focus
by the beach, pétanque with pastis,
archery, yoga with a private instructor,
golfing, cycling, mountain hiking,
scuba diving, and cruising along
Sebung River to marvel at Bintan’s
mangrove forests.
Added Olovson: “Our cool new toys
which are popular with our residents
include our self-balancing electric
Onewheel+ boards that give riders
the feeling of flying, and our wind-
powered, three-wheeled karts called
Blokarts that reach speeds of up to
60kmh on our beach.”
The estate stages exclusive intimate
gatherings such as Dom Ruinart
Champagne dinners and Super Tuscan
wine tastings, with entertainment by
symphony orchestra musicians.
So what does Bintan need to do next
to attract the luxury travel market?
Urbane Nomads’ Hajar said:
“Definitely prioritise the luxury
developments. We’d seen this
deliberate prioritisation of luxury
developments in both Bhutan and
Oman and that has worked very well
for both countries in terms of achieving
Residence Bintan
38 TTG Asia luxury | May 2018
a moderate number but large-spending
tourists to their country. I’ve spoken on
this before but I very much believe in
the high-value, low-impact model that
luxury tourism offers. High value in
terms of the amount of money spent
per person, and low impact in the sense
of being environmentally conscious
and insisting on tourism products that
are both socially and environmentally
sustainable.”
Others hinted that Bintan might
do well to develop a strong cultural
offering, which makes destinations
such as Bali exotic and appealing,
especially to Western guests.
Kate Herz, head of Asia, Jacada
Travel believes the destination may be
popular for Asia-based customers but
not longhaul ones because of this.
She said: “It’s not an area that
(our) US clients focus on – they tend
to want a beach stay that can be
easily combined with a more cultural
experience. Singapore is very much
a quick stop rather than a main
destination. Sometimes clients want to
combine Malaysian Borneo and Bali.”
Check-in
The
Sanchaya
By Raini Hamdi
LOCATION
I arrived in Bintan after a 55-minute
ferry ride from Singapore, aghast at
the sight of a crowded immigration
hall, until a Sanchaya staff spotted
me, did express immigration and
customs clearance, whisked me
off to a splendid Sanchaya lounge,
where more super staff handled my
registration and transfer to the hotel,
which is located 10 minutes’ drive
away in Lagoi Bay.
I could end my review here. That
arrival experience spoke volumes
about the greatness of this product.
AMBIENCE
This clearly is Bintan’s own Raffles.
The main building, a two-storey
beachfront manor called The Great
House, is reminiscent of the bygone
era of colonial white plantation
homes. It exuded genteelness –
without airs and graces, mind
you. There was a sense of fun
and playfulness. I couldn’t take
my eyes off giant fibreglass pods
that looked like beautiful red lips
floating together in a pond. Turned
out they were larger-than-life saga
seeds sculpted by artist Kumari
Nahappan. But of course! Saga
seeds are part-and-parcel of South-
east Asia’s heritage. That was my
first of many encounters on how the
resort dug deep into the region’s
rich art and culture and adeptly
combined it with European features.
The result is remarkable. There
was nothing on that land three
years ago, but voila!, The Sanchaya
stood like a legend with centuries of