Bintan
Encyclopedia
Bintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island in the Riau archipelago
of Indonesia
. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang
, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community.
Bintan's land area is 2402.28 square kilometre (total area is 60057 square kilometre including 96% sea area). Its administrative region is designated the Bintan Island Regency
, one of the six administrative regions of the Riau Islands province. The city of Tanjung Pinang
is an autonomous area within the Bintan Island.
Bintan's history is traced to the early 3rd century. The island flourished as a trading post on the route between China
and India
, and over the centuries it came under the control of the Chinese
, the British
, and then the Dutch when it was declared part of the Dutch East Indies
through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
. In the 12th century, the Bintan island in the Strait of Malacca
was known as the "Pirate Island" since the Malay pirates used to loot trading ships sailing in these waters.
Singapore
, the closest major city, is a 45-50 minute trip by motorised catamaran
across the South China Sea
from Bintan Resort area in the northwest of the island. The island has beaches with beach-front International hotels and resorts; the most prominent of these beaches is the Bintan Resorts
set over an area of 300 hectares (741.3 acre) of tropical environment. The archipelago of the Riau islands is right opposite to this resort across the South China Sea. Indonesia is promoting Bintan as the next best tourist destination after Bali
.
, domination by the Portuguese
, the Dutch
, the Arabs, and the British
at different times has been a part of Bintan's rich history. Many local internal feuds between the Malays and Bugis, and battles in the sea, with and between foreign invasion forces, have been part of Bintan's history and its straits. From mid 16th century, the Sultan of Johar-Riau kingdom had moved their kingdom between Johar
, Riau and Lingga.
The earliest history of Bintan is linked to the history of Nagoya Hills, which is integral with Batam, near Bintan island and other islands of the Riau archipelago. The Chinese chronicles have mentioned that Batam was inhabited by 231 AD when Singapore island was still called Pulau Ujung (Ujung Island). Bintan came under the control of the Malacca
kingdom from the 13th century. Later, the Sultan of Johor
ruled from here and his reign lasted till the 18th century.
Riau Islands were central to the greater Malay kingdoms or Sultanates, known as the 'Malay World', which had its control from eastern Sumatra
to Borneo
. For centuries, Riau was the home of Malay and Orang Laut
people. They had settled in Bintan. These two communities were the backbone of most Malay kingdoms from the time of Srivijaya
to the Sultanate of Johor. They had full control of trade routes going through the straits. Migrants from China and Indo-China, though came here later, settled in large area of Asia. After the fall of Melaka in 1511, Riau islands became the centre of political power of the mighty Sultanate of Johor or Johor – Riau, based on Bintan island. They were considered the centre of Malay culture.
From the 12th to 13th century, the Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra held sway over Bintan island. Sri Tri Buana, a member of the royal family of Palembang
had visited Riau Islands in 1290. The Queen of Bintan met him and made a strategic alliance. They moved with a "flotilla of 800 vessels to Bintan" where Sri Tri Buana became the king. However, Bintan and its straits got the reputation as a pirate island due to the Malay pirates who seized many ships by forcing them to the port to trade and or loot the cargo carried by them. Hundreds of ships of Malays forced Chinese ships returning from the Indian Ocean
to their ports in Bintan. Those who resisted were attacked. Large quantities of Chinese ceramics
were recovered on Bintan, some traced to the early Sung Dynasty (960–1127). The Arab
ian chronicler, Ibn Battuta
, writing on the Riau islands in the 13th century states: "Here there are little islands, from which armed black pirates with poised arrows emerged, possessing armed warships; they plunder people but do not enslave them." Log records of Chinese ships testify these incidents in the 12th century. Even after several centuries, Bintan is still referred by many by the epithet "Pirate Island".
According to historical records, Sri Tri Bhuvana occupied Singapore and then declared himself as the King of Singapore. Before that he renamed Temasek
, the island he had occupied, as Singapore. Another explanation mooted to the naming of Singapore is that the king spotted an animal, which he presumed to be a lion, and hence called Temasek as Singapore (Lion City). The reign of Srivijaya empire lasted till the 16th century.
In the year 1521, the Portuguese
who were on pepper
hunt, had the intention of building strongholds in the form of forts during their sea voyages in the East, on Sunda Island in Java
after they had received instructions from their King to destroy four forts in India, Sri Lanka
and Sumatra
. However, they initially failed to capture Bentan, the stronghold of the former Sultan of Malaca
on the south east of the Singapore Strait
and Atjeh (the capital of a new Sultanate, which was emerging in North Sumatra
). At this time, they were successful in establishing a fort at Pasai
though were unsuccessful in establishing a fortress at Canton
in China and suffered defeat at the hands of the Chinese. In 1524, Malays of Bintan attacked Malacca, which was under the control of the Portuguese.
Bintan first became politically important when Sultan Mahmud
of the fallen Sultanate of Malacca fled to Bintan and created a resistance base there after Malacca was taken by the Portuguese forces in 1511. The Portuguese eventually destroyed the stronghold in 1526, and after a few years the Sultanate founded a new capital back on the Malay Peninsula
and developed from there.
At the beginning of 18th century the Sultanate of Johor entered into political turmoil and the capital moved back to Bintan as the Bugis
took control of the Sultanate. At the hands of the Bugis, Bintan became a powerful trading port, attracting regional, Western, Indian and Chinese traders as well as migrants including Chinese much in the same way Malacca had developed into a regional power three centuries earlier.
European powers wanted to take control of the port, which had a flourishing trade. During this period the British
, who controlled Penang
, were aggressively looking towards expanding their control to the south of the Straits of Malacca, as they wished to contain the Dutch expansions. They considered Bintan as a possible location. During this period the Dutch had defeated the Bintan rulers and taken control of the island by the end of the 18th century; this had brought to an end the local trading supremacy. This also resulted in checkmating the British ambition to occupy the area. However, an internal power struggle within the Sultanate of Riau-Johor ensued. The British seized this opportunity and occupied the island of Singapore. With this, the importance of Bintan island as a trading port also declined. A new cultural centre developed on Penyengat Island
and it got established as the stronghold of Malay and Islamic culture.
However the history changed the fate of Riau as a political, cultural or economic centre when Europe
an powers took control of the regional trade routes by taking advantage of political weaknesses within the Sultanate. Singapore Island, that had been for centuries part of the same greater Malay kingdoms and sultanates, and under direct control of Sultan of Johor
, came under British control. The creation of a European-controlled territory in Johor-Riau heart broke the sultanate into two parts, destroying the cultural and political unity that had existed for centuries.
The Anglo-Dutch treaty
of 1824 consolidated this separation, with the British controlling all territories north of the Singapore Strait and Dutch controlling territories from Riau to Java. Till the independence of Indonesia
in 1945, Bintan was under the control of the Netherlands East Indies. However, the Riau Archipelago remained a fairly borderless territory till recently. During the World War II
Japan
ese had occupied the Malay world and Singapore was their headquarters. During this period, many Malays including the upper strata of society had to join the Imperial Army
. After the war, from 1950 the Archipelago was a duty free zone till the revolution Konfrontasi in 1963. During this period, the Straight Dollar
of British Malaya
was the principal currency. Visa free movement of people, which existed then is now no more prevalent.
and is located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of the Batam Island. It has a coast line of 105 kilometres (65.2 mi) and has rolling topography in its landform. The Riau islands were a province of Indonesia, which encompassed the Riau Archipelago
, Natuna Islands
, Anambas
, and Lingga Island
s. However, in July 2004, the islands of Riau were divided to form the province with its capital at Tanjung Pinang
. The archipelagos of Anambas and Natuna, located between mainland Malaysia and Borneo
are now part of this province
In the Tanjung Pinang city, the low tide reach or the mud flat part was built with stilts and were mosquito and rat infested. Above these mud flat reaches, narrow piers or pelantars were built at higher elevations and the old city of Tanjung expanded with a maze of streets and alleys. The old pier with the name Pelantar II thrives as the fish market. The town has a large population of the Chinese, whose presence is seen around three Buddhist Pagodas with the 'Citiya Bodhi Sasana' overlooking the ocean at the end of Pelantar II pier.
