12 Fun Things to do in Bintan (Travel Guide 2021)

Last updated on August 4th, 2022 at 02:59 pm

Bintan Island is an amazing getaway from Singapore. We had an amazing time visiting Bintan Island, Indonesia. Bintan Island is not one of the most visited areas in the Southeast. But the place is highly developed and just so beautiful. There are many things to do in Bintan you will surely love as much as we did. We will tell you more about below in our Bintan Island travel guide.

Bintan Island will bring you the possibility to explore a new country and you don’t need visa to get in since most of the countries can get 30 days free Visa. Read here where to stay in Bintan Island

Read here how to get from Singapore airport to city center, top Instagrammable places in Singapore and our Singapore travel guide!

Bintan Travel Guide

Best Time To Visit Bintan Indonesia

If you want to go to this beautiful island, the best time to visit Bintan is from December to February. It is the dry season and you will find the best weather for all your activities during these months.

March to May is the busiest season to visit Bintan and it is also the hottest season. Rainy season starts from June to November. It will rain several days at a time but the showers come periodically throughout the day. Click here for accurate weather updates on Bintan, Indonesia.

How to get to Bintan Island

To get to Bintan Island from Singapore there are direct ferries going to Bintan Island several times a day. The departure is from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. There are a few ferry companies going to Bintan from Singapore, namely: Mozaic Ferry Lines, Bintan Resort Ferries, Majestic Fast Ferry and Sindo Ferry.

Read here full blog post how to get to Bintan Island!

If you go by ferry will take around 2 hours getting to Bintan Island and prices will be around $70-100 SGD for return ticket depending on the schedule and the ferry company. You can check in with 30 kilos luggage per person in the ferry!

Click here to get a discount Singapore to Bintan ferry ticket with Klook!

How to get to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal

To reach Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore from the city centre is to take the MRT to Tanah Merah and catch the bus number 35 bus. If you want more comfort you can head to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal by Grab good option if you are traveling with more people.

Daily budget to visit Bintan

One of the first things you need to do before going to Bintan is to prepare a budget. Each meal will take $5 USD from your budget every time you eat at local restaurants which are plenty in Bintan. As for going around, don’t expect plenty of options as transportation is quite limited.

Also, renting a motorbike or a car is pretty expensive. Joining a tour will be your best option if you want to explore Bintan on a budget.

You should know that lodging in Bintan can be a little more expensive than other Southeast Asians. They are still very affordable, with a mid-range hotel in Bintan costing around $20-60 USD while the cheapest guest house goes for around $20 USD. AirBnB is also available in Bintan.

Click here to book your accommodation before your trip with booking!

Click here to book your accommodation with Agoda!

Click here to get a discount booking your tour in Bintan Island with Klook!

Transportation around Bintan

As we have mentioned, there aren’t a lot of options for public transportation in Bintan. You can ask locals to teach you how to get to a certain destination. They might suggest renting a motorbike for around $20 USD or a car for $50 USD a day. Bintan also has vans and private drivers available. Luckily, most resorts offer pick-up service from the pier to your hotel so at leas you won’t have to worry about that.

Take the opportunity to meet locals and find someone who’s willing to drive you around. They very generously offer their service, anyway, so you can just ask around and find someone with an agreeable price that fits your transportation budget.

Things To Do In Bintan Indonesia

1. Explore Sebung River’s Bintan Mangrove with a Discovery Day Tour

Indonesia’s Bintan island is actually surrounded by preserved Mangrove trees. Many mangrove species in Indonesia have already gone extinct and the Sebung River is one of the main preservation sites in Bintan. It is a beautiful spot that shows the full beauty of the mangrove forest.

Click here to get a discount booking your Mangrove tour with Klook!

We did the Mangrove Tour in Sebung River on our first day in Bintan. It was an hour-long day tour where we were taken on a trip all over Sebung River. There we saw various mangrove trees and learned about how all these plants co-exist in the forest. We also picked up some history lessons and environmental tidbits. We even saw several wild animals. We saw a snake lurking about!

This part of our visit in Bintan was definitely a unique experience. If you are the type of traveler that enjoys discovering trees, admiring the beauty of nature and learning about environment conservation, this is definitely a trip you should make. Our official mangrove tour guide, Fadli, was very informative and fun to go around with.

There were lots of beautiful areas in the river and the cherry on top of this day was the sunset, when we had the chance to take lots of beautiful photos.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR STAY IN BINTAN ISLAND BEFORE YOUR TRIP WITH BOOKING AND AGODA.

2. What to eat in Bintan

Food is just so difficult to separate from travel. One of the wonders of leaving your country is the joy of discovering new food. We were staying near the Plaza Lagoi Mall where we ate sumptuous local food served by Idola Café. What to eat in Bintan, you ask? We had a few local dishes for dinner, some satay, delicious soup, and chicken.

