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With the health threat from the H1N1 at its ebb and a long weekend ahead during the August 9 National Day period, some of you may be toying with the thought of having a brief escapade. But where?
Close enough to Singapore so you don’t spend too much in terms of traveling time, and idyllic enough that you perceive that you are far away from the Lion City is Bintan.
The island chain at the furthest end of the Indonesian archipelago, is just under an hour away from Singapore and houses a clutch of quality resorts that are all housed within a secure compound which most visitors wouldn’t even notice.
Resort staff who are the only locals who have access to the fenced secure area, are all well-trained and speak English in varying degrees of fluency as well as other languages.
First impressions count, and the Bintan Lagoon Resort does that very well with a brightly-costumed welcome troupe who put on a pulsating dance to drums and Indonesian gongs for each bus-load of guests who drop off at the grand entrance.
The lobby will continue the work of impressing guests, being bright despite its dark wood finish, with a cathedral ceiling and open-plan layout that allows in both natural light and the cool sea breeze.
This area is often a hive of activity with crowds of in-coming guests waiting at reception for room bookings and bags to be sorted out.
However, by 2010 the hope is that guests won’t need to visit the main desk as the resort plans to have its own ferry with passport control and hotel check-in carried out while guests are traveling to Indonesia.
Taking the early ferry from Singapore and with the time difference where watches need to be set back, means you might find your room unavailable for some time on arrival.
This can be a dampener to the start of a break, but keep to the holiday spirit and stay relaxed - there’s enough to keep everyone happily occupied for a few hours.
It’s a hop and a skip to the beach that lies just in front of the hotel.
There you’ll find a host of activities from wake and body-boarding, to jet-skiing and snorkeling.
My favourite activity by the beach is however much more sedate but absolutely pleasurable – a body massage under a cabana lulled by the soothing rhythm of the waves as knotted muscles surrender to the deft fingers of gentle Indonesian masseurs.
Occasionally, you’ll hear the kids who will have a huge canvas for sand-castles and beach games.
A dip in the sea may also seem inviting, but children should do this under supervision as the waves can get quite strong, while adults should best stick to the areas flagged as safe for swimming.
The resort's two swimming pools are safer bets and the young ones might probably enjoy the smaller pool at the East Wing with its water slides along with other pool-side activities for children.
This pool sits adjacent to the Leisure Centre which offers a Kids Club with a minder who has a host of activities to keep kids of all ages well-occupied.
The older ones might however enjoy having a few rounds of Laser Quest where players use each other for target practice while running about in a darkened maze – great fun, according to those aged 8 and up.
As the resort is laid out generously, you will find the rooms quite spacious.
Most of the units in the West Wing have undergone a facelift, offering a brighter and more modern touch.
Gone are the dark woods and traditional wall hangings, and in their place are flat-screen TVs and wave-inspired wall designs that are set off well by the soft lighting in the room.
The bathrooms have also been spruced up with new fittings – unfortunately my bathroom featured a shower-head that had a mind of its own and wouldn’t stay in place unless the shower was at full blast.
All the rooms come with a raised platform by the window which doubles up as a day-bed as well as the extra bed for the second or third child in the room.
It’s a smart design as it’s just nice for lounging around and also saves the guest extra bedding costs, but be warned, some may find the futon too hard for an easy night’s sleep.
The rooms are usually quiet, but pray for quiet neighbours as the walls can be quite thin while the heavy front doors result in much slamming.
The resort only offer two room views, the jungle or ocean, and both are equally serene and pleasant while offering the same space layout.
You pay a premium for an ocean-view room, but it is worth the few extra dollars just to watch the sunset from your balcony and gradual appearance of the fishing boats lights.
If your body clock is still set to Singapore, you’d most likely catch sunrise too from your room.
Waking up with the birds means you could get in at least 9 holes of golf comfortably before lunch.
Head off to the clubhouse which sits next to the hotel to grab a buggy and one of the very knowledgeable caddies to go for a round on either the challenging Ian Baker-Finch course which is inland, or the Jack Nicklaus sea-view course which will see you hitting golf balls as if into the wide ocean expanse.
Those new to golf could still hit a few balls, under the guidance of the resort’s coach.
If you can’t get enough of the greens, then soak in the endless view from the eatery at the clubhouse.
The only activity that Bintan sorely lacks is shopping.
Ask anyone and they’d point you to a cluster of shops made to look like a typical Indonesian village. The wooden huts under palm covered roofs are nearly almost the same in their offerings – paintings, batik, sarong wraps, swimwear and local snacks.
The items sold are sadly no different from what you’d find at the handful of shops at the resort, and neither are the prices which are conveniently tagged in Singapore dollar.
So,save the taxi fare unless you just want a change of scene.
In a space of two or three-days, you’d safely cover most of what Bintan and the Bintan Lagoon Resort have to offer.
However, like many short trip visitors you may find yourself thinking that it’d be nice to squeeze in another 24 hours, or maybe even double that.
The problem is, unless you’re visiting during an off-peak period, chances are an impromptu extension might be hard to realize.
This is partly due to the upgrading of rooms that are being carried out floor by floor, closing off to guests some sections of accomodation.
The disappointment only offers a good excuse to make another trip, even over a weekend, since traveling across to Bintan could take the same time as a bumper-to-bumper trip across Singapore from your suburb to another!
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