The Indonesian sea route through the Bintan straits has been considered very safe for sailing of small freighters. The island has developed over the centuries in two distinct zones, namely, the southern and the northern zones, which are clearly differentiated from the prevalent life styles of people living there.
The highest hill on the island is Bintan Besar, which is 360 metres (1,181.1 ft) in height and has thick forest cover. It is formed by old volcanic eruptions. The summit of this peak can be reached through a forest track and the climb takes about 3 hours. The top of this peak provides a panoramic view of Bintan. It is approached from a hamlet at the foot of the hill, known as Kampung Sekuning, which is 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from Tanjung Pinang. Despite being larger than Batam
, it is less populated.
Several daily ferries run between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal of Singapore to the Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal on the northern part of the Island in Bintan resorts and also at the Telaga Punggur Ferry Terminal at Tanjung Pinang, the capital of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands covering a distance of 45 kilometres (28 mi) in about 45 minutes. The nearest airport to Bintan is at Batam Island. From here, chartered ferry services are available to Bintan and Bintan Resorts
.
Bintan is very close to the Equator
. Hence, tropical climate
is dominant all through the year with two distinct seasons namely the northeast monsoon
from November to March and a dry southwest monsoon from June to October with the annual rainfall precipitation
incidence varying in the range 2500–3000 mm (98.4–118.1 in). The island has an "insular character" with a constant temperature averaging at 26 °C (78.8 °F). The temperatures reported vary between 21 °C (69.8 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F). March to early November is the dry and the quiet season with clear sunny days. Winter season lasts from late November to March.
and Singapore. Following its founding by the British in 1819, Singapore became a new regional trading centre. Due to its limited size, Singapore initiated the Sijori Growth Triangle
in 1980 and 1990s, and signed agreements with the Indonesian government to invest in Batam and Bintan.
The economy of Bintan island is centred on tourism, given its close proximity to Singapore. In the year 1990, according to a Presidential Decree (25 July 1990), a coordinating team was set up for the Riao Province Development with the mandate to plan and develop development projects within the framework of Indonesia-Singapore cooperation. Investment plans, similar to that of Batam, were evolved with basic intention to provide leisure space to Singaporeans on the white beaches of Bintan and this approach also conformed to the Indonesian Policy of declaring the 1990s as the "decade of Visit Indonesia". In 1991, Bintan Management Resort for establishing a resort with intent to develop resorts, industrial parks and water projects was planned. In December 1994, partial opening of Bintan Resort Development was agreed under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by trade ministers of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. As per the Master Plan prepared for Bintan, the emphasis was on tourism, industrial projects and agricultural products, all under private sector initiative, involving formation of a consortium of the Singapore Technologies Industrial Corporation, Wah Chang International (whose specialisation is development of resorts), the Keppel group and the local banks. Thus, the once wild and deserted Bintan island has now become an industrial "hinterland" for Singapore and a special investment zone for world industrial companies, also attracting thousands of workers from the entire country. This industrial estate agreement is in partnership with Batamlndo Industrial Park. The Bintan industrial estate has been allotted 4000 hectares (9,884.2 acre) and is designed as a "One stop investment centre" providing all services essential for the investing companies to devote exclusively towards production. It targets industries such as textiles, garments and wood processing, unlike the Batam industrial estates. This functions as a supplement to Singapore's economy by way of manufacturing low-value goods here.
Earlier, Singapore's Batam Industrial Park had signed an agreement with Indonesia to lease its northern coast and develop it into a resort ("Bintan Resort") for Singaporeans. An area of 23000 hectares (56,834.2 acre) had been allocated to this project, which was further divided to 20–30 projects – 3000 hectares (7,413.2 acre) for hotels and resorts and sports facilities. Further, the Bintan Lagoon and Beach Resorts, designed exclusively for wealthy tourists, has been planned with "two 18-hole championship golf courses with superlative accommodation". This resort area has exclusive approach from Singapore that bypasses the capital city. It has modern facilities of museums, handicraft shops, artists villages and other eco-tourism related attractions.
The agribusiness venture planned under the Master Plan for Bintan envisages pig rearing for export to Singapore and sea food processing plants. Fishery cultivation of grouper fish
, napoleon, kakap and Bream are also planned in the island.
Under the industrial sector, the identified fields for development are mining of Bauxite
(Bauxite reserve is 15.88 million tons), kaolin, granite, white sand and tin
. Government of Indonesia has also planned the petroleum industry
with its subsidiary industry of manufacture of plastics in Bintan.
Bintan Eco-Tourism Venture Project has been launched to generate better income avenues for the low-income families. The eco-tourism destinations identified are all within approachable distances that could be covered in about 30 to 90 minutes from the starting point by car. Village handicrafts made from the local pandanus plants is a popular attraction during the eco-tour to villages in Bintan.
The Integrated resort management is highly dependent on the International tourism industry. Tourist foot falls, as recorded till 2004, have been reported to be on the increase.
Thus, the massive and ambitious economic development plan envisaging "10 golf courses, 20 hotels, 10 condominiums, three village clusters, a township, several marine and eco-tourism attractions" launched in 1995 with a gestation period of 20 years, was according to the leisure industry analyst of Singapore: "Bintan has better prospects because of the people behind its development. They are big names who will have to maintain their reputation.
In 2010, 300,000 tourists visited Bintan Island and most of them came from Singapore
, Korea
and Japan
. 75 percent of foreign tourists came by ferry from Singapore, while domestic tourists mainly came by airplanes. A new airport is planned to be built at Lobam industrial area to accommodate Boeing 737
s and Airbus 320s for one million tourists predicted come in 2015. The new airport is 35 minutes from Bintan Resort
, whereas the current Tanjung Pinang airport is 90 minutes away.
Road within the island was also started and the first stretch of the 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi), the east west arterial road was completed (out of the 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) stretch planned in the ultimate stage). Branch roads were also built to land parcels allotted for resort development. Within each land area allocated, the resort agencies constructed their own internal road network. Drinking water facilities were also created by constructing a reservoir of 5 million litres and a service reservoir of 1.5 million litres for supply to a water treatment plant. From this plant, potable water supply system has been created to all the resort areas. Electricity supply is also ensured through a Power generating plant of 18 MW plant with capacity to upgrade to 24 MW. Within each resort area water and power supply connections to the resorts are done by the resort agencies. The potable water that is supplied meets the WHO
standards. Sewage Treatment is done in all the resorts through modular Sewage treatment plants. The recycled effluent is put to use for irrigation. Another important civic amenity attended is the disposal of solid waste. The solid waste is collected from the resorts. It is systematically disposed in a centralized sanitary landfill site. There are 15 banks, 7 hotels and 6 golf courses. Telecommunication Service facility available is the International Net Work.
(Uncaria gembieri). The plantation size of each gambier plantation was 30 hectares (186.4 mi). For processing of gambier leaves firewood was essential. This requirement was met by cutting forests of as much as the 30 hectares (186.4 mi) sized gambier plantations. With this amount of forest degradation, the gambier processing could be sustained for 12 years only. Forest was not available for use for the processing, and production of gambier was discontinued, while efforts continued to find new stocks of firewood. Inevitably, Gambier was totally abandoned. In the 20th century rubber plantation replaced gambier. Even the rubber plantations were abandoned due to water logging problems. Now, on the higher reaches of the hills secondary forests have developed in those areas where water logging is not prevalent. The abandoned land is also now put to other uses. In the rain forests of the island on the trek to the Gunung Bintan peak, now vegetation consists of 40 metres (131.2 ft) tall trees of dipterocarp (which bears two winged fruits) and many other plants.
