| TOP |
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| GENERAL
QUESTIONS |
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What
is the weather normally like ? |
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The weather is the same
as in Singapore but remember you will be ‘on
the beach’ ie outside. The ‘winter’
months can be pleasantly cool after dark. |
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What is the
best time of the year to go ? |
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Anytime is great ! Being
30 miles north of the equator means that the weather
doesn't change that much throughout the year. The
winter monsoon (very mild at our latitude) blows
from the north, starting at the end of November
until early February and brings cooler temperatures.
The summer monsoon – very gentle and from
the south - starts in April/May. |
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Is the beach
good for swimming ? |
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We have a fantastic
white-sand beach on the west of island. Even at
low tide it is possible to walk through a channel
in the coral to reach deep, clear water and, should
you desire, the swimming pontoon. |
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What happens
when it rains ? |
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Rain does happen !
If a squall comes through (A ‘Sumatra’
- presaged by lightning over Bintan Island) it
will normally last about 45 minutes. Our staff
will drop the blinds. We have foul-weather gear
on the boats. |
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I’ve heard
of your resort before but I thought you were in
Malaysia ? |
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There is an island off
the west coast of peninsula Malaysia called Pangkor
or Pangkor Laut to be exact. We are called Pangkil
or Pulau Pangkil Kecil in full and we are in Indonesia,
very close to Singapore. |
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I have a nautical
map of the Riau islands and there appears to be
more than one Pangkil ? |
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Correct ! Our full name
is Pulau Pangkil Kecil. ‘Pulau’ means
‘Island’ in Indonesian. ‘Kecil’
means ‘Small’. Pulau Pangkil Besar
(‘Big Pangkil’) is 2 km away from
us and can be visited. Another Pulau Pangkil can
be found 12 km south-west of Tanjung Pinang and
there could well be others ! As far as we know,
‘Pangkil’ is just a name and doesn’t
mean anything in Indonesian. |
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I own a 42 foot
yacht berthed at Raffles Marina. Are you considered
to be a good cruising destination and can you
handle visiting yachts ? Can we dine on-shore
without staying overnight ? |
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The area is outstanding
as a cruising yacht destination and yachts have
visited. We discourage anchoring to avoid damage
to the coral. Unfortunately we are not able to
provide meals unless you have hired the whole
island. As a private island we do not unfortunately
allow visitors ashore without prior permission. |
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How far is Pangkil
from Singapore, Bintan and some of the other places
you mention ? |
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The straight-line distances
(ie ‘as the crow flies’) are, from
Pangkil:
| Bintan |
6
km |
(the
closest point) |
| Murbai |
8 km |
(our picnic island) |
| Pama |
9 km |
(one of our jetties) |
| Kawal |
11 km |
(one of our jetties) |
| Mapur |
11.5 km |
(a large island
with good diving) |
| Kijang |
12.5 km |
(the southern
port on Bintan) |
| Suka |
12.5 km |
(our other resort
island) |
| Lina |
13 km |
(another one of
our islands) |
| Tanjung Pinang |
29.5 km |
(the largest town
on Bintan) |
| Lagoi |
49 km |
(the northern
end of Bintan) |
| Singapore |
93km |
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| TOP |
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| ACTIVITIES |
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What activities
do you have on the island ? |
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Pangkil is ideal for
relaxing: reading in a hammock, sun-bathing by
the fresh-water pool, having a massage, kayaking
around the island, walking on the beach or swimming
in the sea. We do have a volleyball court and
a boules set as well as two Lasers (sailing dinghies).
The numerous secluded beaches, jungle paths and
unusual rock formations are often woven by parents
into elaborate treasure hunts for kids which have
been known to include the swimming pontoon and
tree house. The more adventurous have been known
to kayak, sail or even swim to neighbouring islands.
