Bintan, Indonesia is just a ferry ride away from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, that is if you know where you're going.
We booked at Hotel Laguna in Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands' capital and the second largest city in the Indonesian province not knowing that its an hour and 45 minutes away from Bintan Resorts. There's really nothing to see at Tanjungpinang except for the crazy lady at the sidewalk who keeps on laughing at me whenever I pass by.
Amongst the many challenges that a tourist will encounter apart from transportation is that most people at this part of the island doesn't speak english. I was merely asking for a spoon at KFC and the guy kept giving me a straw. You can't ask for directions because it would be a very painful task, that is to try and decipher what the other person is trying to say.
Food was also very pricy at this side of the island. Ranging from $7- $10 Singapore Dollars for a meal. We tried eating at a local restaurant and we felt ripped off when we asked what our bill was. 71,000 rupiah.
Now comes the good part, despite our difficulties with communicating with the locals and tourist friendly transportation (not!) we were able to find our way to their tropical paradise. Bintan Lagoon Resorts.
We took the day tour (which costs around $70sgd with taxes) that gave us full access to the beach and their pool and it also came with a leisure package which included archery, lazer quest (lazer tag), ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) ride for 10 minutes and Bungee Bounce.
It would've been a lot easier had we booked at Bintan Resorts, come to think of it, staying and commuting from the city to and fro Bintan Lagoon Resorts was also a bit pricy. So if you're planning on having your holidays at Bintan Resorts, I would strongly suggest Nirwana Beach Club, we learned from a local driver that you can get a package for $80 per night.
Overall, it wasn't that bad. At least now I know how to get around Bintan and where not to stay.