Various species of sea animals and plants are found underwater. From squids to snails, from various fish
to oyster
– several marine species including Sea Turtles are found here. Dolphins are also sighted. The variety and diversity of sea life is very attractive. Wild life animals seen on this forest trek are: silver leaf monkeys
, Sunbird
s, eagles
and kites
.
Sea turtles
Sea Turtles, in particular, are the special species of Indonesia and its many islands, including Bintan; six species out of seven found in the world are recorded in Indonesia. The Indonesian law protection Act. no. 5 1990 re Conservation of Nature Resource and its Ecosystem; Government Regulation no. 7 1990 re Conservation Species of Flora & Fauna and the international trade by CITES (Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species) provide protection to these species.
Bintan Island was one of the locations where Turtles were found in large numbers; in the 1950s, during the nesting season, at least 2 nests used to be found every day on the coastline of Bintan Resorts. Now, the nests are not found as frequently as in the past. Turtle tracks, nests, eggs, and egg shells have been recorded during patrol surveys conducted during specified periods, not only in Bintan but also in the Pasir Pasan beach. In the Bintan Resort's nestling beaches hawksbill turtle
(Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) have been recorded. Research and Development Department and Environmental & Health Division of Bintan Resort are encouraged by their patrolling efforts and they are confident that sea turtle nests would be protected on Bintan and also conserved in local villages.
. Following this, a grand mosque (see infobox) called the Masjid Raya was built on the island (over 170 years old), which can be seen from Tanjung Pinang. A monument by the seaside that commemorates Raja Ali Haji, who sacrificed his life for his people against the Dutch, is also seen on the beach. Hakka
ethnic people and Indo-Malays reside here. Another historical fact is that in 1819 the Penyangat based sultanate cooperated with Sir Stamford Raffles
to handover Singapore in exchange for British Military protection.
Masjid Raya Sultan Riau
Masjid Raya Sultan Riau built in 1818, is an exquisitely kept yellow mosque, also called the sulfur-coloured mosque. It has many domes and minarets. The unique feature of the mosque is that the mortar used was the special egg-white mortar as the cementing material; eggs were presented to the Sultan by his subjects on the occasion of his wedding. The mosque houses a rare 150 year old hand written Koran in its Islamic library. A formal dress code is observed for entry into the mosque.
is located on the southwestern part of Bintan island and is the capital and largest town of the Indonesia
n province
of Riau Islands. It is a port town and a trade centre with ethnic diversity and with traditional villages and temples. It has an area of 13600 hectares (33,606.3 acre) and is an autonomous region within the Bintan Island. It is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago. Tanjung Pinang has ferry
and speedboat
connections to Batam
, Singapore
, and Johor Bahru
. The city is the backyard for the Singaporeans to get away from their sanitized city to indulge in a spot of anarchy In the central commercial district there is a small Chinese temple in the interior of the old town at Lorong Gambir II, called the Cetiya Satya Dharma.
Within the town of Tanjung Pinang, there is a Dutch Colonial Graveyard (mostly in ruins), which reflects the life of the seamen (Europe
ans) in the old days. The town also has a museum at the crossing of the Jalan Kamboja road with Jalan Bakar batu. The museum has display of many eccentric historical artifacts, ceramics, kris and guns. It is a culturally happening place with cultural centres for stage performances of Malay music and dance festivals. Renowned Buddhist temples are located outside central Tanjung Pinang in a small town named Senggarang
. A Palace and royal tombs, among them the grave of the Raja Ali Haji's and also tombs of other royals, are located here. The old ruler was the creator and author of the first Malay Language
grammar book, which is a rich legacy of the Riau sultanate. Another vintage site of interest is the "Old Stilt" village (in the mud flat low tide region near the jetties), known as "Tanjung Pinang's Kampung ayer or Kampung Bugis".
Raja Haji Fisabillah Monument
Raja Haji Fisabilillah died during the battle of Malacca against the Dutch
in 1784. A 28-metre tall Monument was erected in his memory as the national hero of Bintan. He was a famous Malayan king and had his palace (istana
) on the island Penyengat, off Tanjung Pinang. This monument is being considered to be put on the World Heritage list of sites which have "outstanding universal value" to the world.
as a resort with contract for 70 years between Bintan government and PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala as developer.
The popular Trikora Beach is located at the east of Bintan island, while Bintan International Resorts (known as Lagoi locally) at its northern end. Lagoi is full of high-end resorts like Nirwana Resort Hotel, Maya Villa, Mayang Sari Beach Resort
, Banyu Biru, Nirwana Beach Club, Banyan Tree Bintan
, Angsana Resort & Spa
, Club Med Ria Bintan
and Bintan Lagoon Resort
. These are exclusive resorts complete with golf courses designed by world-renowned golf course designers. Resorts and hotels at the Trikora Beach are affordable to average visitors. To name a few: Bintan Agro Beach Resorts, plethora of resorts complete with fishing facilities like Ocean Bay Resort and Kolam Kelong Trikora. There is even a resort providing diving guide namely, the Traveler Pondok Wisita. Visitors may stay in its air-conditioned or non-air-conditioned rooms overnight before diving. The popular resorts and hotels outside Lagoi at the island are: Nikoi Island, Bintan (an island located off the east coast of Bintan island), Mana Mana Beach Club
, Bintan Lagoon Resort
, Loola Adventure Resort
, Bintan Agro Beach Resort
, Hotel Sadaap, Pelangi Hotel
, Comfort Hotel & Resort and Hotel Laguna.
Trikora beach
Trikora group of beaches is situated on the eastern quiet side of Bintan; the beaches have been numbered from 1 to 4 in the south-north order. The best known is Trikora Beach Four (Trikora Empat), which is the northernmost bit, right next to the "border" with Bintan Resorts and is an attractive and popular bay. The coast line of Trikora beach are fringed with palm trees all along. Watersports and diving is the popular activities which can be provided at Bintan Agro Beach Resort, the sea along these beaches are safe for swimming too. The approach road from the capital city is 45 kilometres (28 mi) to its northeast and passes through a local town called Kangka Kawal and a picturesque fishing town called Teluk Kawal. One popular resort on Trikora beach is Bintan Bukit Kursi Resort.
Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts
, located at the northern part of Bintan is delimited between (1.17°N 104.30°E) and (1.20°N 104.58°E} and covers an area of 23000 hectares (56,834.2 acre). Singaporean owned resorts, it is a colony of Singapore in all but name, consist of many expensive resorts. Although the area is within Indonesian territory, the island is marketed at residents from nearby Singapore, for whom Bintan is a short ferry trip away. As a result, hotels and shops are priced not in Indonesian rupiah but in Singapore dollars or US dollars. It has a white sandy beach front, which extends to 50 kilometres (31.1 mi). So far, 3000 hectares (7,413.2 acre) are reported to have been developed. The resort has been laid out in four areas, namely the Nirwana Gardens, Laguna Bintan, Ria Bintan and Bintan Lagoon, which are developed on modern lines with a little link to Indonesian heritage.
Banyan Tree Bintan
Banyan Tree Bintan
is located at the northeast end of Bintan and accessed by a ferry ride of 45 minutes from Singapore. The villas built on the periphery of the forest land have retained the old charm of the island. There is also a private spa of Asian adaptations of oil and cream, in one of the villas perched on a hill here. Most of the villas are perched on rocks overlooking the sea and many are located amidst thick forests.