We encourage guests to use the speedboats or launches
to explore other island or even have a picnic
on Pulau Murbai a tiny deserted jewel that we
own just for such trips. After dinner, relax with
a coffee and a glass of wine around a beach bonfire
or turn up the music to kick-start your fancy
dress party ! |
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Do you have
a wakeboard ? |
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No and nor do we have
a banana boat or jet skis. Our guests overwhelmingly
prefer the Pangkil tranquillity as it is. |
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Do you have
a football or a frisbee ? |
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No, but you are welcome
to bring your own. |
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Is it feasible
to bring my windsurfer to Pangkil ? |
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Yes. We are more than
happy to transport windsurfers however your limitation
may by the public ferries (from Singapore to Bintan).
We suggest you check with the ferry operators
as to the feasibility of transporting bulky equipment. |
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I am a certified
diver. Is diving possible ? |
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The region is not known
for its diving, and if your last diving trip was
in Grand Cayman, Truk Lagoon or Palau, you will
probably be disappointed. Pangkil is not geared
up for diving and the water can, at times, be
a little murky. Having said that, there is a reasonable
dive, at the top of the high tide, off the rocks
at the northern-end of the island. The diving
off Pulau Mapur is supposed to be quite good and
you could certainly use Pangkil as a base to reach
Mapur and other island in the region. We can,
and have, organised tanks before but you will have to supply your own weights and divemaster/buddy.
If you are really keen and experienced we can
set this up.
Alternatively you might try Mr Yann Amenbar on
+65 9479 3309 who organises diving in the region
out of Batam View Hotel. |
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What type of
fishing is available and should we bring our own
rods ? |
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We discourage fishing
from the island as we try and keep the fish for
the snorkellers. You are however more than welcome
to take one of the speedboats or the launch on
a fishing expedition. The boat crew may be able
to show you some good fishing spots off Pangkil
or neighbouring islands or rocky outcrops. The
Indonesian fisherman often fish just off Pangkil.
We have a few rods, but Indonesian-style fishing
usually involves dangling a line and hook off
the back or side of a boat ! If you’re a
serious angler we suggest you bring your own rod
and tackle. |
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Do you supply
bait ? |
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Yes, we’ll supply
squid and shrimp at no extra cost. |
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| TOP |
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ACCOMMODATION |
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How many people
can you comfortably fit on the island ? |
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This depends on the
composition of your group and how well they know
each other ! We have 9 separate dwellings (‘driftwood
palaces’) including the gazebo by the pool
and the tree house, hence we can accommodate 18
adults in complete privacy with each of the couples
in a king-size, four-poster bed. There are however
13 four-poster double beds and 2 double ‘day
beds’ (which can certainly be used to sleep
on) across these 9 palaces. We also have 6 wooden-framed
single beds which can be moved around and many
of the palaces with 2 double beds have magnificent
wooden benches which can be made up as comfortable
single beds. There is more overflow accommodation
in the form of numerous hammocks and large tents.
So it’s not uncommon to see groups of up
to 25 or even 30 adults. A typical family group
might be 5 or 6 families, 12 adults and 14 or
15 kids. We did once have a party (literally)
of about 40 people. |
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Which house
would be best as we will have an infant with us
? |
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Driftwood Palace Number
2 is the closest one to the Main House (where
most of the meals are served and where people
tend to congregate). If you have a baby monitor
it will be in range to the Main House. This palace
has 1 double bed and a small adjacent room suitable
for cots or mattresses for small children. |
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What are the
check-in and check-out times ? |
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Provided there are no
guests before you, you are generally free to arrive
on Pangkil as early as you like. Similarly we
don’t enforce a check-out time if there
is not a group arriving on the day you check out.
