We took our time in the morning of our trip. Since we didn’t get the earliest ferry (by the time we bought the tickets, the earliest ferry was fully booked), we had more time to get ready. We planned to have our breakfast in the ferry terminal, so that we had even more time at home. We took a cab and arrived at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at 9:30-ish and went to check in immediately.
This was our second time going to Bintan. The first one was in 2013, also in June, for Aina’s birthday trip. I haven’t written the post about that (I know, long overdue… oops!), but you can see the photos in the Bintan 2013 photo album.
We were kinda hungry and very sleepy, so right after we checked in (which only took like 5 minutes), we went to the Killeney Kopitiam to get kaya toast breakfast and coffee. And of course, Ari took a smoke break before going on the ferry…
After the breakfast, we went to board the ferry. The ferry was quite packed, and since we didn’t buy the reserved seat, we were lucky to get good seats near the entrance where the three of us could sit together.
The ferry ride to Bintan only took about an hour or so. About mid-way in our trip, the captain announced that they had to stop for a bit because the propeller of the ferry got tangled with something. Once it stopped, the ferry started to sway pretty hard because of the wave, and we all started to feel sick… So, peppermint oil to the rescue!
When we got to Bandar Bintan Telani, one of the ferry terminals in Bintan Island, everything went very quickly. Since the ferry came from Singapore, the immigration lines for Indonesian passports were empty (while the “Other Passports” lines were super long!). So we were the first one out of the immigration. And since we didn’t have checked-in baggage, we were also the first to come out get our seats on the Club Med bus. We had to wait for a while until the bus was filled, so Ari took another smoke break.
The sky was still blue when the bus left the Bandar Bintan Telani… But on the way to Club Med, the sky turned dark grey very quickly and all the sudden, we were in the middle of a thunderstorm with strong gusty winds. What a quick turn around of the weather!
When we arrived at Club Med, the storm was still going strong. The wind was so strong that it blew the rain horizontally into the reception area, soaking all the guests and the reception staffs… Everyone was scurrying behind the walls and pillars to avoid getting drenched.
Ario and Shinta had taken the earlier ferry, so they got there about 2 hours earlier than us. So, after a slightly prolonged welcome from the Club Med GOs (thanks to the storm!), we went straight to the dining room to have lunch and met up with Ario & Shinta. Aina immediately got herself stuck to Naia…
Honestly, I was impressed with the lunch menu. Sooooo many varieties! I was kinda worried that with this much food, I won’t be able to wear my bikini… Dangerous for the tummy size. XD
We were sorta stuck in the dinning room for a while because of the rain. When it finally stopped, the kids immediately wanted to go to the pool. We went to our room, which was on the 2nd floor of the E building. Shinta & Ario’s rooms were on the floor above us. They had two rooms: One for the parents, one for the kids. So Aina moved into the kiddy room to have a sleepover with Naia, bringing her backpack and her stuffed animals along with her. After she was settled, we all changed to our bathing suits and headed to the pool. The kids immediately plunged into the pool, while Ari and I walked around the compound, checking out the area and the club’s private beach.
I had to take a panoramic photo of the beach from the hotel side:
There were so many things on the ground: a trapeze set up, minigolf and kiddy-putting area, and a bunch of sea-related activities, like kayaking, sailing, etc.
The beach was awesome too… Looong and shallow, with beautiful white sand and very tame wave. I guess all resorts in Lagoi Bintan have these kind of beach… Very pretty and kids-friendly.
The kids kept switching between the pool and the beach, until round 4pm. After that, the kids went to the Kids Club. When we arrived this morning, we were told, there would be a show from the Kids Club tonight, and there was a rehearsal being held this afternoon at 4pm… Aina and Naia were excited to be part of the show. Or that’s what they said.
Shinta and I took a small break from the water and joined the yoga class. It turned out that between 20th May and 12th June, Club Med had a special Body & Soul Wellness retreat program, with special food and guests instructors for activities. So, the yoga class was a part of the program.
So, while the kids were busy rehearsing and the moms were doing yoga, the dads tried out kayaking. They originally wanted to try sailing, but the boat was fully booked. So, Ario tried to sail in the same boat with other guests, but it wasn’t fun. So they opted for kayaking instead.
When the sun was setting, we all went for dinner. Again, we were greeted with tons of food. This time, I went for the steak.
After dinner, the kids asked if they could go to the backstage for another round of rehearsal. And we were invited to watch their show at 8:30pm. So after a few rounds of desserts (ACK!), we left the dining room to watch the show.
It was a lot of dancing from various age groups. The kids were wearing costumes and sporting painted faces. Aina and Naia said they had fun, although honestly, they didn’t look like they had fun when they were on the stage… XD Neishia were more honest, and said she didn’t really have fun.
After the show, the GO’s threw a little party along with funky (kids-friendly) drinks and big guns of confetti… Now the girls DID look like they had fun 🙂
After the party, we all went to our own rooms, showered and went to bed… Getting ready for the long day tomorrow…
All entries of this trip is listed in Bintan 2016 post. The rest of the photos and short movies are in Bintan 2016 photo album.
