GETTING THERE
Overall journey time from Singapore’s Tanah Merah ferry terminal to Nikoi Island is approximately two and a half hours, involving a 1-hour ferry from Singapore to Bintan followed by a 1-hour car journey across Bintan and then a 20-minute speed boat ride to the island. Our team will help arrange this transfer. The cost is S$95++/S$48++ per adult/child for the round trip. This includes both the car journey, the speed boat and use of the VIP lounge at Bintan Ferry terminal. Note additional charges may apply if you travel outside of our designated schedule (details below).
From Singapore (by ferry)
Regular high-speed catamaran ferries operate between Singapore and Bintan Resorts (Bandar Bentan Telani). The service takes less than 1 hour and operates at least several times every day. The ferry schedule is not yet back to operating as frequently as it did prior to the pandemic but they do add ferries when there is additional demand. As of 1 March 2024, we meet the following ferry times from Singapore. Additional charges will apply if guests catch non-designated ferries and a slower boat may be used.Singapore to Bintan:
Monday to Thursday: 8:10am, 11:10am and 2:00pm,
Friday to Saturday: 8:10am, 11:10am and 5:55pm (5:00pm after August 1st),
Sunday: 8:10am, 11:10am and 2:00pm
Bintan to Singapore:
Monday to Saturday: 2:35pm and 6:35pm,
Sunday: 2:35pm, 4:35pm and 6:35pm.
Ferry bookings can be made online: www.brf.com.sg.
From Jakarta (by plane)
There are daily flights from Jakarta to Bintan (Tanjung Pinang airport). From the airport on Bintan, it is a half hour car journey to Kawal and then a half hour boat trip to Cempedak.
We meet the following flights times. Additional charges will apply if guests catch non-designated flights and a slower boat may be used:Jakarta to Bintan:
ID6824 Lion Air departing CGK @ 9:20am
Bintan to Jakarta:
QG975 CitiLink departing TNJ @ 4:00pm
Our boats
Our main launch is a custom built 48 ft boat, powered by 4 x 200hp Yamaha engines. It can seat 30 passengers and makes the journey to Nikoi in around 20 minutes. All of our boats have been built by local boat builders and specifically designed for the local conditions. The crew are well experienced and all of the boats are equipped with life vests, VHF radio and navigation equipment. The boat journey is approximately 10km and both Bintan Island and Nikoi Island are in view for the whole journey.
Additional information
Check-in and Check-out time
Check-in is at 1 pm and Check out is at 11 am. You are welcome to arrive on the island earlier and depart later. A change room with shower is available.
To the terminal
The Tanah Merah ferry terminal in Singapore is 10 minutes from Changi International airport or 30 minutes from the city centre by taxi.
Visa requirements
You can find out more about the visa requirements for Bintan here. Currently, if you require a visa on arrival, it costs IDR 500,000 per person. However, there are rumours that this fee will be reduced to IDR 100,000 in July 2024. Therefore, we recommend paying in cash upon arrival rather than in advance through the e-visa system, to potentially save money. Additionally, paying with cash on arrival is easier, as the staff at the VIP arrival lounge assist with the process, eliminating queues.
Mandala Club
The Mandala Club is a really cool private members club in Singapore and we are thrilled to have partnered with them. If you are stopping through Singapore on the way to us and would like to hang out in this amazing space in Chinatown, get in touch and we can arrange a day pass for you.