Discovering the Appeal of a Serene Adventure

If you are like most travelers, you might come to a point where you are looking for a more laid back yet adventurous destination. One that does not generally fit into the more popular stereotypes of travel spots yet offers fun, only in a more relaxed manner.
If so, then Bintan is one of those places that would best fit your taste. Belonging to the Riau group of islands in Indonesia, Bintan is accessible through a 50 minute ferry ride from Singapore. Apart from ferry rides, the island has a small airport at Tanjun Pinang, which is served by an airline from Jakarta and another from Melaka, Malaysia. One of the most prominent characteristic of the island is its serenity, and this can be attributed to the fact that Bintan is quite isolated from mainland Indonesia, and is home to just about 200,000 inhabitants with a mix of cultures like Bugis, Chinese, Malay, and Orang Laut.
The island province boasts of about 105 kilometers of coastline, and being close to the equator, a tropical climate prevails, with temperatures ranging from 21 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius, with 26 degrees Celsius as the average. The north coast around Lagoi is where most of tourist activities are concentrated, being hosts to international resorts. The eastern coast, on the other hand, is unspoiled, and is noteworthy for a visit. Traditional tourist activities include diving, golf, horse riding, and jungle trekking.

The following are the major tourism objects in this peaceful island:
 Tanjung Pinang

 

Once a quiet town located in Bintan's west coast, Tanjun Pinang now serves as the capital of the province. The town's Senggarang area was built in the old local fashion and still hosts some quaint houses built on stilts, along with Buddhist temples. There is a particular Buddhist temple here that is embraced by the roots of a large Banyan tree. Modern developments with its amenities and conveniences, however, are gradually changing the face of Tanjun Pinang with projects such as first class hotels and yachting marinas.
The town is famous for its cheap but excellent food fare including mussels, prawns, fish, squid and gong-gong, a local specialty . Various shops can also be found, dealing with different inexpensive goods such as electronics, toys, tools, batik, gold, and jewelries.

Penyengat Island

At 15 minutes ride by sampan boat from Tanjun Pinang is Penyengat Island, a distance of about 6 kilometers from the capital town. With its restored ruins, Penyengat still bears testament of its illustrious history, being the seat of 18th century Bugis descended viceroys. Visitors can have a glimpse of the old ruler's palace and royal tombs. An old mosque called Masjid Raya is still being used to this day. The palace of Raja Ali, located at the center of the island, was also restored. His Royal Mosque, awash in green and yellow, can also be seen. It was completed in 1844 and has once been an imminent center of 19th century Muslim Malay education.

Trikora Beach

Trikora is the most popular beach located at the east coast, where locals go for relaxation during the holidays. Because it is somewhat isolated, access is quite difficult, and can be reached only by taxi and on occasional bus service from Tanjun Pinang. Accommodation, however, is available for decided visitors. Trikora boasts of white sand coupled with clean waters, an exact opposite of the busy streets in Tanjun Pinang.

Tanjung Uban

Tanjung Uban is Bintan's second largest town after Tanjun Pinang. Located on the northwest coast, it is a short distance by boat from the capital town. Attractions here include an oil storage facility, a district center, a boardwalk called "plantar" with houses along the sea, restaurants, and accommodations also built along the sea, and a variety of shops along the main street.