Family Trip

This trip was mooted over half a year ago and "some" planning had gone into it. We haven't had a family trip since ... well, I can't remember ever really having one!

Anyway, since we are no experts in family holiday logistics, we decided to have ours "nearby" in Bintan. And as there were about 10+ of us, a nice "community" type place to stay was selected.

The place, a three bedroom hilltop Indra Maya villa at Nirwana Gardens Bintan.



We were originally deciding between Banyu Biru and Indra Maya villas. In the end, we decided to up our budget and go for the more "luxurious" Indra Maya as it came with a private pool (while the Banyu Biru did not).


Day 1:

The ferry was departing at 2pm so we went to Tanah Merah ferry terminal before 1pm as instructed. Parked the car at the ferry terminal. Unfortunately, bro Dom (who had all the tickets) was a bit late. This resulted in a "mad rush" (well, at least for me ... ) to check in our luggages and to board the ferry. We were the last to exit the gate and were also the last in the queue to board!

We managed to get ourselves seated nearby each other (free seating). The ferry ride was less than an hour but will seem like an eternity to those who are prone to seasickness.

We reached Bintan at 3pm (2pm Bintan time). By the time we collected our luggage, took the shuttle bus, checked-in and drove our buggy to the villa, it was coming to 5pm.



The villa itself had a rustic charm to it. Yes, it looks and feels a bit old and worn down, but still pretty acceptable. After a brief orientation of the villa, sleeping arrangements and a little freshening up, it was time to prepare for the BBQ. Bro Dan, GF and another cousin arrived via a separate ferry later in the evening after work.

The BBQ food was from City Satay which we brought over from Singapore. The raw food in Bintan is expensive. Anyway, our City Satay "Set A" + some of our own raw food was more than enough for 10 adults. In fact, there was quite a bit of left over for the next day.


Day 2:

Woken up by the boy at 7am (his usual timing). The BBQ from the previous night attracted several visitors, two of which are large monitor lizards! Of these 2, one became a regular and kept coming back several times looking for food.

Breakfast was at the nearby Mayang Sari Beach Club. Breakfast buffet was unimpressive, feels like a canteen.



After breakfast, it was exploring time. All of us managed to squeeze into the villa buggy for a trip around Nirwana Gardens. We were surprised that they had a mini "zoo" on the grounds which showcased some of the local wildlife. We also took the opportunity to visit the main resort to have a look around before going back to the villa.

After lunch, it was swimming time! All of us had a great time in the private pool. Even Cayden had his very first swimming experience! The rest of the afternoon was spent chilling out around the pool area. What a relaxing day!


Day 3:

From our recce on Day 2, we found that the main resort had a much better restaurant for breakfast. So we proceeded there instead of the "canteen" at Mayang Sari, and we were not disappointed. The variety and quality of the food was much better.

Before checking out, we managed to get about an hour or more of swim time at the public pool at the main resort. More swimming fun for Cayden! This time, we even managed to dunk him underwater (although he wasn't too happy about that).

Finally we checked out of the villa around 1230hrs (Bintan time). The journey back to Singapore was pretty uneventful until the ferry ride where little Nikki decided to puke ... :-P

Anyway, all was well and everyone reached Singapore safe and sound. The total cost of parking for 3 days and 2 nights was about $38. The skies opened on the way back and we had a nice cool drive back home in the rain.



The photo album slideshow is available HERE.

I wonder where we should go the NEXT time ... :-)