spon·ta·ne·ous (sp n-t n – s). adj.:
Happening or arising without apparent external cause; self-generated.
Such an apt descriptor for the opening of this post as this trip was borne out of pure spontaneity. It spawned from a rare occasion where I really wanted to get away… I really needed a break. But work obligations only allow for a brief weekender, so reservations were promptly made for a totally care-free weekend trip, where there’s absolutely no intention to do anything at all but pamper myself.
This time around, I chose Angsana Bintan Resort simply to try a different environment and the fact that it is not as crowded as the other resorts appealed to my need for tranquility at that time. Angsana Resorts is one of the two high-end hotels in the Lagoi area, both managed by The Banyan Tree Group. Most rooms have views overlooking the South China Sea and I was happy to get a room with a good view, albeit a far walk from the main areas such as the restaurants, spa, pool and reception. There’s also a private beach at the resort where the guests can try their hands at kayaking and other water sports.
I was so excited to be spending quality time doing nothing but staring at a view like this. So I made my way to Bintan island the same way as before (please refer to my previous post on how to get to Bintan) 🙂
As a quick refresher, Bintan is a short distance away from Singapore and you can board the Ferry at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. The map below is courtesy of Bintan Resorts website.
Day 01: The great escape 🙂
45 mins later, I breezed through the customs and approached the Angsana booth for my complimentary shuttle service. This is the view of the main lobby and meeting point for all resorts:
The staff were friendly but informed me I may need to wait 20 mins for the rest of the guests to clear the customs/baggage. They suggested that I could grab a taxi if I wanted to leave first. But it’s alright I can wait, so I strolled over to the shop opposite (Duta Rasa) to buy my usual Kueh Lapis layered cake 🙂 as a snack (S$5-$16 for diff sizes), and boy am I glad I did.
As you exit the terminal towards the hotel shuttle, rows of vendors will dish out leaflets for massages, souvenir shopping and outdoor activities. You can take as many as you like for reference and price comparison. Some vendors provide free pickup services from your resort too. But I have not tried them before, hence should you decide to go for it, do it at your own discretion 🙂
The wait wasn’t too bad, especially when they designed the waiting area to be rather cosy. Off we go on the shuttle bus and reached the resort in less than 10 mins. Nice check-in touch at the lounge area instead of standing at the reception counter, and with a glass of lemongrass drink to boot.
Enjoyed the view from my room, had a little balcony with chairs to take in the ocean view on the left and the pool view from a distance on the right.
Did a quick walkabout to recce the resort on food options and activities. There are only 2 restaurants within the premises – the Pantai Grill near the beach and the main breakfast restaurant at the lobby. There’s a poolside snack bar as well. As expected, the prices are in USD and rather ‘touristy’.
The Pantai Grill was having a BBQ buffet that evening so I decided to try it. The selection was alright I guess, but for USD36++ per person (excluding taxes and drinks, and they do not serve complimentary water), I had expected more quality. Perhaps it was non-peak season and there weren’t many guests that evening, some grilled items such as the shrimps and meats were overcooked and a tad rubbery, seemed like they had been grilled much earlier on and reheated due to lack of patrons. However, when more guests showed up, the cooks made a fresh batch of seafood skewers and they were spot on – succulent, fresh and tender pieces of prawns, squid and fish marinated in a tangy sauce. The beef could do with more love on the BBQ though. I particularly enjoyed the potato salad, skewers and fruit tart, but to be very honest, one dinner there was enough for me. I made up my mind to try the other restaurant tomorrow.
Day 02: A little me-time
The next day was spent lazing by the pool, reading, iOS gaming (free wifi!) and swimming. It was exactly what I needed, to relax and enjoy time passing me by. The pool is big enough to make you feel comfortable even when there were several others in the water. 4-6 spots for jacuzzi jets and the space is nicely decorated with comfy neutral-colored sunbathing booths complete with contrasting red cushions. You can pull the shade cover up fully to seek shelter from the sun or recline it to get some natural vitamin E (remember to put on sunscreen :)). I would say these were a really nice touch to spice up the pool furniture and elevate the resort to chic level.
