.2. You may also take ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Tanjungpinang by PINGUIN or FALCON Ferry. Ticket fare is S$ 46 for two ways. Weekday 4 times a day, weekend 6 times. Normal travelling time 1.5 hrs.
2. From Batam:
2.1. You can take ferry from Telagapunggur jetty to Tanjungpinang. Ferry schedule is every 15 minutes. Ticket fare is Rp. 70,000 for two ways. Normal travelling time 55 minutes.
2.2. You may also take speedboat from Telagapunggur jetty to Tanjung Uban. Schedule every 30 minutes. Fare is Rp. 26,000 one way. Normal travelling time is 20 minutes.
2.3. Direct ferry from Telagapunggur jetty to Bintan Resort. Schedule is 3 times a day. Fare is Rp. 100,000 one way. Travelling time is 1.15 minutes.
3. From Jakarta
There is a daily flight from Jakarta to Tanjungpinang by Sriwijaya Air and alternate day flight by Riau Airline. Air ticket is around Rp. 400,000 to 750,000 one way.
true that Bintan Island not as popular as Bali yet. But to date more than 3,300,000 visitors have visited Bintan Resorts alone since it’s opening in 1996. Most of the visitors come from Singapore, Korea, Japan, Australia, United States and Europe. Quite some of them are honeymooners and golfers mad.
Bintan Island is home to the indigenous Malay and Bugis descendants who have long been assimilated with each other. The masterpiece “Gurindam Duabelas” was written by the great Malay poet Raja Ali Haji on Penyengat Island, an islet of 3 miles away
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