Realistically the public ferries to and from Singapore
are the limitation. You’re unlikely to arrive
on Pangkil (from Singapore) much before lunch
and will generally need to leave Pangkil around
mid-afternoon in order to catch the last ferry
back to Singapore. In the rare event that there
is an overlap, we’ll allow two groups on
the island for an hour or two, usually over lunch
and if both groups agree. Another option is for
the arriving (or departing) party to visit Pulau
Murbai, our picnic island, for lunch, thereby
avoiding the other party. In general, weekend
groups have precedence over weekday groups. |
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Do the villas
have air-conditioning ? |
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The driftwood palaces
have ceiling fans as well as smaller fans mounted
inside of the mosquito netting of all of the four-poster
beds. Additionally all the palaces are on stilts,
well above the ground, and close to or on the
beach and so take full advantage of the prevailing
breezes. Our guests find this more than satisfactory
and often use the blankets provided. We recommend
that guests bring a long-sleeved shirt as the
evenings can be refreshingly cool. |
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Are there en-suite
bathrooms ? |
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The majority of the
driftwood palaces have their own flushing toilets
and fresh-water showers in detached bathrooms at ground-level, no more than 5 paces from the individual palaces. |
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The houses in
the photos do not appear to have any doors ? |
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The driftwood palaces
are, by way of their construction and orientation,
extremely private. No one can see inside and they
can be closed using the blinds and canvas flaps
for privacy or to keep out rain. Some of them
actually do have proper doors. |
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Can I rent your
villas individually ? |
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We only rent the island
as a whole and for most of the year the basic
price per night applies to between 1 and 10 people.
There are incremental charges for more than 10
people. During our low season the basic price
covers between 1 and 12 people (in other words
the cost per person is slightly less). |
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Is there hot
water on the island ? |
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Most of the showers
are refreshingly cold and perfect after a hard
day of sunbathing. There is a single hot shower
in the Main House bathroom if necessary. |
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In palaces with 2 king-size double beds, are they in separate rooms ? |
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No |
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| TOP |
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TRAVEL
& TRANSPORTATION |
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How long does
it take to get to Pangkil ? |
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From Singapore to the
Pangkil beach has been done in 2 hours 40 minutes
(via Lagoi, at night, midweek). If you are caught
in the visa queue at Lagoi on a Friday night at
8pm it could take you as long as 4 hours to get
to Pangkil, so we strongly recommend that you
do not catch the last ferry on a Friday night
to Bintan. |
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Where is Lagoi
? |
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Lagoi is a geographical
area encompassing the north-west part of the island
of Bintan around the Bintan Resort Ferry Terminal
(correctly known as the Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry
Terminal). Lagoi also includes the village of
Teluk Sebong as well as the Bintan Resorts such
as the Banyan Tree. We use ‘Lagoi’
to refer to arrivals and departures at this end
of Bintan as opposed to journeys to and from Tanjung
Pinang, the largest town on Bintan and a different
ferry terminal entirely. |
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Can we travel
at night ? |
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Yes. Our launch crew
are competent night sailors and regularly navigate
the short trip to Pangkil in the dark. Arrivals
on Pangkil close to midnight and departures before
dawn are not uncommon. |
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I have a flight
leaving Singapore on Sunday at 11:50 am. Can I
make it or do I have to leave Pangkil on Saturday
? |
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The first ferry from
Tanjung Pinang to Singapore is currently at 06:45
(local time, GMT+7). Factor in a 1 hour time difference
and a 1 hour 40 minute ferry ride and you should
be at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (TMFT) at 09:25
(Singapore time, GMT+8). TMFT is very close to
Changi Airport and you could easily be there by
09:45 or 10:00 at the latest, plenty of time to
make your flight. You will unfortunately have
to leave Pangkil at about 05:00 (06:00 Singapore
time) which will of course hurt. Our staff and
boat crew operate at any time of the day or night
if necessary. |
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Can I arrive
from Batam ? |
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Yes. There are regular
ferries and bumboats between Batam and Bintan.
It is best if you catch one to Tanjung Pinang
and we can pick you up there. Batam also boasts
Hang Nadim International Airport (BTH) which is
an alternative to flying in to Singapore’s
Changi airport. |
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Is your launch
safe ? |
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Yes. Our launches are
sturdy Indonesian vessels. We have a crew of 2
or more usually 3 to run each launch. We have
life-jackets (adults and kids sizes) and a two-way
radio. The crew have mobile phones (which have
signal all the way to the island) as a back-up
measure. |
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Are additional
transfers possible to Pangkil ? |
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A single land and launch
trip from a ferry terminal on Bintan (either Lagoi
or Tanjung Pinang) to Pangkil and back is included
in the Basic Island Rate. We are more than happy
to pick up your group in two parts, AM and PM
for example, but each additional one-way trip
costs S$200 (for the group, regardless of the
size). |
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You’re
meeting the first wave of our group at 5pm. Could
we have a second pick-up at 8pm ? |
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Probably not. These
times imply that you’re arriving at Lagoi.
