for the exact ramadan long weekend holiday, amors, carla and I went to Bintan Lagoon Resort for some beach bumming and more bonding. this leg of trip was one of the best laid back beach trips i had since forever.
since this was a new destination for me, i would try to share all of the details from this experience.
Photo Credits: Amors and Carla
GETTING TO/FROM/AROUND
Singapore to Bintan via Mozaic Ferry (Round trip) - 67.50 SGD
we took the first ferry ride to Bintan. We were at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal as early as 8 am only to be surprised that the ferry terminal was so jampacked with people leaving Singapore at that same day. Amors, queue in line and was offered a "fast track" service for immigration worth 5 SGD each. We all agreed assuming it was for the Singapore Immigration since we were already running late. only to realize that the fast track service was when we arrive Bintan. Fail. haha!
Bintan Lagoon Resort to Town via shuttle bus - 5 SGD/pax
the resort provides shuttle bus service if you feel like exploring outside of resort and to explore the island's town.
Bintan to Singapore via Mozaic Ferry
the great advantage of the resort was its own ferry terminal. it's walkable to the resort itself plus they have their own immigration officer for arriving and departing tourists.
TIP: if you're kitas holder like me, better to have multiple re-entry permit if you're entering and exiting Indonesia more than once.
ACCOMMODATION
for this trip, we stayed at Bintan Lagoon Resort. for 3 days/2 nights stay, our total room charge (including taxes and fees and additional bed with free daily breakfast) was 896 SGD.
here's my rate with regards to resort's room experience:
PROs
- room size was adequate for the three of us
- bed and pillows were comfy enough
- nice bathrobes
- good room service (cake for carla's surprise birthday)
- problem with sink upon arrival, we have to call engineering to have it fixed
- non - working safety deposit box despite staff's attempt to fix it
- hotel didn't include the extra bed upon checking - in the room. we still have to call reception for it
- room view was the back of the resort. nothing to see.
- towels were thin
RESORT DINING
the resort has a lot of dining choices according to what we have read at the resort. However, we felt like the choices were very limited. Here are some of the dining places we tried during our 3 day trip.
Rice
Rice is the beach front restaurant of the resort. we had our lunch and dinner here. over all experience was not so good. food was forgettable, service was slow. despite the advance reservation we booked for dinner, they showed us a poor looking table for 3 at the corner of the restaurant. we decided to eat at the bar side of the restaurant instead.
Tip: If you're very hungry, you might get disappointed with the arrival of food. It took us more than 30 minutes of waiting for a simple dinner dishes.
lunch
dinner
Orzo Italian Restaurant
we had no idea that we have to book in advance for this restaurant. looking inside, it was not full. we were told to come back after 30 minutes. But we went back after 15 minutes and surprisingly we were given a table. whut?!
i was disappointed with my pasta. the noodles were not al dente. for a pasta lover like me, i was seriously pissed. pizza was also a disappointment. as for the service, we were served by a local indonesian that can speak tagalog. it was fun talking to her. However, the service upon getting a table was still a deal breaker.
Kopi O
where the buffet breakfast was being served every morning. for the two breakfast experience we had, it was always crowded. queues for the egg stations were always long. Thus, service was poor. when we asked for coffee and tea, we have to remind not thrice but four times. servers look lost which we assumed by the massive crowd but still, they should have anticipated it and won't compromise the service.
food was unremarkable. seriously saddened by the turkey bacon. i only liked the pancake. pastries was also so - so.
RESORT AMENITIES/ACTIVITIES
let's start with the out of resort experience. since it was raining on our first day, we decided to hit the town to buy snacks and wine and local sim for amors. it was a 10-15 minute drive to the nearest town. I have no idea if the town was really that deserted or because it was ramadan holiday. Still, you may opt to have a manicure/pedicure, dine in some local restaurant and buy snacks. at a mini grocery, everything was in singapore dollars. mahal! presyong turista! but we have no choice but to buy the cheapest wines and random snacks.
ghost town
Resort's pool area
it was clean and pools were massive hence it was not too crowded. good for swimming too.
Resort's beach area
it was also clean for most parts, wide and the beach itself was good for swimming. best place for tanning.
Other areas of resort
manicured lawn
lobby area for lounging
we didn't try other activities like water sports, golf and massage so i have no idea if they were good.
my over all experience would be something like this...
Why i would return next time...
- good place for solo soul searching trip (ehem amors! haha!)
- too expensive for the experience and amenities
- service was not impeccable inspite of being a five star resort
- no free wifi
- food choices were unremarkable
pre-dinner photo ops
happy birthday carla!
beach bums
yoga by the beach
pool lounging
dinner
photo ops at the lobby area. thanks to jowa for this pic. haha!
breakfast
Final Thoughts about Bintan
three of us agreed that it was each other's company the reason we survived and somewhat enjoyed our beach getaway. inspite of the disappointments especially with the service, we had too much fun talking random stuff and reminiscing college days that this trip was still one of the books.
i don't think i would be coming here again very soon or worse, there might not be a next time. peace.
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