It was definitely a satisfying evening! Make sure not to miss out on the chance to see the city’s local side when you visit Bintan. The island is near Singapore, and is developed and marketed as a luxury resort destination so the area is definitely prepared for tourists and luxury stays. We are happy to still experience the local side of traveling in Bintan through their food!

3. Do sports activities with Treasure Bay Bintan

Treasure Bay Bintan’s Crystal Lagoon is the largest lagoon in Southeast Asia at 6.3 hectares, equivalent to 50 Olympic-size swimming pools! It is also the first man-made seawater lagoon in Southeast Asia. If you’re into sports and active travel, Treasure Bay Bintan is definitely the way to explore the island.

They have a lot of amazing land and water recreational activities. Unfortunately for us, we had a super limited time visiting Treasure Bay Bintan because it rained so hard after a few hours. However we had one of the most adventurous times of our travels while staying there. We did the ATV tour where we spent an hour of super fun ATV ride around the muddy course of Treasure Bay Bintan.

While the whole ride is supervised by a guide, you still need to be very careful and at least somewhat trained to operate an ATV because there were some advance trails that you will have to pass by. We had 3 levels of trails and had the most amazing time exploring them. Luckily, we had the opportunity to try those trails before it rained really hard. We weren’t able to resist a swim at the beautiful Crystal Lagoon, as well. The water is just crystalline blue, it was such a beautiful sight to see.

4. Walk around Lake Lagoi

Into fishing or small recreational boat rides? The Grand Lagoi River is both peaceful and picturesque. If you are fond of quiet and simple afternoons, you can’t deny that the lake is very inviting. Just check out the amazing views we were able to get of the lake!

5. Walk around or swim in the Lagoi Bay Beach

The beach is almost always in our itinerary! Yup. Total beach bums. During our stay, the monsoon season’s start was very evident. The water was filled with waves, and the wind was blowing strongly. Still, taking a trip to the beach was still a nice touch. A good morning and afternoon stroll or taking a little dip is definitely a must-do!

6. Where To Stay in Bintan- Our recommendation: Grand Lagoi Village

Now you can’t really say no to luxury stays right? After all, we humans are creatures of comfort. Luckily, Bintan is definitely equipped for these desires. Wondering where to stay in Bintan? Well, Rachel and I stayed in Grand Lagoi Villa for our first few days, and it is definitely an attractive, well-situated hotel.

It was next to Plaza Lagoi Mall, the Bay beach and the Lagoi lake, and was only 15 minutes from Treasure Bay Bintan. It was a definite no-brainer to stay here! It was also a quick 15-minute ride from terminal so it’s not hard to get to after the ferry ride from Singapore.

7. Nightlife in Bintan

To check out the nightlife in Bintan, we chose the rooftop bar and restaurant of Grand Lagoi. It’s the perfect place for dining with a view. The food was pretty high end and quite delicious.

Try to visit at sunset to enjoy the amazing view while drinking cocktails and having some barbecue. Going before dark? You can enjoy their infinity swimming pool and still take in an excellent view.

8. Enjoy the sunset and sunrise (it’s a real MUST on the list of things to do in Bintan)

We aren’t early bird people, Rachel and I, but on this trip we chose to wake up and see the sunrise. We were greatly rewarded for our efforts. It was great enjoying the quiet mornings and walking around while meeting locals. It was also the perfect time to learn new things about Bintan: the food, language and even more unique things to do in Bintan. And of course, at the end of the day, we enjoyed taking pictures of the sunset.

Click here to book your accommodation before your trip with booking!

Click here to book your accommodation with Agoda!

More Things To Do In Bintan Indonesia

9. Kelong Fish Village Tour

You can visit a floating fisherman village where you can do some activities like riding a banana boat or relaxing on the beach. This is also a good place to go fishing and getting to know the locals in the area. Locals here live without electricity and live in floating homes, a way of life that we were so interested in learning about.

10. Snorkeling/Diving

While riding on a boat, the next best thing you could possibly do is snorkeling. You can enjoy the crystalline waters of Bintan with fishes swimming all around you.

11. Enjoy a massage

Spas in Bintan offer incredible Javanese massages, foot baths and many other services that will leave you at peace and well-rested after a long day of going around the island.

12. Mangrove Night Tour

Isn’t it just amazing to see fireflies? They add such a romantic and idyllic ambiance to any place.Lucky, there is a night tour in Bintan where you will be able to see fireflies. We were so impressed by these creatures and how they light up the verdure like Christmas lights on a tree.

The fireflies were just an amazing bonus to the tour. During this expedition, yu will learn more about the river, how fishermen in the area live and what it is like to stay in a floating village.

WHERE TO STAY IN BINTAN ISLAND

THE CANOPI, BINTAN: A TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO RESORT

Boasting a private beach area and the largest outdoor pool in Southeast Asia, The Canopi is situated in Treasure Bay offering a restaurant, water park and games rooms. The rooms have views of the lagoon, a flat-screen TV, air-conditioning unit, a patio, a private bathroom with free toiletries. Some of their recreational facilities include snorkeling and windsurfing. Moving around the resort is easy by their buggy service.

