Bintan

Bintan is one of the Riau Islands of Indonesia.

Bintan Halal Travel Guide

Bintan: the northern tip of the island, Bintan Resorts (Lagoi), 45 minutes from Singapore by ferry, full of expensive resorts and manicured lawns. As it has very little in common with the rest of the island and the resorts are covered in the Bintan Resorts Halal Travel Guide.

Separated from the resorts by checkpoints and armed guards and the rest of the island is "real" border town Indonesia, home to electronics factories, fishing villages and local style resorts (beach and adventure type) along the East Coast Bintan.

The colorful town of Bintan, Tanjung Pinang, 1.5 hours away from Singapore by ferry, used to be a local destination for prostitution and gambling (just like neighboring Batam), but after a clamp-down by the local authorities it is regaining its rightful reputation as one of Indonesia's most historical city's, with its ancient vibrant market partly located on stilts in the sea.

Cities

Tanjung Pinang - Biggest town of Bintan Islands
Kijang GPS 0.851,104.605 - long-distance ferry port (another bigger town of Bintan)
Tanjung Uban GPS 1.068,104.228 - A big town on Bintan Island

More Destinations

Bintan Resorts GPS 1.1635,104.3378 - a chunk of Singapore in Indonesia
Trikora and the rest of Bintan's East coast

Local Language in Bintan

Bahasa Indonesia, which is spoken throughout Indonesia, is modeled on the version of (Malay) which originates from Riau on the Sumatra mainland and the Riau Islands. In fact, Riau (Malay) is regarded as the purest form of the (Malay) language and visitors from Malaysia will find the (Malay) spoken here very similar to Bahasa Malaysia, which is the version of (Malay) spoken back home.

English is spoken at Bintan Resorts and, to a lesser extents and the resorts of Trikora, but not much elsewhere.

Travel to Bintan

For detailed information on visas, please see Indonesia#get in|Indonesia page. All Bintan ports, namely Sri Bintan Pura (Tanjung Pinang), Lobam and Bandar Bentan Telani/Lagoi (Bintan Resorts) are visa-free and visa-on-arrival points of entry.

As of July 2011 a 7-day visa on arrival at US $10 per person is available again for individuals. This visa is valid for visits to the special economic zone of Bintan / Batam / Karimum only.

Fly to Bintan

Bintan'sRaja Haji Fisabilillah Airport (IATA Flight Code: TNJ) only caters to a limited number of flights, none of which are international. The main Indonesian airlines Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Sriwijaya Air all offer daily Flights from the Indonesian capital CGK|Jakarta. Local airlines offer connections to the remote Natuna Islands and Xpress Air has three weekly flights between Bintan and Pekanbaru on the main island of Sumatra.

A viable alternative is to fly into neighbouring Batam (IATA Flight Code: BTH), which has a larger airport and taking a ferry across. However, for most foreigners, unless you are coming from Malaysia or elsewhere in Indonesia and the most convenient way to reach Bintan would be to fly into Singapore (IATA Flight Code: SIN) and take a ferry to Tanjung Pinang. There is now a convenient shuttle bus connecting Singapore Changi Airport|Changi Airport

Terminals 2 and 4 to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, where you can catch a ferry to Bintan.

Travel by boat to Bintan

You are most likely to arrive by boat. Most international travelers arrive from Singapore and Johor Bahru. Bintan is also the major domestic seaport for the Riau Islands and is a port of call for Indonesia's major passenger shipping company Pelni. The ride across itself (return ticket around S$50) is worth the trip. Make sure you get on the open deck (most local residents stay in the air-conditioned cabin).

Close to Singapore, hundreds and hundreds of oil tankers, freighters and huge container ships from all over the world literally fill up the horizon in any direction. Later on the ride and there will be small islands dotted across South China Sea, most seem uninhabited, with mysterious jungle coastlines and dark volcanoes in the background. Just use your imagination and think about the pirates that have been hiding on those islands for centuries (and are still now), or how participants of the "Survivor" TV series would cope on such an island, with huge pythons all over the jungle.

