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The Residence Bintan, a Paradise Under the Sun of the Equator

  • Sunday, July 28, 2019, 12:57 pm
  • ACROFAN=Jae-Yong Ryu
  • jaeyong.ryu@acrofan.com
When talking about the number of countries that can go without visa, a Korean passport has always been named on top. The passport index is the sum of the visited visa-free countries and countries that need arrival visa in the passport. According to the global financial adviser, Arton Capital’s 2018 announcement, the Republic of Korea, along with Singapore, set a record of 162 points and a joint first place. Like this international reputation, the Korean passport is a very good item to feel the different mood over the border.

 
After flying for 6 hours from Incheon International Airport, you will arrive at Singapore Changi Airport. Because it is a visa-free country and the processing work is fast, it takes only about 30 minutes to get to the Arrivals Hall. When you go through the baggage area and go out to the Terminal lobby, the hot and humid air of the tropics will make you realize that you are in a foreign country. After a short breath with Singapore air, grab a Grab taxi and go 10 minutes south to Tanah Merah ferry terminal. For reference, the first ship to Bintan, Indonesia, is around 8 am. After completing a simple immigration check and baggage inspection, it takes about one hour by high-speed ferry to Bintan Island in Indonesia.

In this way, it takes about 8 hours to go through Singapore and then to the land of Indonesia, and the countries you experienced are Korea, Singapore and Indonesia. Bintan Island, which has arrived here, is well known as a land developed early as a Special Tourist Zone for recuperation in Indonesia. As Singapore emerged as an economically wealthy country, many people visited Bintan, which is right adjacent, as a vacation spot.

If you arrive at the Bintan Ferry Terminal, there are a lot of vehicles that carry guests to the resort. The only public transport on Bintan Island is a taxi. When you book a resort, it is a wise choice to choose traffic facilities to and from the airport. And ‘The Residence Bintan’ also has a limousine service, which will help you get there. It is approximately one and a half hours between the terminal and the resort. Given the time of a short trip from the airport or terminal, within 12 hours, it is possible to arrive at the resort from my house in Seoul. This reminds me that the earth we live is small.

 
The main building entrance of 'The Residence Bintan', which entered in the limousine, seems to have been functionally decorated like a golf course guest house. But it’s only for the beginning. Entering the lobby through the entrance, you could see the refreshing appearance that the architecture of traditional Indonesian style facing the open sea. It was fresh enough with the natural wind, rather than the air conditioner. Only the entrance area has many walls. Besides, the surroundings were all open, so it was impressive that both nature and convenience facilities met my eye.

There are two types of rooms that can be reserved ­ one with an ocean view and one with a garden. Every ocean view room has a swimming pool, but the location of the pool is different. Some have pools right outside the back door and the others have stairs to go down before the pools. If you want to go out and fall into the pool, you should choose a ‘Beachfront’ type room, and if you want to have more party space or enjoy natural wind and light, it will be great to choose a ‘Sea View’ type room. The terrace type rooms with ‘Garden’ or ‘Vista’ modifiers have no private swimming pools. Instead of being located more inside toward the land, more space is provided. Besides, there are only two suite type villas, which will be appropriate to the group of about 4 guests. They have not only private pools but also convenience and accessibility as they are next to the main swimming pool and bar.

 
Among many types of rooms, I have chosen the ‘Beachfront Pool Villa’. It has a structure that leads directly from the bedroom to the swimming pool and is suitable for couples or those who travel alone. Two air conditioners are in full operation, so you might feel cold when you come in. The depth of the pool was 1.2 meters, so it was safe to play with children. The main pool also has similar features. With the isolated spatial composition, the shallow depth seemed to be in a good condition to be relieved.

Even if Pool Villa is a good place to fall into a private time, the resort cost includes fee for basic facilities, so it will be great to go out of the room and enjoy them. If you have children, it is good to find a kids club, and if you are alone, it is a good idea to take a look at the fitness center. The kids club, where children from many countries communicate in English and play together, might be a great place to experience global exchange early in life. The play facilities are well-furnished and well-maintained, and professional nursery teachers keep their positions during the day so parents can feel relief when leaving their children and going out for leisure or activities. If you don’t have to worry about children, you should spend some time in the fitness center.

 
There are some places in the resort where you have to pay for - the luxurious Spa, bar, restaurant, gift shop and so on. Although the main facilities are located around the main building, these amenities and activities are far from each other. There are three ways to move. The first way is to walk. I walked from end to end, and it took about half an hour. Walking in the broad daylight makes you lose weight. The next way is to ride a bicycle. Bicycles are placed in front of individual accommodation, according to the number of guests. It is common to go around the resort with this bicycle. If you want to go more conveniently, you can prepare a dollar for a tip and get a buggy from the concierge. The easiest way is to call an electric golf cart that is operated within the resort. But it takes time when there are many users or at night, so I, who is Korean with a quick temper, just walked or rode a bicycle more.

 
It is optional to ride a buggy inside the resort, but there are some cases that surely need it. As off-road ATVs, archery, survival games and other exciting activities are located outside the resort, you must call buggy. The water sports provided at the beach are located just below the main swimming pool, so if you get out of your room and walk along the beach, you will soon arrive. The ATV ride is the center of external activities, but the first thing to do is to take safety training and lessons here. After that, you can enjoy various activities according to the staff’s guide. It is necessary to reserve on the Internet or at the main building counter, so it is better to make it in advance. Like this, you don’t have to look for other places to enjoy activities. Since the resort provides all the excitement experiences both of the sea and land, you should enjoy them.

 
The resort also provides static and healing activities rather than active ones. If you want to feel at ease, among the programs offered by the resort, let's take a cooking class and a spa. In the restaurant, the chef who gives a variety of menus to customers will come and show cooking the traditional Indonesian food. And you can taste the finished dish. In addition, there is nothing like a Spa to relax. The By Ila Spa has a traditional Balinese massage. Before getting a massage, they check your health condition with a questionnaire and provide intensive care for specific areas you feel bad. Ginger tea or Lemon Grass Iced Tea served before or after massage is also a pride of By Ila. If you take a refreshing drink and take a Balinese massage, you will not be able to keep up. After taking a short nap, I can meet your fully relaxed body.

 
Comfortable accommodation and various convenient facilities. And a variety of programs to choose from when booking a resort. I scheduled focusing on the holiday, and I spent time full of memories to go back at the The Residence Bintan. Among many memories at the resort, the best one is the delicious Indonesian food. Beef Rendang, Nasi Goreng, and many other dishes highly praised from various TV programs such as EBS are well-known dishes of the resort’s restaurant. Even though the tour programs show a lot of night markets and local people's tastes, the cuisine served in the resort itself is of high quality. Without going far, Rica Rica restaurant is my most memorable place to enjoy Indonesian delicacies. Until this moment…