Bintan, Indonesia (May 19)
Only an hour by ferry southeast of Singapore, Bintan Island is Indonesia’s plan to become the next Bali, a mega-tourist destination. A tropical climate one degree north of the equator, Bintan has beautiful white sandy beaches, mangroves, snorkeling, rice paddies, a mountain with monkeys and exotic birds, in addition to man-made features like golf, spas, and water features. The natural setting is remarkable, but the infrastructure, particularly construction of the resorts themselves, came to a halt when COVID hit and tourism dried up.
We anchored offshore and tendered in to be greeted by Indonesian “royalty”. Bill went for a 4 mile power walk; Bob took a shuttle to one of the (unfinished) resorts and walked on the beach. Five years from now Bintan will indeed rival Bali, but not yet….












I'll also remember to ask for your top 5, or maybe even 10, beaches, because so many of these have been gorgeous. FB
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