There are several passenger ports in Bintan. The most common one is at Tanjung Pinang where most short-distance inter-island ferries and those from Singapore and Johor Bahru dock. The other ferry terminals are at Tanjung Uban, Kijang (where Pelni boats dock) and Teluk Sebung which serves the Bintan Resorts area on the northern part of the island. Please see Bintan Resorts for details to get to that part of Bintan.

From/to Singapore - three companies - Penguin, Indo Falcon and Berlian/Wavemaster - operate ferries between Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Tanjung Pinang. Together and they operate six ferries on weekdays, increasing to nine during weekends and public holidays. Tickets cost around S$50–59 return / S$40 one way (excluding Indonesia port tax).
Berlian/Wave master (☎ +65 6786 9959 in Tanah Merah FT / +62-771316636 Indonesia)
Indo Falcon (☎ +65 6270 6778/ +65 6275 7393 in Singapore, +65 6542 6786 for booking enquiries)
Penguin (☎ +65 6542 7105 in Tanah Merah FT)

The various ferries from Singapore take around 2 hours to get to Tanjung Pinang. When you arrive you should confirm your return at the ferry company offices ASAP as the ferries can get full. It is imfeasible to get out of the terminal without a guide latching on to you, so take advantage and get them to show you where the office is and they may offer to do this anyway. It is roughly - left out of the terminal and then take the first left and the office is at the end of the street and should only take a couple of minutes to reach.

From/to Malaysia - around five ferries daily to/from the Johor Bahru International Ferry Terminal at Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru, to Tanjung Pinang. Tickets cost RM75/125 one-way/return excluding taxes. Journey takes 90 mins. Call Tenggara Senandung (☎ +60-7-2211677) at the Johor Bahru ferry terminal for more information.
From/to Batam
Baruna (☎ +62-771-28578 in Tanjung Pinang, +62-778-479162 in Telaga Punggur) and Sentosa speedboats run virtually every 15 minutes between Telaga Punggur on the southeastern end of Batam and Tanjung Pinang the main town on Bintan. The fare is Rp. 40.000 before port taxes of Rp. 3.500 (1 hour). Slightly less frequent speedboats run between Telaga Punggur and Tanjung Uban on the Western end of Bintan.
Several ferries which originate from city's in the Sumatra mainland also call at Sekupang the main domestic ferry port on Batam, before continuing to Tanjung Pinang. One such operator is Dumai Express.
From/to Dumai, Sumatra - several ferries daily by Dumai Express run to Tanjung Pinang via Sekupang, Batam. Some ferries also stop at Tanjung Balai on Karimun Island.
From/to Pekanbaru - SB Kurnia Usaha Baru runs daily ferry to Pekanbaru, departing at 6:30AM. The fare is Rp 620.000 before port tax of Rp 7.500.
From/to Tanjung Balai, Karimun Island - daily ferries by Arena to/from Tanjung Pinang.
From/to Tanjung Batu, Kundur Island - one daily speedboat operated by SB Giam Mas (Tanjung Batu agent at port, ☎ +62-779-431589) departs daily from Tanjung Batu and the main town on Kundur Island, at 0745 for Tanjung Pinang. The boat returns to Tanjung Batu on the same day, departing Tanjung Pinang at 1200. The boat has scheduled stops at Galang Island and Moro on Sugibawah Island, while unscheduled stops may be made at various little settlements along the way. Journey time is about two and a half hours each way. The fare from Tanjung Batu to Tanjung Pinang and vice-versa is Rp330,000 before port taxes.
From/to Singkep Island - ferries Batavia and Superjet run daily between Tanjung Pinang and Dabo on Singkep Island, departing at 11AM. The fare is Rp 205.000 before port tax of Rp 7.500. You can catch boat connections to the Lingga Islands from Singkep.
From/to Natuna Islands
Fortnightly ferry from Tanjung Pinang to the isolated Anambas and Natuna Islands.
Pelni's KM Bukit Raya sails from Kijang port in Bintan to Letung, Tarempa. Natuna and Midai on the way out to Pontianak, West Kalimantan. It however returns to Tanjung Pinang via a different route.
From/to other parts of Indonesia - PELNI ships link various Indonesian islands with Kijang port on Bintan. These ships provide direct links with Jakarta (KM Ciremiu), Pontianak and other more distant ports. Getting there/away: From outside Kijang harbour there are bemos (public shuttle vanes) going the 26 km to Tanjung Pinang.