Our bus is unlikely to be able to make it down
to Kijang (at the southern end of Bintan) and
back within 3 hours. We generally need a minimum
4-hour gap between your arrival times if arriving
at Lagoi. If you are arriving at Tanjung Pinang,
this minimum is 3-hours. Under these ‘minimum-gap’
conditions a standard charge of S$200 for each
additional transfer applies. If however your group
does arrive in 2 or more batches in close succession
(ie closer than the limits above), then we reserve
the right to charge more for the transfer as we
will have to hire Kijang (4WD) taxis to make this
work. |
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We have open
tickets from Tanjung Pinang to Singapore on Penguin
Ferries. How do we reserve and confirm seats ? |
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When you arrive in Bintan,
our staff will ask you for your return or one-way
ticket back to Singapore, as well as your white
Indonesian immigration card. Regardless of your
port of departure, they will confirm your seats
for you while you are on Pangkil and give you
your boarding card and immigration card before
dropping you at a ferry terminal. The Pangkil
staff will also pay the S$2 departure tax (applicable
for TP only) for you. If you are unable to secure
a one-way ticket for the return journey via TP
in Singapore, please tell our staff when you meet
them. They should be able to buy tickets for you
(subject to availability). A service charge may
apply. |
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What happens
if we miss the last ferry back to singapore ? |
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Our staff will give
you plenty of warning as to what time you should
leave Pangkil. They are not however trained to
nag and it is ultimately your responsibility to
make sure you have packed, settled your bill and
made it out to the launch on time. It happens
less than once a year that a group misses the
last ferry. The choices are to return to Pangkil
and stay a night if it is available, to stay in
Tanjung Pinang or at the Bintan Resorts. It is
possible to catch a bum boat to Batam and from
there a taxi and then ferry to the World Trade
Centre in Singapore as the last ferry from Batam
departs later than the last ferry from Bintan.
Be warned: This is an expensive option so its
best not to miss that last ferry ! |
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Is it possible
to charter a helicopter to Pangkil ? |
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ST Engineering in Singapore
runs a helicopter service. They can fly from Seletar
to Kijang Airport (Bintan) where you would clear
immigration before proceeding to Pangkil. The
bad news is this costs about S$5,500 return (for
a 6-seater) |
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| TOP |
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PRICING |
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How much do
you charge for two people for a weekend ? |
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If there are only two
of you, it will cost either S$5,900 or S$6,800
for the weekend (depending on the season). These
are our minimum prices and usually apply for 1
to 10 people. If however you are part of a larger
group, then you should speak to your group organizer
and see how she/he is splitting up the total cost. |
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How much do
you charge for maids ? |
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S$200 for the WEEKEND. If (say) there are only 8 adults and 2 maids, the maids and the other adults are considered to be part of the 1 to 10
person basic charge and there is no additional cost. |
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Are there any
extra charges ? |
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You will need to
pay for:
- Ferry tickets from Singapore to Bintan
and back
- A visa (waived for many ASEAN nationalities)
- Drinks. We have an extensive collection
of beer, spirits and wines, all at reasonable
prices. We charge for alcohol and soft-drinks,
but not tea, coffee or water
Three meals per day are included, but there
may be a nominal charge for an additional meal
if your group arrives before lunch on the first
day. We also charge an extra S$200 (per additional
one-way land/launch trip) if your group does
not arrive and depart together. There are also
additional accommodation charges (over and above
the basic island rate) if the size of your group
is more than 10 people. |
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What is included
in the price ? |
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You are free to make
full use of the island and its resources. This
is all included in price. We can organise a
picnic on a neighbouring island, a sunset fishing
trip or even a bonfire on the beach ! A non-exhaustive
list of what’s included in the Basic Island
Rate is as follows:
- Accommodation for 1 to 10 people
- All land and launch transport from Tanjung
Pinang to Pangkil (one return trip per group
is included)
- Welcome drinks
- Three meals per day (everyone loves our
food !)