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort
is the largest of the developments that has occurred in Bintan. It can accommodate over 1000 guests. Attractions here are two golf courses overlooking the sea, archery grounds and cycling tracks.
Bintan Agro Beach Resort
Bintan Agro Beach Resort
is a hotel and resort located on the eastern coast of Bintan. The resort was established following extensive investment from Singapore
. The classiest option on the east coast, this is a large but pleasant resort catering mostly to Singaporeans, but recently saw the growing of local visitors. Two pools, two restaurants, plenty of water sport activities and a spa centre. The resort's own beach is small and muddy, but they arrange cheap snorkeling and island-hopping tours to the neighboring white sand islands (15 min by boat), or you could even kayak it if feeling energetic. The resort also owned Nostalgia Yasin Bungalow, a rustic budget guesthouse located 2 kilometres away and Bintan Cabana Beach Resort, located 10 kilometres away.
Laguna Bintan
Laguna Bintan is situated to the northern part of the island, which is known for its Angsana Resort and Spa.
forest is in Sungai Sebong Lagoon which has 12 different species of mangrove and the most complete in Indonesia.
Riau Archipelago
Not to be confused with Riau Islands Province, a province of Indonesia.The Riau Archipelago is the core group of islands within the Riau Islands Province in Indonesia, and located south of Singapore...
of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung Pinang or Tanjungpinang is the capital and second largest city of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands after Batam. A city with about 200,000 residents) it is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago...
, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community.
Bintan's land area is 2402.28 square kilometre (total area is 60057 square kilometre including 96% sea area). Its administrative region is designated the Bintan Island Regency
Bintan Regency
Bintan Regency is the administrative centre of the island of Bintan in the Riau Islands province of Indonesia. Bintan Regency includes Bintan, except for the city of Tanjung Pinang which is an autonomous area of the island.-Location:...
, one of the six administrative regions of the Riau Islands province. The city of Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung Pinang or Tanjungpinang is the capital and second largest city of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands after Batam. A city with about 200,000 residents) it is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago...
is an autonomous area within the Bintan Island.
Bintan's history is traced to the early 3rd century. The island flourished as a trading post on the route between China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and over the centuries it came under the control of the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and then the Dutch when it was declared part of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
through the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814...
. In the 12th century, the Bintan island in the Strait of Malacca
Strait of Malacca
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow, stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is named after the Malacca Sultanate that ruled over the archipelago between 1414 to 1511.-Extent:...
was known as the "Pirate Island" since the Malay pirates used to loot trading ships sailing in these waters.
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the closest major city, is a 45-50 minute trip by motorised catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
across the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
from Bintan Resort area in the northwest of the island. The island has beaches with beach-front International hotels and resorts; the most prominent of these beaches is the Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts is the name for a resort enclave occupying the northern area of the Indonesian island of Bintan. It consists of nine resorts, plus a small serviced apartment development....
set over an area of 300 hectares (741.3 acre) of tropical environment. The archipelago of the Riau islands is right opposite to this resort across the South China Sea. Indonesia is promoting Bintan as the next best tourist destination after Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
.
History
On account of Bintan Island's strategic location and size on the India-China trade route, it has a rich history. Along with the local ethnic Malays and the BugisBugis
The Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...
, domination by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, the Arabs, and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at different times has been a part of Bintan's rich history. Many local internal feuds between the Malays and Bugis, and battles in the sea, with and between foreign invasion forces, have been part of Bintan's history and its straits. From mid 16th century, the Sultan of Johar-Riau kingdom had moved their kingdom between Johar
Johar
Johar is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2003 Breeders' Cup Turf in a dead-heat with High Chaparral....
, Riau and Lingga.
The earliest history of Bintan is linked to the history of Nagoya Hills, which is integral with Batam, near Bintan island and other islands of the Riau archipelago. The Chinese chronicles have mentioned that Batam was inhabited by 231 AD when Singapore island was still called Pulau Ujung (Ujung Island). Bintan came under the control of the Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
kingdom from the 13th century. Later, the Sultan of Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
ruled from here and his reign lasted till the 18th century.
Riau Islands were central to the greater Malay kingdoms or Sultanates, known as the 'Malay World', which had its control from eastern Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
to Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. For centuries, Riau was the home of Malay and Orang Laut
Orang Laut
The Orang Laut, or Bajau Laut are a group of Malay people living in the Riau Islands of Indonesia. It also may refer to any Malay origin people living on coastal islands, including those of Andaman Sea islands in Thailand and Burma, commonly known as Moken.-Etymology:The Malay term orang laut...
people. They had settled in Bintan. These two communities were the backbone of most Malay kingdoms from the time of Srivijaya
Srivijaya
Srivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...
to the Sultanate of Johor. They had full control of trade routes going through the straits. Migrants from China and Indo-China, though came here later, settled in large area of Asia. After the fall of Melaka in 1511, Riau islands became the centre of political power of the mighty Sultanate of Johor or Johor – Riau, based on Bintan island. They were considered the centre of Malay culture.
From the 12th to 13th century, the Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra held sway over Bintan island. Sri Tri Buana, a member of the royal family of Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
had visited Riau Islands in 1290. The Queen of Bintan met him and made a strategic alliance. They moved with a "flotilla of 800 vessels to Bintan" where Sri Tri Buana became the king. However, Bintan and its straits got the reputation as a pirate island due to the Malay pirates who seized many ships by forcing them to the port to trade and or loot the cargo carried by them. Hundreds of ships of Malays forced Chinese ships returning from the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to their ports in Bintan. Those who resisted were attacked. Large quantities of Chinese ceramics
Chinese art
Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
were recovered on Bintan, some traced to the early Sung Dynasty (960–1127). The Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ian chronicler, Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
, writing on the Riau islands in the 13th century states: "Here there are little islands, from which armed black pirates with poised arrows emerged, possessing armed warships; they plunder people but do not enslave them." Log records of Chinese ships testify these incidents in the 12th century. Even after several centuries, Bintan is still referred by many by the epithet "Pirate Island".
According to historical records, Sri Tri Bhuvana occupied Singapore and then declared himself as the King of Singapore. Before that he renamed Temasek
Temasek
Temasek was the name of an early city on the site of modern Singapore. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit and means "Lion City"...
, the island he had occupied, as Singapore. Another explanation mooted to the naming of Singapore is that the king spotted an animal, which he presumed to be a lion, and hence called Temasek as Singapore (Lion City). The reign of Srivijaya empire lasted till the 16th century.
In the year 1521, the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
who were on pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
hunt, had the intention of building strongholds in the form of forts during their sea voyages in the East, on Sunda Island in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
after they had received instructions from their King to destroy four forts in India, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. However, they initially failed to capture Bentan, the stronghold of the former Sultan of Malaca
Malacca Sultanate
Established by the Malay ruler Parameswara, the Sultanate of Malacca was first a Hindu kingdom in 1402 and later became Muslim following the marriage of the princess of Pasai in 1409. Centered in the modern town of Malacca, the sultanate bordered the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Siam in the north to...
on the south east of the Singapore Strait
Singapore Strait
The Singapore Strait is a 105-kilometer long, 16-kilometer wide strait between the Strait of Malacca in the west and the South China Sea in the east. Singapore is on the north of the channel and the Riau Islands are on the south...
and Atjeh (the capital of a new Sultanate, which was emerging in North Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
). At this time, they were successful in establishing a fort at Pasai
Pasai
Pasai, also known as Samudera and Samudera-Pasai sometimes called Samudera Darussalam was a Muslim harbour kingdom on the north coast of Sumatra from the 13th to the 15th centuries CE. It was believed the word Samudera derived from Samudra meaning ocean in Sanskrit...
though were unsuccessful in establishing a fortress at Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in China and suffered defeat at the hands of the Chinese. In 1524, Malays of Bintan attacked Malacca, which was under the control of the Portuguese.
