Indonesia
Bintan entices with new offerings
Bintan is not just about golf and spas - it offers a lot more. The Indonesian destination, though familiar to Singaporeans, can be overlooked as travellers jet set to Bangkok or make a road trip to Legoland in Johor Bahru.
The tour guide, Maradu, points out the flora
and fauna of the mangroves as the boat speeds in the waterways. You see the
holes created by the water crab and where the mud lobsters dwell. Hard to
believe cosmopolitan Singapore is just an hour’s ferry ride from Bintan Island.
Bintan is not just about golf and spas - it offers
a lot more. The
Indonesian destination, though familiar to Singaporeans, can be overlooked as
travellers jet set to Bangkok or make a road trip to Legoland in Johor Bahru.
Bintan
receives 500,000 visitors annually and its offerings have remained much the
same for several years. However, with the opening of Lagoi Bay, new resorts and
activities will add a fresh shine to the destination. Lagoi Bay will become the
new heart and centre of Bintan Resorts and form a crucial part of Bintan Resorts’
promotions.
Additionally,
Plaza Lagoi with offer the shopping experiences Bintan has lacked in the past.
Asad Shiraz,
director of marketing, Bintan Resorts International, said Bintan would be a lot
more attractive with the development of Lagoi Bay and Treasure Bay. Said
Shiraz, “Lagoi Bay will form a very integral part of our promotions and we will
be promoting Treasure Bay as part of its offerings.”
New luxury hotels
have sprung up, or are in the pipeline, including Grand Lagoi Swiss-Belhotel, The
Sanchaya and
The Canopi Resort around Crystal Lagoon on Lagoi Bay. The development will create demand as
currently Bintan has only about 1400 rooms and limited recreational facilities.
Room count will double to more than 3000 rooms.
On a tour to the hinterland
A tour
to Bintan’s hinterland is a step back in time where visitors can glimpse Riau-Indonesian history and
culture on the South Bintan Heritage Tour.
Visitors can take a water taxi from
Senggarang – the Chinese fishing settlement whose highlights include colourful
temples, a giant statue of Buddha and houses built on stilts over the sea - to
Tanjung Pinang, Bintan’s capital town with its lively street markets.
Said Shiraz,
“Bintan resorts have always been sold as beach destinations with golf and spa,
but Bintan has a lot more going for it. We have a rich hinterland.
“Step out of
Bintan resorts and you’ll see the largest sitting Guanyin statue in South-east
Asia. On a hillside, a temple has 500 luohan statues (disciples who had magical
powers and could stay alive indefinitely to preserve the Buddha's teachings).
There are also historic sites of the Riau empire.”
Shiraz said that
Bintan Resorts International would be promoting the hinterland, especially
Bintan’s culture that makes it different from other beach destinations.
Bintan
Resorts’ business grew by less than 5% annually this year, but Shiraz is “cautiously
optimistic” that with new attractions more visitors will arrive. And with the
opening of a new airport by 2017, Bintan is on its way to attracting one
million visitors and so doubling arrivals.
Bintan is
under-represented in the Indonesian market with the bulk of visitors coming
from Singapore, but with greater accessibility and attractions it is hoped that
it will have more appeal for Indonesians.
The new airport
is a major development in Bintan’s projections with flights by Garuda, as well
as the region’s low cost carriers and chartered flights. The flights will be
from Medan, Jakarta and Surabaya, as well as China and other parts of South-east
Asia.
Meanwhile,
existing resorts on Bintan will undergo a rejuvenation of sorts. Bintan’s
largest resort, Bintan Lagoon Resort, aims to attract more families as it
transforms its leisure centre to a kids’ centre. Resort owner, Moe Ibrahim, said the focus would
be on families and kids. There will be a full schedule of activities for kids of
different ages while parents can relax in peace knowing their kids are safely
occupied.
Currently,
some 50% of weekend guests at the resort are made up of families.
Ibrahim also
has plans to install Wi-Fi throughout the resort and engage more guests through
social media.