Bintan Island Overview
Bintan is located in the Riau Archipelago of Indonesia and is just a 40-50 minute ferry ride away from Singapore. In fact, Singapore is the closest major city to this island! Once a powerful trading port, Bintan Island is now being developed as a major tourist destination in Indonesia. Bintan is home to about 400,000 locals of different ethnicities, including Malay, Bugis, Chinese, Orang Laut, and others. The majority religion in Bintan is Islam, similar to the rest of the nation (with the exception of Bali).
Bintan’s time zone is GMT +7, just one hour behind Singapore. Like most countries in the Malay Archipelago, its climate is hot and humid with dry seasons between March and October, and the monsoon season usually towards the end and beginning of the year. Bintan is known for its beautiful beaches, rich historical sites, amazing fauna, as well as abundant Chinese temples and seafood restaurants. Some good places to visit on Bintan Island is Tanjung Pinang, which is the capital city, as well as the surrounding islands.