The staff are also remarkably friendly with their guests. A night in their Garden Tent Guest Room 1 King Sofabed Garden View costs about $220 USD. We totally recommend this place if you’re looking where to stay in Bintan Island and have a budget!

The Canopi, Bintan, A Tribute Portfolio Resort is located at Treasure Bay Bintan, Jln Raya Haji, 29152 Lagoi, Indonesia

Click here to check their availability and to book your accommodation now!

HOLIDAY VILLA PANTAI INDAH BINTAN

Priding itself with a loved private pool with a sun deck and a gazebo, Holiday Villa Pantai Indah Bintan is greatly received by its guests. They offer services in their resort’s spa center and, enjoy delicious dishes, offering with Asian and Indonesian cuisine. A few of the activities in the Villa include golfing and cycling.

Each room has air-conditioning units, a coffee machine, a kettle, a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries, dishwasher, flat screen cable TV, microwave, wardrobe and many more. A night in their Bedroom Pool Villa costs about $290 USD.

Holiday Villa Pantai Indah Bintan is located at Jalan Gurindam Duabelas – Lagoi Bay, Lagoi, Indonesia

Click here to check their availability and to book your accommodation now!

BANYAN TREE BINTAN

Another luxurious spot on our list of where to stay in Bintan Island, Banyan Tree Bintan offers a luxurious complete service to its guests. A few of those services are carefully designed Balinese-style villas, a private world-class spa, an outdoor pool, and a couple of steps from a private beachfront.

There are also recreational activities offered like cycling, canoeing, and hiking. Each room is equipped with an air-conditioning unit, a flat-screen cable TV and a DVD player, tea/coffee making facilities, has a comfortable seating area, a private bathroom with free toiletries, and a terrace.

The in-house Saffron Restaurant offers Thai and Indonesian favorites with Asian-themed cocktails but guests could also eat at the beachfront with their in-villa and beachfront dining. The location is near Singapore, a 45-minute ferry ride. A night in their luxurious Rainforest Seaview Villa costs about $300 USD.

Banyan Tree Bintan is located at Jalan Teluk Berembang, Bintan, Lagoi, Indonesia.

Click here to check their availability and to book your accommodation now!

WHERE TO STAY IN BINTAN ISLAND – CHEAP HOTELS

TEN ROOMS

Located in Teluk Bakau, Ten RooMs has a private beach area that guests could enjoy. They also have a garden to relax into. They offer continental breakfast every morning. Although simple, guests really love the value they get in return. Wifi is also available at the premises. A night in their Deluxe Double or Twin Room with Ocean View costs about $40 USD.

Ten RooMs is located at Jalan Pantai Trikora KM36 Desa Teluk Bakau Kecamatan Gunung Kijang, Teluk Bakau, Indonesia

Click here to check their availability and to book your accommodation now!

Enjoying the Villa

Enjoying the Bintan Spa Villa first thing in the morning, with the colors of the sunrise all around, is really such a relaxing and breathtaking experience. As the day goes on, you can do activities like swimming, some karaoke or eating delicious seafood. You can even walk around this island paradise or play pool, and make new friends while doing so.

There’s also a Jacuzzi that offers amazing views as you drink fresh coconut juice. All this you can enjoy when you book your stay at the Bintan Spa Villa.

Click here to book your accommodation before your trip with booking!

Click here to book your accommodation with Agoda!

Click here to get a discount booking your tour in Bintan Island with Klook!

Click here to know prices and schedule to book your bus/boat tickets online with 12Go Asia.

Festivals in Bintan

Bintan Raya Festival

Held at Plaza Lagoi is a beautiful festival called Bintan Raya, a cultural celebration that highlights Bintan’s art and culture scene with events like Batik Hand Painting. The festival is held mid-June and welcomes tourists from all over the world.

Soundscape Music Festival

Music festivals are all the rage now. There seems to be one in every city! Bintan is one of the lovely places to hold such an event during December. Soundscape Music Festival showcases popular local bands and DJs like WinkyWiryawan, Angels Percussions, Noah and DJ Yasmin. This is the perfect venue to get to know Indonesia’s contemporary culture.

We had an amazing time visiting Bintan Island, Indonesia. Definitely off beat, as it’s not one of the most visited areas in the Southeast, but the place is highly developed and just so beautiful. There are many things you will surely love.

If you want to know about more cool destinations to visit this year climbing Mount Rinjani We also have a blog post about our favorite place in Indonesia: Nusa Penida.

Let us know just how much you loved this post in the comments below! Hope this gets you excited to add Bintan to your bucket list as you read there are many things to do in Bintan Island!

Feel free to use our links with discounts for Booking, Agoda, Airbnb and Klook. Using our links you will help us to continue with the maintenance of the website and it will not cost you anything. Thanks for the love guys 

Happy Travels!