How to get around in Bintan

Public transportation on Bintan is very limited and is probably not worth the effort unless you have a passable command of Indonesian and a lot of time on your hands. Virtually all visitors use taxis or rent cars. However, as there are only a few main routes, Mikrolets are worthwhile investigating and whilst the local residents don't speak much English and they will go out of their way to help you if you look lost.

How to travel to Bintan by car

Car rental could cost between S$50–100/day for a sedan, depending on how far you go: all the way around the island, visiting Tanjung Pinang and the east coast and the resort belt in the north would be a 4 hour, 200 km venture, while a short day visit to Trikora coast might be had for $50.

By scooter

Prices about S$35/day (or 20/half a day), fun and convenient way to hop from beach to beach or even travel quite a long distances over the island. They will provide you with a helmet and price of the gasoline is cca Rp30000/2l bottle (every shop near the road sells that)

By minivan

Bintan's embryonic public transport system consists of white minivans known as mikrolet or angkutan kota (angkut). One set of vans runs around Tanjung Pinang, while another set covers the rest of the island. The only way to tell where they're going is to yell out your destination as they pass and to get off, just yell kiri. You can transfer between the two near Bintan Centre, commonly called Batu Sepuluh (Marker 10). Fares within the city are a fixed Rp7,000, fares outside it are negotiable; going to Trikora might cost around Rp60,000.

What to see in Bintan

Go to Trikora Beach. It is beautiful and there are many seasports readily available.

More untouched beaches can be found in the area around Sumpat.

Also and the primary rainforests, although reduced in size due to commercialism and they are still majestic and magnificent.

Top Travel Tips

Bintan has excellent beaches, although the water tends to be murky due to its proximity to Singapore, shipping lanes and Batam's industries. Bintan Resorts is best known for golf, while Trikora is a cheaper option for sea sports.

You can also go island-hopping from the main ports. From Tanjung Pinang, going to a nearby island would only be about S$5–10.

Shopping in Bintan

The local wooden handicrafts are worth buying, if you're on the lookout for a souvenir or two. The prices are generally affordable if you can find the right places to buy from.

The resorts use Singapore dollars as their de facto currency, but while they're accepted elsewhere on the island as well, exchange rates may not be in your favour and you'll be better off using rupiah. Prices on the "Indonesian" part of the island are on par with or slightly higher than other islands in Indonesia, while the price level on Bintan Resorts is quite expensive even by Singapore standards.

The major Shopping Centres in town, like Ramayana Mall or Bintan Mall, hardly compare to those in Singapore, Jakarta, or Kuala Lumpur, but the items sold are generally cheap, varied and acceptable quality.

Wonoasri Village, Teluk Sebung (20 minutes from Bintan Resort Ferry Terminal). You can see the only paddy field in Bintan Island, learn and have an experience of paddy process. They also have some tour that bring you to visit the Indonesia farmer houses and the villagers crops. You can also see the life Chicken or cows or just enjoy your lunch in the middle of the paddy field.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Bintan

Seafood in Bintan is fresh and affordable (about S$3–7/pax) and Tanjung Pinang has some Halal restaurants, although they have sub-standard fans and minimal or gaudy decoration. However, service is good and waiters are friendly. There isn't always an English menu, so take a look at the Indonesian phrasebook and learn the basics. Also remember that 'vegetarian' is defined differently here than other parts of the world, so if you are a strict Vegetarian, make sure you mention no Meat is to be included.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Bintan

Bintan - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Bintan, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Bintan. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Bintan and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Bintan. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Bintan. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations in Bintan: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Bintan.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Bintan: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Bintan, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Bintan.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Bintan, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Bintan, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Bintan and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Bintan, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Bintan, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Bintan without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Bintan is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Bintan.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Bintan is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Bintan, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Bintan Media: info@ehalal.io

Ramadan Celebrations in Bintan

Ramadan 2025 in Bintan

Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025

The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025

The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025

The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024

Muslim Friendly Hotels

Angsana Resort & Spa Bintan

News & References Bintan

Go Next

Batam - Like Bintan, only fewer resorts, more factories and more nightlife
Singapore - less than an hour by ferry to the north