After spending hours revitalizing my spirit, I decided to check out the Angsana Spa to pamper my physical being 😉
Although the prices were not cheap as compared to massages in Thailand, but Angsana Spa is known for its quality. There was a 20%-30% discount promotion on packages and massage treatments when I was there.
The lady staff at the Spa is really sweet and knowledgeable about the various types of treatments, the strokes and pressure used in each package as well as the ingredients in the scrubs, massage oil and body wraps. I was even given a choice of potpourri to inhale and relax my mind while on the massage table. Almost made my appointment immediately solely based on her service attitude.
Took a tour around their Spa shop and was so taken by the little apothecary looking vials of massage oil, sadly they are not for sale 😦 I really liked them a lot.
If you are taking the ferry back to Singapore at a much later time after checking out from your room, you can consider doing what I did – schedule in a nice soothing massage while waiting. Nothing beats indulging in extreme relaxation for a couple of hours.
Ok! Spa reservations done, now for a late lunch. Ate at the breakfast restaurant and the food was pretty decent. I had the nasi goreng (fried rice) with satay and a sunny side up egg. Their carbonara pasta wasn’t too shabby either. Was too hungry and I gobbled up the food quickly without taking any pictures 😐
But I did snapped a photo of this fried banana spring roll dessert served with coconut sorbet and vanilla cream.
Special mention that I was reasonably impressed with the waitress because she took the effort to address me by my name upon finding out my room number. She made it a tad more personal and pleasant to dine there. Small gesture but made a world of difference.
Day 03: Spa time!
Ooo… I have been looking forward to this so much.
The resort was very kind to extend their usual checkout time from 12pm till much later for me as they empathized with my situation – I had to take the 8pm ferry because the tickets for earlier timings were sold out. Please do know that they did it out of goodwill and most importantly because they do not have guests waiting to check-in on my departure day. I was really pleased and grateful for their kind help.
Ok back to the key highlight – the spa treatment 🙂 🙂 🙂
I had one of the sea-facing treatment rooms on the 2nd floor and it was a good balance of al fresco and privacy.
My masseuse walked me to the room and it was fun weaving through the zen-looking rooftop paths knowing there are hotel rooms under my feet. Cheap thrill right? ;p
She explained the treatment to me and confirmed my choices of massage oil, potpourri, body wrap and scrub. I could even request for more attention on certain areas such as neck and shoulders or back or legs, etc. I selected the Coco Collaboration body scrub (cocoa powder + crushed oatmeal), Chocolate Dip body wrap and a Javanese style massage. Yes, I did end up smelling like a chocolate cookie dough lol.
I signed a few disclaimers stating my medical/allergy condition and we were good to go. There was also an open air private shower to wash off the scrub and wrap remnants before the actual massage.
Needless to say, after 180 mins of wholesome TLC (tender loving care), I emerged refreshed and raring to go 🙂
Light refreshments and tea were served while I chilled for 15-30 mins at the relaxation area staring out at the ocean, listening to the distant waves and sounds of birds chirping away.
Perfect timing to catch the shuttle back to the ferry terminal when it ended.
To sum it all up:
+
The spa was fantastic and I don’t mind paying for a quality massage, as they really tend to every inch of your tired muscles/stress nodes with care and not do a cursory job of going through the motion. I’m sure you must have had one of those – superficial touch/knead calves, thighs, back then *flip* arms, legs, head *done* fi.ni.to. No strength, no skill, no heart, period.
The staff were great, service-oriented, friendly and accommodating.
The pool was nice, and a hardworking staff taught aqua-aerobics professionally even when there were only 2 guests following his movements.
–
Could do with more food options.
The in-room tv reception were not clear, and wifi was intermittently choppy 😦
Prices here are higher than the other Bintan resorts, but you get a more serene environment with less crowds. You know what they say, the quest for sanity usually comes with a hefty cost 🙂
This trip was not sponsored in any way and I only gave my humble assessment based on my personal experience. All in all, I’d say I had an really nice break. Frankly, all you need in any trip is a good sense of humor, a positive attitude and most essential of all – great company. 🙂
Taking on the World... one passport stamp at a time 