Pulau Bintan Transportation

For going to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, take Bus (SBS) # 35 from Tanah Merah MRT Station. After alighting from the MRT, get off the escalator, turn right and follow the direction to Exit B to go to the bus stop. The frequency of the bus is approx 15mts. It takes around 15-20 mts to reach the Ferry Terminal by this bus.. Get off the bus and proceed to the departure lounge if you intend to catch a ferry to Bintan from here.

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Buggies are very common sight in Bintan Resort. Initially I thought it is only meant for those going for a Golf session. But later on I saw this Buggy, which had ‘For rental’ written on it. On enquiry, I found out that the resort rents them out at S$25/- per hourly basis. This can seat 3-4 people and kids enjoy the ride. Sometimes, the buggy driver is kind enough to give a ‘lift’ to wherever you want to go. I was told that Banyu Biru Resort guest can have it for free, so long as they are staying there. If you want it for rental, contact the ‘Activity desk’ at the reception of Nirwana Hotel Resort.

Ferry to Bintan. Aria Bupala. Surprisingly both trips were full. I never know there are so many people going to Bintan every week. For ticket price, please refer to other VTer's tips as I don't want to repeat it (in fact, I also don't know, as it was included in the package).

Our company rented this mini bus from Ang Mo Kio (our company location) to Singapore Tanah Merah Jetty. I don't know how to categorise this tip as the main reason is I want to show you the sign on the glass. Are they serious?

There are cars for hire (with driver) at the hotel lobby, shuttle service within the resort area or to other places on Pulau Bintan (for example, Tanjung Pinang for SGD88 return).

I went on a tour with a tour guide and I was told that the locals are not allowed into the resort area. There's police and army guarding the entrance into and out of the resort area. Once after the guarded entrance, you will get to feel and see the real Indonesian way of life.

No worries. All resorts offer "free" transport from the Ferry Terminal at Bintan. (They are "free" because the fee has already been factored into the lumpsum you paid for the holidays) Once you have cleared customs, and am not keen to rent something, just hop on to the respective bus that would bring you the resort of your choice.

Unless I am much mistaken, or their monopoly is broken, Bintan Resort Ferries is the only way to get from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bintan's Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal.

There are quite a few departures from both ferry terminals daily, but I will still strongly recommend that you book your ferry ticket at least one week in advance, so that you can get your preferred timeslots. This is especially important if you are planning to travel during peak periods such as weekends or public holidays.

Travel information and online booking can be found and done through their website at http://www.brf.com.sg.

And oh yeah, although it is commonly stated that the commutation between the ferry terminals is only 45 minutes, it took 90 minutes the last few times I took it, as somehow, "unforseen circumstances" such as the need to dump human waste in deep sea or engine faults are always encountered.

As Nirwana Resort and Manyand Sari are linked, they have chartered bus to drive you between these two resorts. The chartered bus also drive to kelong restuarant and thai restuarant. Do check the schedule on the timing of the chartered bus.

There is also another chartered bus to drive you to Pasar Ole Ole which is just outside the resort area. There you will find pubs and some stalls.

The only slight hangup of my Indonesia trip was not knowing how to get to a beach once I arrived. I don't think it would have been possible to walk to one. I did find a bus/taxi counter at the end of the ferry terminal (on the left as your walking out). They sold tickets to Mana Mana beach for S$5 roundtrip. It only took about 8 minutes to get there. There may be better beaches on the Island but I couldn't imagine a better beach so I guess I wouldn't know what I missed.

There is no airport in here.
You can enter Pulau Bintan from Singapore or Malaysia by ferry.
There are 2 ferry terminal in here, one in Bandar Bentan Telani (Bintan Resort) and one more in Tangjung Pinang.

From Singapore to Bintan Resort take Bintan Resort Ferries
http://www.brf.com.sg/ifos2/schedule.htm

From Singapore to Tanjung Pinang, there are many ferries. The ferries depart almost 1 hour once. Your departure time won't be fixed in your ticket. You can take anytime you want. Just relax~