Bintan Island, an Island with Challenging Area for Surfing in Riau

Bintan Island is a big island in Riau and it consists of nearly 3,000 big islands and small islands. The island is adjacent to Singapura and Johor Baru in Malaysia. The island stretches from Malaka Strait to South Cina Sea. Bintan itself is a main gate to Indonesia because there are many ferries to Singapore and Malaysia.

 

Location

Bintan Island is located at Tanjung Pinang, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia. There are many ports in Riau Island and Batam Airport of free visa for visitors. If you choose to take a flight from Jakarta, you can land to Batam Hang Nadim International Airport. Besides that, Bintan Island has a small airport to transfer visitors to Natuna Island. Ferry is the main transportation to Bintan Island. There are many departure schedules there.

 From Singapore, the ferry has route from Singapore – Batam – Bintan. There is also a ferry from Singapore – Tanjung Bali in Karimun Island and Tanjung Baru in Kundur Island. From Malaysia, the ferry depart from Johor Baru – Batam – Bintan, and from Kukup in southwest of Johor and Tanjung Balai in Karimun Island. If you start your journey from other islands in Indonesia, the ferry can depart from Dumai, Pekanbaru, Palembang, and Kuala Tungkal in Jambi.

Accommodations

Since many decades ago, there is agreement between Indonesia and Singapore to build Bintan Island together to be a free trading zone in Batam – Bintan – Karimun. The agreement contains a development of Bintan Resort and beaches as tourist destination along 23,000 hectares in Bintan Island facing directly to South Cina Sea.

The facilities and accommodations in Bintan Island are complete. Bintan Resort in the north of Bintan offers classy hotels such as Bintan Lagoon Resort and Ria Bintan Resort with exotic beaches. They also offer luxurious spa and ideal place to rest for tourists. Because the area is windy, the island is suitable for surfing.

Activities

Actually, the main attraction when you visit Bintan Island is Bintan Resort. It is kind of spectacular tourist destination with white sand. You can surf because the beach has powerful waves. Bintan Island has many beaches with an exotic condition. Besides that, you also can learn about local history, especially in Kota Piring Palace in Biram Dewa, Melayu in Kota Piring, East Tanjung Pinang, Pencil Monument and Gurindam as an icon in Tanjung Pinang City.

Visiting Bintan is not complete without coming to Tanjung Pinang. The city has old stilts and an old temple for Buddhist with big bayan tree. You can explore the city by crossing to a small island named as Penyengat Island for about 15 minutes. The island offers you historical site. 

At the east of Bintan Island, you can find white sandy beaches with a blue ocean which is become interesting islands. At Nikoi Island, there are villa and outbound area as an ideal place to picnic. If you explore the south of Bintang Beach, you can find Loola Adventure Resort. The resort offers you eco-tour and adventure for your family. Bintan Agro Beach Resort is the resort that exists along the beach that provides you relaxation, including spa.

As you come to the island, you can explore the nature and beaches. Besides that, you will be challenged by dense of rain forest with 340 in height. There, you can see incredible scenery. Tanjung Pinang is identical to delicious seafood. At night, the street is closed and you can see food stalls providing steam shrimp, spicy crab, fried and drilled fish with spicy flavor.

Pictures taken from www.dianhark.blogspot.com

Telunas Beach as the Best Relaxing Gateway in Batam

Telunas Beach is the mainstay of tourist destination in Karimun Regency to attract tourists, both local and international. The beach has white sand and exotic panorama just like a hidden paradise. With very fine of sand, you even can hear the sound of its sand when you step in. Although Telunas is a new beach but the popularity has been spreading from around the world, especially for tourist that comes from Singapore. The location itself is so close to Singapore and that make one who want to relax and rid the stress come here to enjoy the life.

Telunas Beach offers you eco-friendly, quality of life, and has potential to be developed because it has special character. Everyone can have fun and do many things, like water activities, hiking, or just explore the area around the beach. Fresh air, beautiful scenery, friendly people, and the beach itself will make you love to stay longer here.

Location

Telunas Beach lies at Sugi Island, Moro sub-district, Karimun Regency, Kepulauan Riau (Riau Archipelago) Province. To reach the beach, you can take a boat or speedboat from Tanjung Balai for about 45 minutes. If you start your journey from Batam City, you can take a ferry that departs from Sekupang Port and it takes around 90 minutes. But, if you come from the big cities in Indonesia, like Medan, Jakarta, Bali, you can take a flight to Batam. 

Picture Vannoordadventures.blogspot.com

Accommodations

Most of visitor who visit Telunas Beach will stay in one of beautiful resort named Telunas Beach Resort. They have cottage made from wood. To reach the resort, you can start it from Sekupang Port in Batam for about 90 minutes. And if you start your journey from Hang Nadim Airport, it takes an hour by a car to Sekupang Port. Staying in the cottage can be unforgettable moment because the ambience is so comfortable and you can find tranquility and serenity because each cottages face to the ocean. 