Bintan first became politically important when Sultan Mahmud
Mahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)
Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
of the fallen Sultanate of Malacca fled to Bintan and created a resistance base there after Malacca was taken by the Portuguese forces in 1511. The Portuguese eventually destroyed the stronghold in 1526, and after a few years the Sultanate founded a new capital back on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
and developed from there.
At the beginning of 18th century the Sultanate of Johor entered into political turmoil and the capital moved back to Bintan as the Bugis
Bugis
The Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...
took control of the Sultanate. At the hands of the Bugis, Bintan became a powerful trading port, attracting regional, Western, Indian and Chinese traders as well as migrants including Chinese much in the same way Malacca had developed into a regional power three centuries earlier.
European powers wanted to take control of the port, which had a flourishing trade. During this period the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, who controlled Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, were aggressively looking towards expanding their control to the south of the Straits of Malacca, as they wished to contain the Dutch expansions. They considered Bintan as a possible location. During this period the Dutch had defeated the Bintan rulers and taken control of the island by the end of the 18th century; this had brought to an end the local trading supremacy. This also resulted in checkmating the British ambition to occupy the area. However, an internal power struggle within the Sultanate of Riau-Johor ensued. The British seized this opportunity and occupied the island of Singapore. With this, the importance of Bintan island as a trading port also declined. A new cultural centre developed on Penyengat Island
Penyengat Island
Penyengat Island, Pulau Penyengat in Indonesian is an island in Riau Province, Indonesia, of approximately 2 square kilometres...
and it got established as the stronghold of Malay and Islamic culture.
However the history changed the fate of Riau as a political, cultural or economic centre when Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an powers took control of the regional trade routes by taking advantage of political weaknesses within the Sultanate. Singapore Island, that had been for centuries part of the same greater Malay kingdoms and sultanates, and under direct control of Sultan of Johor
Sultan of Johor
Sultan of Johor is a hereditary seat and the nominal ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a bendahara...
, came under British control. The creation of a European-controlled territory in Johor-Riau heart broke the sultanate into two parts, destroying the cultural and political unity that had existed for centuries.
The Anglo-Dutch treaty
Anglo-Dutch Treaty
Anglo-Dutch Treaty can refer to either of the following:* Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 * Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824...
of 1824 consolidated this separation, with the British controlling all territories north of the Singapore Strait and Dutch controlling territories from Riau to Java. Till the independence of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in 1945, Bintan was under the control of the Netherlands East Indies. However, the Riau Archipelago remained a fairly borderless territory till recently. During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese had occupied the Malay world and Singapore was their headquarters. During this period, many Malays including the upper strata of society had to join the Imperial Army
Imperial Army
An Imperial Army is literally an army of any empire. However, only some empires in history and in fiction have actually referred to their armies as "The Imperial Army."-In Europe:* The Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire...
. After the war, from 1950 the Archipelago was a duty free zone till the revolution Konfrontasi in 1963. During this period, the Straight Dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
of British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
was the principal currency. Visa free movement of people, which existed then is now no more prevalent.
Geography and climate
Bintan, is the largest among the 3,200 islands of Riau ArchipelagoRiau Archipelago
Not to be confused with Riau Islands Province, a province of Indonesia.The Riau Archipelago is the core group of islands within the Riau Islands Province in Indonesia, and located south of Singapore...
and is located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of the Batam Island. It has a coast line of 105 kilometres (65.2 mi) and has rolling topography in its landform. The Riau islands were a province of Indonesia, which encompassed the Riau Archipelago
Riau Archipelago
Not to be confused with Riau Islands Province, a province of Indonesia.The Riau Archipelago is the core group of islands within the Riau Islands Province in Indonesia, and located south of Singapore...
, Natuna Islands
Natuna Islands
The Natuna Islands archipelago is located in the Natuna Sea in the larger Tudjuh Archipelago, off the northwest coast of Borneo. The islands are administratively part of the Riau Islands province of Indonesia and are the northernmost non-disputed island group of Indonesia...
, Anambas
Anambas
Anambas archipelago is a small archipelago of Indonesia, located in the South China Sea between the Malaysian mainland to the west and the island of Borneo to the east...
, and Lingga Island
Lingga Island
Lingga Island is the largest and most populated of the Lingga Islands, Indonesia. It has an area of . It is located south of the Riau Islands off the east coast of Sumatra. The other major island of the archipelago is Singkep....
s. However, in July 2004, the islands of Riau were divided to form the province with its capital at Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung Pinang or Tanjungpinang is the capital and second largest city of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands after Batam. A city with about 200,000 residents) it is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago...
. The archipelagos of Anambas and Natuna, located between mainland Malaysia and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
are now part of this province
In the Tanjung Pinang city, the low tide reach or the mud flat part was built with stilts and were mosquito and rat infested. Above these mud flat reaches, narrow piers or pelantars were built at higher elevations and the old city of Tanjung expanded with a maze of streets and alleys. The old pier with the name Pelantar II thrives as the fish market. The town has a large population of the Chinese, whose presence is seen around three Buddhist Pagodas with the 'Citiya Bodhi Sasana' overlooking the ocean at the end of Pelantar II pier.
The Indonesian sea route through the Bintan straits has been considered very safe for sailing of small freighters. The island has developed over the centuries in two distinct zones, namely, the southern and the northern zones, which are clearly differentiated from the prevalent life styles of people living there.
The highest hill on the island is Bintan Besar, which is 360 metres (1,181.1 ft) in height and has thick forest cover. It is formed by old volcanic eruptions. The summit of this peak can be reached through a forest track and the climb takes about 3 hours. The top of this peak provides a panoramic view of Bintan. It is approached from a hamlet at the foot of the hill, known as Kampung Sekuning, which is 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from Tanjung Pinang. Despite being larger than Batam
Batam
Batam is an island and city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located off Singapore's south coast...
, it is less populated.
Several daily ferries run between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal of Singapore to the Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal on the northern part of the Island in Bintan resorts and also at the Telaga Punggur Ferry Terminal at Tanjung Pinang, the capital of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands covering a distance of 45 kilometres (28 mi) in about 45 minutes. The nearest airport to Bintan is at Batam Island. From here, chartered ferry services are available to Bintan and Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts is the name for a resort enclave occupying the northern area of the Indonesian island of Bintan. It consists of nine resorts, plus a small serviced apartment development....
.
Bintan is very close to the Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
. Hence, tropical climate
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
is dominant all through the year with two distinct seasons namely the northeast monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
from November to March and a dry southwest monsoon from June to October with the annual rainfall precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
incidence varying in the range 2500–3000 mm (98.4–118.1 in). The island has an "insular character" with a constant temperature averaging at 26 °C (78.8 °F). The temperatures reported vary between 21 °C (69.8 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F). March to early November is the dry and the quiet season with clear sunny days. Winter season lasts from late November to March.
