Bintan Islands
Why go?
Bintan Island and its smaller neighbours are part of the Riau
province of Indonesia, and are the closest islands to Singapore
and the Malaysian peninsula. Bintan is the largest island in the
province, with a surface area of 1,140 sq.km and a coastline over
100km in length. Its population of around 200,000 is a mix of
Malay, Bugis, Chinese and Orang Laut (sea people).
Being only an hour or two by ferry from Singapore (there is no
airport), the islands are popular with Singaporean
holidaymakers - to the extent that the Singapore dollar is
widely accepted as a currency, alongside the US dollar; while the
Indonesian Rupiah is only really needed if you plan to visit towns
like Tanjung Pinang. Both Bintan and Batam islands are in fact
leased from Indonesia by the Singaporean government, the former for
tourist development and the latter as an industrial hinterland, as
its own land is so limited.
The main attraction of Bintan is the white, sandy beaches
which ring the coast, along with the year-round sunshine and warm
waters which come from being just 1 degree north of the equator.
Temperatures tend to range from 22 to 32 celsius (averaging 26),
and humidity from 60-90%, with November-March bringing slightly
wetter weather (hardly a monsoon, though).