However, if you still want to explore tourist destination near Batam City, you can stay in Swiss-Belhotel Harbour Bay, Gideon Hotel Batam, Harmoni Suites Hotel, Golden View Hotel, Nagoya Mansion Hotel and Residence, Batam View Beach Resort, HARRIS Hotel Batam Center, and Tempat Senang Spa Resort & Restaurant.

Activities

As the first time you step in Telunas Beach, you only have two words to say, spectacular and amazing. Yes, that is true because the beach is such like an amazing place to relax for one who needs a quite spot and chill for romantic long weekend. That is mean you can spend your days with your couple.

The location of the beach is great and you can find pretty view wherever you go. And you may not miss to walk with bare foot in this sandy beach. If you like adventuring and exploring, this is the best zone because you can do many things, like kayaking, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and swimming. 

In Telunas Beach, you also will love to start your day by sitting while seeing crystal water with turquoise ambience of the water. The fish swim freely and sometime they jump on the surface to show off their skill. The beach has long coastline with sloping condition and sandy with many dense trees at the edge of the beach.

If you don’t want to do anything, you can pick your favorite books and stay on the hammock while enjoying the breeze from the ocean and overlooking the water. Maybe, while reading the book, you can hear other visitors play soccer or volley. Although there are many things you can do at day, you still can do something at night by looking crab.

Most of the visitor in Telunas Beach is expats from Singapore, Malaysia, and Korea. They come with group about 30 – 90 people and do many things, like outbound, tracking to the forest, camping, or just doing water activities.  

It is not surprising if Telunas Beach become favorite spot for people who come around Batam because the provider of the beach offers eco-friendly facilities, attractive activities, and consistent to develop the beach. Besides that, it will be a good chance to try local dishes that have delicious taste.

Coming to Telunas Beach means you ready to the ambience of nirvana. Lovely place, incredible scenery, stunning atmosphere and serenity. This is the time to leave stress behind and enjoy the live while watching the sun going down.

Galang Island, Memorizing a Refuge of Vietnamese in Batam

Galang Island ever became a hot discussion in United Nations because the island served as a place for refuge of thousands people from Vietnam. They crossed the ocean and left their country after war between South Vietnam and North Vietnam. They came with boats with alarming condition because they had jostle in a small boat. They drifted for months in South China Sea with unclear purposes.  Most of them died in the middle of sea and some of them could survive and reached Indonesian territory, including Galang Island, Tanjung Pinang, and the closer islands.

United Nation and Indonesian government stated that Galang Island was a safe place for refugee before they sent back to the other countries. They were so happy and thanked to God because they could find a peace in a beautiful island with white sand. There, they started to build houses, place of worship, schools for their children and cemetery.

Currently, the camp becomes a tourist destination site. By visiting Galang Island, you will be brought to remember the tragedy in the past when thousand Vietnamese left their country to find protection. There, you will see so many ruins, like a church and a pagoda which are treated well and can be used by visitors. 

The refugee came around 1976 to 1996 and this can be seen from a replica of a small boat that was used in 1975 by hundred Vietnamese to cross the ocean and escaped from their homeland because of civil war.

Picture Batam-island-info.com

Location

Galang Island is a small island at Kepulauan Riau Province and the camp itself is situated at Sijantung Village, Galang sub-district, and lies close to Batam. It can be reached for 56 km. You can take a ferry from one among six terminal ferry in Batam. If you start your journey from Jakarta, you can continue it again to Hang Nadim Airport in Batam.

The easy way to visit Galang Island is by driving a car because from Batam to the camp needs two hours. The road is quiet and no traffic. But, you still have to be careful when you driving. Just watch the signpost because the gate is not prominent. Then, you have to pay IDR 5,000 or US$0.5 to park a car and admission ticket is IDR 3,000 or US$0.3 per person.

Accommodations

Actually, there is no hotel in Galang Island. But, you can find them in Batam Center like The Centro Hotel & Residence, Ace Hotel Batam, Batam Centre Hotel, King's Hotel Batam, Venesia Hotel, Harmoni One Convention Hotel and Service Apartments, Cittic Batam Hotel, Crown Vista Hotel, and Indah Hotel. 

Besides that, there is no food vendor or restaurant near the camp. You can enjoy the local culinary in Nagoya, Batam Center, and Barelang. For the souvenir, you can purchase it in the island, like pin and t-shirt.

Activities

Entering to the area of the camp, you will be welcomed by dozens of monkey that hanging on the branch of trees. They running and jumping at the edge of the street to catch the nuts that are threw by visitors from their car. The situation is so quiet and there is no activity around the island. 

