Introducing Pulau Bintan
Just across the Selat Dampak from Batam, the island of Bintan is twice as large and a mirror opposite. Where Batam is a creation of imported workers, Bintan has a local community of ethnic Hakka and Indo-Malays.
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On the west coast, Tanjung Pinang is a busy provincial city, while the high-end resorts in the north of the island around Lagoi do beach escapes right. For the working stiffs from Singapore, there are the more rustic beaches on the eastern end of the island around Pantai Trikora for affordable weekend escapes.
Although Bintan is under the influence of Singapore prices, it is a smidge cheaper, so the last bits in your wallet won’t evaporate as quickly as in the metropolis.
Bintan is also the administrative centre of the Riau Islands, a title that has funnelled some much-needed development to the island.
Last updated: Mar 2, 2009