Demographics
Though a large island compared to all other islands in the Riao archipelago, it is sparsely populated. As the Dutch ruled over the islands for a long period, their influence is distinctly discerned in the island. Population is about 200,000 with the citizens mostly belonging to the Malay, Bugis, Chinese and the Orang Laut ethnicity. An observation made on the distribution of different ethnic groups in Bintan is that Indonesians have migrated in large numbers to the island and as result Malays, the original settlers of the region, are now a minority in Riau Archipelago as a whole. This is attributed to the fact that the island is close to Malaysia and Singapore in particular and Indonesians flock to the place to get a foot hold to go to Singapore. In the capital city of Tanjung Pinang, the urban population had jumped from 98,871 in 1998 to 134,940 in 2004.Economy and development
In 1824, the Treaty of London finally settled that the islands south of Singapore are Dutch Territories. Bintan was again under the control of the Dutch. Bintan's power and central role disappeared with the regional political changes and the island's past fortune was now overshadowed by neighbouring BatamBatam
Batam is an island and city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located off Singapore's south coast...
and Singapore. Following its founding by the British in 1819, Singapore became a new regional trading centre. Due to its limited size, Singapore initiated the Sijori Growth Triangle
Sijori Growth Triangle
The Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle was established in 1994 between three countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, to strengthen economic links in the region and optimise the complementarity between the three countries...
in 1980 and 1990s, and signed agreements with the Indonesian government to invest in Batam and Bintan.
The economy of Bintan island is centred on tourism, given its close proximity to Singapore. In the year 1990, according to a Presidential Decree (25 July 1990), a coordinating team was set up for the Riao Province Development with the mandate to plan and develop development projects within the framework of Indonesia-Singapore cooperation. Investment plans, similar to that of Batam, were evolved with basic intention to provide leisure space to Singaporeans on the white beaches of Bintan and this approach also conformed to the Indonesian Policy of declaring the 1990s as the "decade of Visit Indonesia". In 1991, Bintan Management Resort for establishing a resort with intent to develop resorts, industrial parks and water projects was planned. In December 1994, partial opening of Bintan Resort Development was agreed under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by trade ministers of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. As per the Master Plan prepared for Bintan, the emphasis was on tourism, industrial projects and agricultural products, all under private sector initiative, involving formation of a consortium of the Singapore Technologies Industrial Corporation, Wah Chang International (whose specialisation is development of resorts), the Keppel group and the local banks. Thus, the once wild and deserted Bintan island has now become an industrial "hinterland" for Singapore and a special investment zone for world industrial companies, also attracting thousands of workers from the entire country. This industrial estate agreement is in partnership with Batamlndo Industrial Park. The Bintan industrial estate has been allotted 4000 hectares (9,884.2 acre) and is designed as a "One stop investment centre" providing all services essential for the investing companies to devote exclusively towards production. It targets industries such as textiles, garments and wood processing, unlike the Batam industrial estates. This functions as a supplement to Singapore's economy by way of manufacturing low-value goods here.
Earlier, Singapore's Batam Industrial Park had signed an agreement with Indonesia to lease its northern coast and develop it into a resort ("Bintan Resort") for Singaporeans. An area of 23000 hectares (56,834.2 acre) had been allocated to this project, which was further divided to 20–30 projects – 3000 hectares (7,413.2 acre) for hotels and resorts and sports facilities. Further, the Bintan Lagoon and Beach Resorts, designed exclusively for wealthy tourists, has been planned with "two 18-hole championship golf courses with superlative accommodation". This resort area has exclusive approach from Singapore that bypasses the capital city. It has modern facilities of museums, handicraft shops, artists villages and other eco-tourism related attractions.
The agribusiness venture planned under the Master Plan for Bintan envisages pig rearing for export to Singapore and sea food processing plants. Fishery cultivation of grouper fish
Grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
, napoleon, kakap and Bream are also planned in the island.
Under the industrial sector, the identified fields for development are mining of Bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
(Bauxite reserve is 15.88 million tons), kaolin, granite, white sand and tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
. Government of Indonesia has also planned the petroleum industry
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
with its subsidiary industry of manufacture of plastics in Bintan.
Bintan Eco-Tourism Venture Project has been launched to generate better income avenues for the low-income families. The eco-tourism destinations identified are all within approachable distances that could be covered in about 30 to 90 minutes from the starting point by car. Village handicrafts made from the local pandanus plants is a popular attraction during the eco-tour to villages in Bintan.
The Integrated resort management is highly dependent on the International tourism industry. Tourist foot falls, as recorded till 2004, have been reported to be on the increase.
Thus, the massive and ambitious economic development plan envisaging "10 golf courses, 20 hotels, 10 condominiums, three village clusters, a township, several marine and eco-tourism attractions" launched in 1995 with a gestation period of 20 years, was according to the leisure industry analyst of Singapore: "Bintan has better prospects because of the people behind its development. They are big names who will have to maintain their reputation.
In 2010, 300,000 tourists visited Bintan Island and most of them came from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. 75 percent of foreign tourists came by ferry from Singapore, while domestic tourists mainly came by airplanes. A new airport is planned to be built at Lobam industrial area to accommodate Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s and Airbus 320s for one million tourists predicted come in 2015. The new airport is 35 minutes from Bintan Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort is a hotel and resort on the north coast of Bintan, Indonesia. It is located 55 minutes by high-speed ferry from Singapore. The resort, which is set in over 300 hectares of gardens overlooks the South China Sea and the archipelago of the Riau Islands. The resort has a notable...
, whereas the current Tanjung Pinang airport is 90 minutes away.
Water resources
Water resources of the Bintan have been exclusively planned by identifying an area of 43000 hectares (106,255.2 acre) for the purpose which also includes the catchment of the water source and its forest areas. Water projects were planned and built at an estimated cost US$ 1.4 billion, which meet the needs of Bintan and also supply water to Singapore; supply to Singapore is through an undersea pipe line. There are now two reservoirs.Infrastructure
To meet the large developmental programme launched for the Bintan island, creation of modern infrastructure facilities began in 1991 itself with an investment of US $ 170 million. Since the island was approachable only by ferrying, priority was given to develop the Ferry terminal at Bandar Bentan Telani. There are now three Ferry Terminals (Sea Ports) and two Cargo Sea Ports with capacity of 10,000 to 12000 gross weight ton. Bintan now has an airport known as Raja Haji Fizbullah Airport.Road within the island was also started and the first stretch of the 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi), the east west arterial road was completed (out of the 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) stretch planned in the ultimate stage). Branch roads were also built to land parcels allotted for resort development. Within each land area allocated, the resort agencies constructed their own internal road network. Drinking water facilities were also created by constructing a reservoir of 5 million litres and a service reservoir of 1.5 million litres for supply to a water treatment plant. From this plant, potable water supply system has been created to all the resort areas. Electricity supply is also ensured through a Power generating plant of 18 MW plant with capacity to upgrade to 24 MW. Within each resort area water and power supply connections to the resorts are done by the resort agencies. The potable water that is supplied meets the WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
standards. Sewage Treatment is done in all the resorts through modular Sewage treatment plants. The recycled effluent is put to use for irrigation. Another important civic amenity attended is the disposal of solid waste. The solid waste is collected from the resorts. It is systematically disposed in a centralized sanitary landfill site. There are 15 banks, 7 hotels and 6 golf courses. Telecommunication Service facility available is the International Net Work.
Flora
In Bintan, the primary forest cover was in a limited area on the hills. There was extensive deforestation done mostly for the cultivation of gambierGambier
Gambier may refer to:People* James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier , Lord Gambier – British admiralPlaces* Gambier Islands, French Polynesia* Gambier Islands * Gambier Island, British Columbia, Canada* Gambier, Ohio, USA...
(Uncaria gembieri). The plantation size of each gambier plantation was 30 hectares (186.4 mi). For processing of gambier leaves firewood was essential. This requirement was met by cutting forests of as much as the 30 hectares (186.4 mi) sized gambier plantations. With this amount of forest degradation, the gambier processing could be sustained for 12 years only. Forest was not available for use for the processing, and production of gambier was discontinued, while efforts continued to find new stocks of firewood. Inevitably, Gambier was totally abandoned. In the 20th century rubber plantation replaced gambier. Even the rubber plantations were abandoned due to water logging problems. Now, on the higher reaches of the hills secondary forests have developed in those areas where water logging is not prevalent. The abandoned land is also now put to other uses. In the rain forests of the island on the trek to the Gunung Bintan peak, now vegetation consists of 40 metres (131.2 ft) tall trees of dipterocarp (which bears two winged fruits) and many other plants.
