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Sunday, April 28, 2019

2D1N Staff Retreat at Bintan Spa Villa Beach Resort - Day 1

It was my first trip to Bintan, and our first departmental staff retreat overseas with my lovely colleagues. Was looking forward to the trip to have some 'me' time, to enjoy the food, the sun, and the beach. The last time I took a ferry to Batam was 9 years ago and ever since then I have not been to the islands of Indonesia.

6am - I arrived a little too early at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Thankfully Killiney Kopitiam is opened from 6am to 8pm, hence we can sit in for breakfast before sailing off.


 Breakfast at Killiney Kopitiam

7:45am - Cleared the custom and getting on board.

8:45am - Arrived at Bintan Ferry Terminal after sailing for about 1 hour. 


Our group met up with the driver from Bintan Spa Villa Beach Resort and he advised us to collect our return ferry tickets from the ticketing counter first instead of doing it tomorrow which can be a rush. 

8:55am - Another 1 hour drive from the ferry terminal to the beach resort as it is located away from the city and at a more remote corner of the island. 

9:50am - Arrived at Bintan Spa Villa Beach Resort!

Bintan Spa Villa Beach Resort is a peaceful seaside hideaway tucked quietly away in a cosy corner of Bintan Island far away from the tourist crowds. Comprising of 33 rooms & suites, it is built along the shoreline and guests will have a panoramic view of the sea. A wonderful spot if you are looking for a quiet seaside getaway.

We took up the Corporate Package which offers a really good deal for S$170/person (Weekday rate) which includes the following
  • 2-way Ferry Tickets (SG-Bintan-SG)
  • 2-way Land Transfer between Ferry terminal and Resort
  • 1 Night Accommodation in Deluxe (Twin Sharing)
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch and 1 BBQ Dinner
  • 2hr Teambuilding Games
  • Complimentary 30min Kayaking
  • Complimentary use of Sheltered Meeting Space


Front desk and Lobby Reception area which is also where to restaurant is to welcome the guests.

Outdoor dining area by the beach front

The tide was low in the morning and you can see little crabs on the beach. 

Direction board to guide you around the beach resort.

Next to the restaurant is a 3-storey building where our team will be sharing the deluxe rooms in. 

A small play zone for the young at hearts :)

Our welcome drink upon arrival and I played on the swing since it is still far too early from check-in.

Exploring the resort and its facilities. Next to the restaurant is a sheltered zone where guests can simply sit on the bean bags and have a relax time chilling while facing the beach front. Alteratively, you can go for a warm or cold Jacuzzi. 

Trikora Spa - perfect for those who want to relax and enjoy your massage with a sea view.

Further down is the swimming pool, KTV room and kayak rentals.

The swimming pool is not too far from the beach front. Do take note that there is no life guard on duty, hence it is advisable not to be alone and stay vigilant to keep your children and yourself safe. 



If you are keen to go for low tide walk, there are aqua shoes of various sizes for guests to put on (no rental charges). Kayak and Jet ski facilities are available too and you can put some of your belongings in the cupboards provided inside the hut.

There are also other activities you can engage in at Bintan Spa Villa if you are spending more days at the resort - Kelong Visit, Snorkeling, Mangrove Tour, Diving, ATV and even set your own fireworks at night.




10:50am - Lunch is served earlier as we were really HUNGRY! Meals are included in the package and I picked Grilled Stingray and Chicken Satay Plate served with nasi-lemak. 

It also comes with a soup.

After lunch, we had some team building activities before checking-in to our rooms.

1:30pm - Check-in and Free & Easy time

Our room for the night - Deluxe Room with 2 single beds. The room is spacious and pretty clean. Mini safe, fridge and toiletries are provided. 

We have been warmly welcomed since arrival and there is even a welcome note in our room! The towels were also cutely folded into a crab and octopus. Great hospitality!



Balcony area outside our room. Our room is on the ground floor and we got a nice garden view. This is also a great place to hang our wet clothing/swimming attire to dry. :)


2pm : We are blessed with a sunny weather despite hearing rumble from the distance. Thankfully it did not rain and we can continue with our outdoor activities throughout the afternoon.

As we were given a complimentary 30mins of kayaking, I decided to give it a try. This is the first time in my life I tried Kayaking! As I do not know how to swim, I am always afraid of the waters. It took a lot of courage on my part to do this with my lovely colleague who also did not kayak before! The shores are rather shallow and we were able to kayak all the way to the small island further into the waters. To me, that is an amazing achievement!


Loving the beautiful sky and the turquoise waters!

4pm - Team building games commenced and we even had kayaking race!


Apparently I was circling in the kayak during the race and just as it seems that we are reaching shore, our kayak went off course again and made another big u-turn away from shore. That scene caused so much laughter among our team! Too bad the full episode was not video down else it will be a wonderful memory. 

Apart from kayaking race, we had 3-legged race, Watery Towel and Sandcastle Building competition. We ran so much and had so much fun that 2 hours just past so fast!


6:10pm - We headed back to our rooms to wash up after a full day of activities. As we walked past the open field, I really love how they lit up the alfresco dining area by the sea. 


Our rooms at night

Gorgeous outdoor dining area. There is also an outdoor movie screening that happens every night! Unfortunately, it started to drizzle mid-way through our meals and we have to move indoors to continue our dinner.

I have heard many saying spending in Bintan is expensive. Thankfully we had a good package that covers all our meals and the portion of the food is huge! We do not feel hungry at all and the food taste good too!

6:50pm - Dinner commenced with this sharing plate of glass noodles which is delicious and everyone enjoyed it!

Each of us had a BBQ set with a good spread of big prawns, crayfish, stingray, otah, satay and chicken wings! This looks awesomely good and we felt so pampered!

Another sharing plate of fish to complete our dinner!

I had a WONDERFUL Day 1 at Bintan Spa Villa Beach Resort! The staff are friendly and helpful ensuring our team has a place of rest and relaxation. Too bad I did not know earlier that the gift shop was selling fireworks! Else I would have bought one and try setting some in the night! Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed myself and really wished that my family was here too.

Room Summary Notes:

- Free Wifi
- Air-condition
- Window view
- Flooring - Tiles
- Water Flask - available
- Safety Box - available
- Hair Dryer - available
- Phone - available
- Mini Fridge - available

Toilet/Shower
- Bath towels are provided
- Separated Toilet and Bath/Shower room
- Hot shower available.
- Bathtub not available
- Disposable toothbrush/toothpaste/comb provided

Day 2 - Bintan Spa Villa Beach Resort
More photos at BPDGTravels photo album

Bintan Spa Villa Beach Resort
Address: Km. 38 Jl. Pantai Trikora,  Teluk Bakau Bintan, Bintan Regency, Riau Islands Province 29153, Indonesia

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