Less than 40 kilometres from Singapore, Bintan’s beautiful beaches and 5-star resorts might be located on Indonesian soil, but for all touristic intents and purposes are definitely Singaporean. Funded and marketed by Singapore, Bintan is part of the ‘Sijouri Growth Triangle’, a group of islands in the Riau Archipeligo invested in, and influenced by Singapore. Whereas some islands contain water reservoirs, or provide sand for Singapore’s building expansion, Bintan primarily offers sandy beaches, and clear water that (unlike Sentosa) makes swimming a pleasure.

The weekends can see the resorts and golf courses filled by Singaporeans, but for the rest of the week, Bintan can be a blissful, and unexpected escape.