Bintan Resorts



Bintan Resorts, also known as Lagoi, is a gated tourist colony at the northern end of the Indonesian island of Bintan.

Very much a family-oriented destination, there are ten or so independently owned and operated beach resorts, four designer golf courses and a range of recreational facilities and attractions. Most tourists come for its serenity: you can laze by the beach, enjoy a spa, play golf and dabble in water sports. The area is separated from the rest of Bintan by thick forests and checkpoints.

Understand
Bintan Resorts is similar to Denarau in Fiji. Nearly all visitors come from nearby Singapore, most of the resorts are owned by Singaporean companies, and the area is largely built and maintained to Singaporean standards. Alas, the pricing is also Singaporean, making it far higher than the rest of the island.

Orientation
Bintan Resorts sprawls across some of Bintan's northern coastline. Near the ferry terminal to the west is, centred around a large artificial lagoon. In the middle is, which faces Lagoi Beach and hosts a large cluster of hotels.

Access from the rest of the island is gated by checkpoints, the main one at on the road south towards Tanjung Pinang. The only bit of "real" Indonesia within resort boundaries is the town of, which has a cheap food court (Pujasera), dormitories and other facilities for resort workers.

Talk
Indonesian and English are widely understood. However, if you plan to rent a car to visit towns outside the resort area, bring along your Indonesian phrasebook because the drivers' command of English can be limited.

Get in
Most visitors to Lagoi will arrive at its dedicated ferry terminal:



Visitors from other parts of Indonesia may either fly to Hang Nadim airport in Batam and take 25-minute boat ride to BBT or fly direct to Raja Haji Fisabillilah in Kijang and drive for 1½ hours. The travel time will be shortened when the new Bintan International Airport, a 30-minute drive from Bintan Resorts, opens in the future.

For details of Bintan's small domestic airport and other seaports, see the main Bintan article. See Indonesia for information in entry into Indonesia.

Get around
Most hotels offer complimentary shuttle services to the ferry terminal and back, and it's wise to make use of them.

Free buses normally shuttle from the hotels to the Plaza Lagoi shopping mall and back, but as of August 2022, they remain suspended. Bintan Resorts are within Grab's coverage area, but availability is very spotty. If you can swing one, though, this is the cheapest way to get around.



See
As a destination, Bintan Resorts is rather artificial with its manicured landscape. Still, the beaches are beautiful with white sands and most of the resorts are built to a high standard. Hotels and various travel agencies offer packaged tours of the nearby mangroves, including firefly tours at night, and half or full day tours to points of interest elsewhere on the island.

Watersports


Watersports of all sorts are popular, although the scuba diving here is lacklustre due to the poor visibility. During the northeast monsoon (November until March), there is usually quite a bit of wave action on the beach. This is good for surfing and bodyboarding, but not good for most anything else. The north facing beach break at the resort Mayang Sari, even with fresh onshore winds in April, does not generate more than 30- to 45-cm (1- to 1½-foot) waves. The waves tend to close out, however it is a good beach for children on boogie boards or surfmats. Small jellyfish may be found.



The Marine Discovery Park at Treasure Bay, which let you snorkel about in a controlled environment, closed down during COVID.

Golf
Golf is popular, with several excellent golf courses charging much lower prices than in neighboring Singapore.



Spas
Most hotels have spas offering various treatments at or slightly below Singapore prices. Head to the Plaza Lagoi mall for cheaper options.

Buy


In Bintan Resorts, Singapore dollars (S$) and Indonesian rupiah (Rp) are accepted, though prices are usually quoted in rupiah. At most F&B establishments, you'll need to tack on 10% tax and 10% service charge to the listed prices.

Prices in Bintan Resorts are generally expensive compared to Singapore, and very expensive compared to almost anywhere else in Indonesia. If staying for a significant amount of time, it is advisable to rent a car and head out to Tanjung Pinang to do your shopping, where the prices are a lot lower.



Eat
Most hotels offer near-identical menus of mediocre Western food and bland Indonesian favorites at prices that would be high even in Singapore: don't expect to get much change from Rp. 200,000 for a simple nasi goreng (fried rice). Particularly if you're in a larger group, it may well be worth paying the taxi cartel to explore other options.

Drink
Bintan Resorts' nightlife is limited to hotel bars.

Sleep
True to the name, Bintan Resorts is all resorts: there are no budget options to be found, only more expensive and less expensive options, and even the less expensive ones are pricey by Indonesian standards. Prices go up on weekends and during Singaporean school holidays. A buffet breakfast and transfers to/from the ferry terminal are almost always included in the price.

Stay safe
Bintan Resorts' serious violent crime rate is zero, though petty crime is still somewhat common. The Tourism Police and Navy of Indonesia have an office at Kota Sebung. Tap water is drinkable — with source from its huge reservoir processed by water treatment plant to achieve WHO standards.

Go next
The capital of Riau Islands Province, Tanjung Pinang, is about 1½ hours away by road. Cheapest way there is to rent a car and driver (a good price would be in the range of S$80–100 for six hours of his time).