The tree lining along the street and guide you to reach the camp. Accompanied by the breeze and peaceful atmosphere, your coming will be enlivened by the chirp of birds as if this area is belongs to them. And when you come closer, you start to see the camp that looks like a settlement that has been left for a long time. The farming area stretches widely, green and thriving. 

The sign board ‘Welcome to Vietnam’ will show you that this place was occupied by the refugee. All of the real life that had undertaken by Vietnamese can be seen. All are using Vietnam language for museum and grave. When you walk around the camp, you will find traditional boats that were used by the refugee. It’s wooden boat and they struggled and challenged the high waves to reach the land before they arrived to Galang Island.

Besides that, there are ruins of boat burnt by refugee to protest because that couldn’t get a new citizen. Initially, the settlement was small but lately the new boats came again. Even, they reached Bintan Island and Anambas Island as well.

Not only the houses, but you still can find a small jail and security post. These building were used by Indonesian military to secure, monitor, and preventing vaginal disease, i.e. Vietnam Rose that brought by the refugee. The jail itself was used to prison robber, rapist, killer and one who tried to escape.

Near the entering gate, you will find a woman statue. This monument built to memorize the tragedy of Tinh Han Loai. She was a woman the killed herself because she shied after raped by the other refugee. The cemetery of Nghia-Trang Galang is one spot here. There are 503 graves of refugee. They died because of disease after sailing for months. The cemetery itself is still visited by their family that comes from Vietnam.

Although Indonesian government monitored very tight, but they built worship place, like Quan Am Tu Pagoda, Nha Tho Duc Me Vo Nhiem Church, Protestan Church, and Mosque. The Quan Am Tu is the most prominent worship place and it can be seen clearly from the distance. The building itself are original because the current government keep it very well. 

If you want to know the condition of the refugee, you can go to the museum that displays lot of photo, family photo, activities during their life in the camp, and household stuffs. The museum was used for an office for the UNHCR. Near the museum there is a ruin of hospital that kept the box of medicines.

By visiting the camp in Galang Island, you will be brought to the life of a refuge with Vietnamese who escaped from their country. If you still have time for your vacation, you can continue the trip to Melur Beach in Barelang that is close to the camp. The beach is so beautiful and offers you natural scenery.

Jemur Island, the Perfect Place to Visit Green Turtle Conservation in Riau

Jemur Island is one of Indonesia’s Islands and located at Malaka Strait. Besides that, its island also close to Malaysia boarder and become the center of Arwah Archipelago. People  known Jemur as the widest island there, beside Labuhan Bilik, Tokong Simbang, and Tokong Emas. Jemur is also well-known because it has beautiful panorama and become the habitat of green turtle. 
Jemur Island is inhabitant islands and it is used by fisherman as haven. Although the location is far from Bagansiapiapi, the island becomes tourist destination nowadays. The main attraction is because the island becomes a turtle’s conservation and turtle’s breeding, ancient sites and the legend of its island.

Pictures Indonesia-tourism.com

Locations
Jemur Island covers area 250 hectares and belongs to Pasir Limau Kapas sub-district, Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau Province and located around 72.4 km from Bagansiapiapi. When you want to go there, you can hire fisherman’s boat or charter speedboat. It will take 2 hours from Bagansiapiapi.

 Activities
Jemur Island is a suit place to relax your mind and escape from your routine. The most favorite thing that you can do is visiting the cute green turtle. It is become a unique attraction because its turtle is found only around the island. The perfect time to see the turtle is at mid night because most of them will come to Jemur and hatch the eggs. Strolling along the beach becomes common thing. In some area, you will see golden sand with clear water. Hence, it is not surprise when some people consider Jamur as emerald at Malaka Strait. In the other part of island, you will find white fine sand. The combination between golden and white sand is only can be found in its island.

Jemur Island has beautiful scenery, especially when you see it from above. The tight vegetation forms beach of forest. Most of tourist comes to Jemur because they want to enjoy the breed of green turtle. Once they lay eggs, they able to produce 100 – 150 eggs. After that, they will cover it by sand for hatching. Other activity that you can do in Jemur Island is snorkeling. You will see marine life and group of coral reef around Arwah Archipelago, especially at Jemur. With shallow water, it is become a perfect spot to snorkel and other marine activities. The formation of coral reefs is original and can be enjoyed by all visitors. 

The eggs that able to crack will be put on a basin. After 4 – 6 months, the baby turtle can be released and swim to ocean. Although population of green turtle is big, but threat from predator is also bigger. Even, they can be cannibal and eat their friends. That is why the keeper of Jemur Island will feed them in the morning and evening routinely. If not, they will kill each other. When you come to Jemur, you also can visit lighthouse that standing so strong, Japanese cave’s defense and the foot print of supernatural man, and many more.

Accommodations

Jemur Island has no guest-house. So, if you want to stay overnight, you can build a tent, stay at marine post or at the green turtle conservation. As the marine tourism and conservation, its island become one of place you have to visit if you love to see cute green turtle.