Fauna
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
to oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
– several marine species including Sea Turtles are found here. Dolphins are also sighted. The variety and diversity of sea life is very attractive. Wild life animals seen on this forest trek are: silver leaf monkeys
Silvery Lutung
The silvery lutung , also known as the silvered leaf monkey or the silvery langur, is an Old World monkey. It is arboreal, living in coastal, mangrove, and riverine forests in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo....
, Sunbird
Sunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
s, eagles
Eagles
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.With five number one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the...
and kites
Kite (bird)
Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. Most feed mainly on carrion but some take various amounts of live prey.They are birds of prey which, along with hawks and eagles, are from the family Accipitridae....
.
Sea Turtles, in particular, are the special species of Indonesia and its many islands, including Bintan; six species out of seven found in the world are recorded in Indonesia. The Indonesian law protection Act. no. 5 1990 re Conservation of Nature Resource and its Ecosystem; Government Regulation no. 7 1990 re Conservation Species of Flora & Fauna and the international trade by CITES (Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species) provide protection to these species.
Bintan Island was one of the locations where Turtles were found in large numbers; in the 1950s, during the nesting season, at least 2 nests used to be found every day on the coastline of Bintan Resorts. Now, the nests are not found as frequently as in the past. Turtle tracks, nests, eggs, and egg shells have been recorded during patrol surveys conducted during specified periods, not only in Bintan but also in the Pasir Pasan beach. In the Bintan Resort's nestling beaches hawksbill turtle
Hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Pacific subspecies. E. imbricata imbricata is the Atlantic subspecies, while E...
(Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) have been recorded. Research and Development Department and Environmental & Health Division of Bintan Resort are encouraged by their patrolling efforts and they are confident that sea turtle nests would be protected on Bintan and also conserved in local villages.
Historical places
At Bintan and in its close vicinity of its capital city of Tanjung Pinang, there are a number of historical monuments linked to its ancient history and modern developments. Its closeness to Singapore has resulted in development of beaches as popular resorts with hotels and other paraphernalia to attract tourists. Some of the well-known sites of attractions are the Penyengat, Tanjung Pinang city, Raja Ali Haji Monument, the Colonial Graveyard, Chinese Pagodas, Banyan Tree Temple, and its many beaches and resorts. Natural Maritime Culture is also part of the historical nature's heritage of mangroves, many species of animals and birds and the rich and exotic maritime nature of the sea life.Penyengat
Penyengat is a historical small island (about 2.5 square kilometre in area) located about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from offshore of Tanjung Pinang, which was a religious, cultural and administrative centre of the region in the 19th century of the Riao-Johor sultanate. The Sultan had shifted to this place after Melaka was taken over by the Portuguese and he made it the capital of his kingdom, which was in decline at the time. On the northeast end of the island many ancient Islamic relics are seen. The Malay and the Bugis, to attain peace in the region, had cemented their relationship by establishing marital ties. Raja Ali Haji, who was the Bugis commander of Bintan and acclaimed as the hero of his people, married his daughter to Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca. The island was gifted to his daughter, Raja Hamidah. This union established peace between the Malay and the BugisBugis
The Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...
. Following this, a grand mosque (see infobox) called the Masjid Raya was built on the island (over 170 years old), which can be seen from Tanjung Pinang. A monument by the seaside that commemorates Raja Ali Haji, who sacrificed his life for his people against the Dutch, is also seen on the beach. Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
ethnic people and Indo-Malays reside here. Another historical fact is that in 1819 the Penyangat based sultanate cooperated with Sir Stamford Raffles
Stamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, FRS was a British statesman, best known for his founding of the city of Singapore . He is often described as the "Father of Singapore"...
to handover Singapore in exchange for British Military protection.
Masjid Raya Sultan Riau
Masjid Raya Sultan Riau built in 1818, is an exquisitely kept yellow mosque, also called the sulfur-coloured mosque. It has many domes and minarets. The unique feature of the mosque is that the mortar used was the special egg-white mortar as the cementing material; eggs were presented to the Sultan by his subjects on the occasion of his wedding. The mosque houses a rare 150 year old hand written Koran in its Islamic library. A formal dress code is observed for entry into the mosque.
Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung PinangTanjung Pinang
Tanjung Pinang or Tanjungpinang is the capital and second largest city of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands after Batam. A city with about 200,000 residents) it is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago...
is located on the southwestern part of Bintan island and is the capital and largest town of the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n province
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...
of Riau Islands. It is a port town and a trade centre with ethnic diversity and with traditional villages and temples. It has an area of 13600 hectares (33,606.3 acre) and is an autonomous region within the Bintan Island. It is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago. Tanjung Pinang has ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and speedboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
connections to Batam
Batam
Batam is an island and city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located off Singapore's south coast...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
. The city is the backyard for the Singaporeans to get away from their sanitized city to indulge in a spot of anarchy In the central commercial district there is a small Chinese temple in the interior of the old town at Lorong Gambir II, called the Cetiya Satya Dharma.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans) in the old days. The town also has a museum at the crossing of the Jalan Kamboja road with Jalan Bakar batu. The museum has display of many eccentric historical artifacts, ceramics, kris and guns. It is a culturally happening place with cultural centres for stage performances of Malay music and dance festivals. Renowned Buddhist temples are located outside central Tanjung Pinang in a small town named Senggarang
Senggarang, Indonesia
Senggarang is the name of a small village on the island of Bintan, Indonesia. The oldest temple in the Kepri region can be found on Senggarang. Locals believe Senggarang was the first home for Chinese immigrants a long time ago, who then spread throughout the other island of Kepri. Now the area is...
. A Palace and royal tombs, among them the grave of the Raja Ali Haji's and also tombs of other royals, are located here. The old ruler was the creator and author of the first Malay Language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
grammar book, which is a rich legacy of the Riau sultanate. Another vintage site of interest is the "Old Stilt" village (in the mud flat low tide region near the jetties), known as "Tanjung Pinang's Kampung ayer or Kampung Bugis".
Raja Haji Fisabillah Monument
Raja Haji Fisabilillah died during the battle of Malacca against the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1784. A 28-metre tall Monument was erected in his memory as the national hero of Bintan. He was a famous Malayan king and had his palace (istana
Istana
Istana is a Malay and Indonesian word meaning palace.-Notable Istanas:*Istana Besar, 19th and early 20th century residence of the Sultan of Johor*Istana Bogor, one of presidential palaces of Indonesia in Bogor, West Java...
) on the island Penyengat, off Tanjung Pinang. This monument is being considered to be put on the World Heritage list of sites which have "outstanding universal value" to the world.
Banyan Tree Temple
Banyan Tree Temple, about a 100 year old temple, is visited by the local Chinese community and Singaporeans. It is located in Senggarang town. Apart from this temple, there are several Chinese Pagodas in Singgarang near the jetty. One temple is in ruins and the other three temples, each about 100 years old, are located within a courtyard facing the sea. The interior of these temples depicts colourful paintings and wood carvings. Chinese devotees from Singapore are seen around these temples offering prayers.Beaches and resorts
At 18 June 1996, Indonesian President and Singapore PM have launched 23,000 hectares Lagoi Beach Area, Teluk Sebong, BintanBintan
Bintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community....
as a resort with contract for 70 years between Bintan government and PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala as developer.
