Have You Heard Of Bintan Island?

Neither had Lynette Botha, but upon discovering the pristine and paradisiacal island that dreams are made of, she can’t stop recommending it as a TOP-CLASS WELLNESS DESTINATION

- Lynette Botha

The term ‘best-kept secret’ is often thrown around indiscriminately, to describe anything from a hole-in-the wall tapas bar to a random corner of a well-known city. But in the case of Bintan Island, it seems justified – prior to my trip to this beautiful atoll off the coast of Singapore, I had honestly never heard of it.

Not to be confused with the Indonesian beer, Bintang, loved by Aussies on Kuta Beach 24/7, Bintan Island is part of Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago, and has grown to become a swanky resort destination, frequented by Singaporeans (it’s a short ferry ride from the city), Europeans, Russians and all manner of cosmopolitan travellers. Clearly not as hush-hush as I’d thought, but most definitely not a place I’ve ever heard spoken about in South Africa. But upon setting foot in the reception area of Club Med Bintan Island, my home for five days, I knew I was on to something.

As a Club Med novice, I had no idea what to expect, but was quickly brought up to speed by the dedicated resort GOs (Gentils Organisateurs): as pioneers of the premium allinclusive holiday package, a Club Med break includes everything – and I mean everything – from all sports, land- and water-based activities, to evening entertainment, all drinks and snacks, full-board gourmet cuisine (more on that later) and, of course, accommodation. In terms of sports, health and fitness, the options are plenty and diverse – and as the focus of my trip was to fully immerse myself in Club Med Bintan Island’s holistic wellness offerings, I started there.