Nirwana Gardens

Almost this same time of year Me&MyGirls went to Angsana Resort, Bintan. Four years later (last week actually), we revisited Bintan and made Nirwana Resort Hotel our home for three days.

It’s Ashrie’s school break and we want to reward her and ourselves with some relaxation. We also haven’t been out-of-town since our Davao trip last year so it was really a well-deserved trip for all of us. Not to mention that things are going to be stressful and hectic as her story-telling competition date draws near. So before the chaos, let there be peace first.

We tried our best to keep our cool and I think we have managed well inspite of the challenging task of keeping up with our itinerary when our daughter has her own. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable vacation with a few delightful surprises along the way.

We opt for the economy class for our ferry tickets since there is no VIP Lounge (and treatment) for passsengers leaving Singapore. We left at 11:10 AM from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and reached the Bintan Ferry Terminal at around 10:55 AM. The 55-minute ferry ride was smooth and in no time, we were away from the hustle of city life, welcomed by the calm and soothing sea breeze of Bintan Island.

Immigration was fast and straightforward. We boarded the shuttle service and after 5 minutes or so, we reached our destination, Nirwana Gardens. We had lunch at the restaurant and a little siesta at the lobby, got our room keys and the island holiday officially begins!

Nirwana Gardens lived up to it’s slogan “where variety comes to life!” There are a lot of choices for restaurants and activities to do during one’s stay. Aside from the usual watersports, there are other things to do such as bowling, archery, shooting, elephant and horseback riding, paintball, flying fox among many others. But what we love most about the resort was their swimming pool. It was designed with mounds of rocks dividing the varying depths dotted with jacuzzis here and there. It provides privacy to swimmers and elicits an overall casual feel. We even had one mini-pool all by ourselves one afternoon. The beach on the other hand, did not dissapoint. The sand's fine and the view was superb. Ashrie of course, brought her sand toys and with mom’s help built her castle. Although we got our swimwear (and legs) stained by spots of crude oil from the beach, the important thing is that we, especially Ashrie enjoyed the experience.

The room is modestly furnished, it has a bathtub which is a major consideration since Ashrie loves the dip. The mini fridge however is empty, which is a good thing because we had ample space for our foodie stuffs. Overall, the hotel experience is nice, but they can do better with customer service. The lobby would also look more inviting and welcoming if it is brighter with more soft lights and the cushion seat covers re-upholstered.

Going back we opted for the Emerald Class for our ferry trip. Not only were we saved from queuing, had free refreshments at the VIP lounge and while in the ferry, boarded and got off the boat first, but our passport were processed and handed to us stamped in the comfort of our seats at the lounge. What convenience!

We will plan for our third trip to Bintan and hopefully our next visit will be sometime soon.