The popular Trikora Beach is located at the east of Bintan island, while Bintan International Resorts (known as Lagoi locally) at its northern end. Lagoi is full of high-end resorts like Nirwana Resort Hotel, Maya Villa, Mayang Sari Beach Resort
Mayang Sari Beach Resort
Mayang Sari Beach Resort is a hotel and resort on the northwestern coast of Bintan, Indonesia, approximately 50 minutes by high-speed ferry from Singapore. It is noted for its traditional Riau Islands beach chalets along the beach. The resort has 50 chalets, organized in blocks of 4.The hotel...
, Banyu Biru, Nirwana Beach Club, Banyan Tree Bintan
Banyan Tree Bintan
Banyan Tree Bintan is a five-star hotel and resort on the northwest coast of Bintan, Indonesia. It is located 45 minutes by high-speed ferry from Singapore. The resort, operated by Banyan Tree Holdings, is noted for its beachfront villas in the traditional Riau Islands style and tropical beaches...
, Angsana Resort & Spa
Angsana Resort & Spa
Angsana Resort & Spa is a resort in Bintan, Indonesia. It is located on Tanjong Said Bay on the South China Sea and is approximately 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore....
, Club Med Ria Bintan
Club Med Ria Bintan
Club Med Ria Bintan is a resort in Bintan, Indonesia. Set in , it has a 36-hole golf course designed by Gary Player....
and Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort is a hotel and resort on the north coast of Bintan, Indonesia. It is located 55 minutes by high-speed ferry from Singapore. The resort, which is set in over 300 hectares of gardens overlooks the South China Sea and the archipelago of the Riau Islands. The resort has a notable...
. These are exclusive resorts complete with golf courses designed by world-renowned golf course designers. Resorts and hotels at the Trikora Beach are affordable to average visitors. To name a few: Bintan Agro Beach Resorts, plethora of resorts complete with fishing facilities like Ocean Bay Resort and Kolam Kelong Trikora. There is even a resort providing diving guide namely, the Traveler Pondok Wisita. Visitors may stay in its air-conditioned or non-air-conditioned rooms overnight before diving. The popular resorts and hotels outside Lagoi at the island are: Nikoi Island, Bintan (an island located off the east coast of Bintan island), Mana Mana Beach Club
Mana Mana Beach Club
Mana Mana Beach Club is a Beach club on the East Coast of Singapore. Located Along the East Coast of Singapore, it has sailing, windsurfing and kayaking equipment and place for storage of boats and windsurf equipment. It also has one indoors function room and one outdoor function area which is...
, Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort is a hotel and resort on the north coast of Bintan, Indonesia. It is located 55 minutes by high-speed ferry from Singapore. The resort, which is set in over 300 hectares of gardens overlooks the South China Sea and the archipelago of the Riau Islands. The resort has a notable...
, Loola Adventure Resort
Loola Adventure Resort
Loola Adventure Resort is a resort in Bintan, Indonesia. Part of the Eco tourism scheme which has developed from Singapore nationals in Bintan, it is designed for children....
, Bintan Agro Beach Resort
Bintan Agro Beach Resort
Bintan Agro Beach Resort is a hotel and resort in Bintan, Indonesia. It is located on the southeastern coast. The resort was established following extensive investment from Singapore....
, Hotel Sadaap, Pelangi Hotel
Pelangi Hotel (Bintan)
Pelangi Hotel is a hotel in Tanjung Pinang, Bintan, Indonesia. The Pelangi restaurant serves Chinese and Indonesian cuisine....
, Comfort Hotel & Resort and Hotel Laguna.
Trikora beach
Trikora group of beaches is situated on the eastern quiet side of Bintan; the beaches have been numbered from 1 to 4 in the south-north order. The best known is Trikora Beach Four (Trikora Empat), which is the northernmost bit, right next to the "border" with Bintan Resorts and is an attractive and popular bay. The coast line of Trikora beach are fringed with palm trees all along. Watersports and diving is the popular activities which can be provided at Bintan Agro Beach Resort, the sea along these beaches are safe for swimming too. The approach road from the capital city is 45 kilometres (28 mi) to its northeast and passes through a local town called Kangka Kawal and a picturesque fishing town called Teluk Kawal. One popular resort on Trikora beach is Bintan Bukit Kursi Resort.
Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts
Bintan Resorts is the name for a resort enclave occupying the northern area of the Indonesian island of Bintan. It consists of nine resorts, plus a small serviced apartment development....
, located at the northern part of Bintan is delimited between (1.17°N 104.30°E) and (1.20°N 104.58°E} and covers an area of 23000 hectares (56,834.2 acre). Singaporean owned resorts, it is a colony of Singapore in all but name, consist of many expensive resorts. Although the area is within Indonesian territory, the island is marketed at residents from nearby Singapore, for whom Bintan is a short ferry trip away. As a result, hotels and shops are priced not in Indonesian rupiah but in Singapore dollars or US dollars. It has a white sandy beach front, which extends to 50 kilometres (31.1 mi). So far, 3000 hectares (7,413.2 acre) are reported to have been developed. The resort has been laid out in four areas, namely the Nirwana Gardens, Laguna Bintan, Ria Bintan and Bintan Lagoon, which are developed on modern lines with a little link to Indonesian heritage.
Banyan Tree Bintan
Banyan Tree Bintan
Banyan Tree Bintan
Banyan Tree Bintan is a five-star hotel and resort on the northwest coast of Bintan, Indonesia. It is located 45 minutes by high-speed ferry from Singapore. The resort, operated by Banyan Tree Holdings, is noted for its beachfront villas in the traditional Riau Islands style and tropical beaches...
is located at the northeast end of Bintan and accessed by a ferry ride of 45 minutes from Singapore. The villas built on the periphery of the forest land have retained the old charm of the island. There is also a private spa of Asian adaptations of oil and cream, in one of the villas perched on a hill here. Most of the villas are perched on rocks overlooking the sea and many are located amidst thick forests.
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort
Bintan Lagoon Resort is a hotel and resort on the north coast of Bintan, Indonesia. It is located 55 minutes by high-speed ferry from Singapore. The resort, which is set in over 300 hectares of gardens overlooks the South China Sea and the archipelago of the Riau Islands. The resort has a notable...
is the largest of the developments that has occurred in Bintan. It can accommodate over 1000 guests. Attractions here are two golf courses overlooking the sea, archery grounds and cycling tracks.
Bintan Agro Beach Resort
Bintan Agro Beach Resort
Bintan Agro Beach Resort
Bintan Agro Beach Resort is a hotel and resort in Bintan, Indonesia. It is located on the southeastern coast. The resort was established following extensive investment from Singapore....
is a hotel and resort located on the eastern coast of Bintan. The resort was established following extensive investment from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The classiest option on the east coast, this is a large but pleasant resort catering mostly to Singaporeans, but recently saw the growing of local visitors. Two pools, two restaurants, plenty of water sport activities and a spa centre. The resort's own beach is small and muddy, but they arrange cheap snorkeling and island-hopping tours to the neighboring white sand islands (15 min by boat), or you could even kayak it if feeling energetic. The resort also owned Nostalgia Yasin Bungalow, a rustic budget guesthouse located 2 kilometres away and Bintan Cabana Beach Resort, located 10 kilometres away.
Laguna Bintan
Laguna Bintan is situated to the northern part of the island, which is known for its Angsana Resort and Spa.
Mangrove Discovery Tour
From Bandar Bentan Telani, a special small port in Lagoi area, we may join in Mangrove Discovery Tour for one and a half hour in the noon or only one hour in the night. The location of MangroveMangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forest is in Sungai Sebong Lagoon which has 12 different species of mangrove and the most complete in Indonesia.