- Unlimited coffee, tea, snacks and bottled
water
- Use of all of the driftwood palaces (bathroom
towels and linen is supplied)
- Use of the fabulous fresh-water pool
- Beach towels
- Use of the tree house and viewing platform
- A volleyball court
- A boules set
- Use of our sailing dinghies. We have 2 Lasers.
- Use of our sea kayaks. We have 6
- Snorkelling equipment
- Indonesian-style fishing trips. We will
even supply the bait !
- Day-trips to explore other islands
- All government accommodation taxes
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I would like
to bring my family of four to your island for
two nights during the week. Do you have a special
rate for such a small group ? |
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Generally we only rent
out the island to an entire group at the Basic
Island Rate (which is flat rate for 1 to 10 people).
It is however worth filling in the Enquiry Form
as we sometimes have other such enquiries, media
visits or other activities not shown on the Bookings
Calendar which might allow us to host you on the
island. |
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What currency
do you use ? |
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Singapore Dollars (SGD).
You should be able to travel all the way from
Singapore to Pangkil and back without having to
use Indonesian Rupiah. |
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Is the charging
done on the lowest-cost basis ? |
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Absolutely. The basic
(and minimum) island cost covers 1 to 10 people
(usually). The most expensive categories of guests
are used to ‘fill up’ the basic ‘pool’
of guests. The remaining adults, maids and kids
are then charged at the prevailing rates. For
example if you have 10 adults and 10 kids, we
will not apply the Basic Rate to the 10 kids and
then charge you incremental rates for the 10 adults.
Rather, the 10 adults are covered by the basic
rate and we will charge for the additional 10
kids as this is the lowest-cost option. |
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We have booked
Pangkil for the weekend. Two of my group can only
make it on Saturday morning. How will they be
charged ? |
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The first 10 (or 12
for January or February) people are charged the
Basic Island Rate. This assumes a two-night stay.
Additional guests are only charged for the number
of nights stayed. We have a single night, weekend,
adult rate. |
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I called the
ferry company and was told we need to pay 10,000
rupiah upon return. Is this included in the package
? |
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There is no departure
tax from the ferry terminal at Lagoi. Bizarrely
there is a departure tax from the scruffier ferry
terminal at Tanjung Pinang which is indeed IDR
10,000 (Indonesian Rupiah) per person. This is
approximately S$2. Our staff will usually pay
this for you and add the cost (in Singapore Dollars)
to your final invoice on the island. |
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| TOP |
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BOOKING |
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Can you hold
the island for me until my friends get back to
me ? |
| |
No. The only way to
secure the island is with a S$2,000 deposit. If
we’re convinced that your cheque is literally
in the mail or that you are heading down to the
bank to effect a transfer of funds within the
next 48 hours, we will hold the island for you
until we receive your deposit. |
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But you held
Pangkil for someone else we know without a deposit
? |
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Even our regular guests
are required to put down deposits. At our discretion,
we will sometimes record ‘expressions of
interest’ particularly for bookings 6 to
12 months out. In effect you will then have a
‘non-binding, first right of refusal’
over the island and we will email you when we
receive another request for your particular weekend
or dates. Please note that this system is neither
perfect nor guaranteed and you are still encouraged
to send your deposit as soon as you can. |
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I am trying
to organise a weekend on Pangkil but have never
done this before. Can I ask my proposed group
to send you their individual deposit cheques ? |
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No. We require a single
deposit cheque or transfer of funds (which may
obviously come from someone other than the Group
Organizer). |
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Is your website
up-to-date ? |
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The website is updated
weekly. |
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Do you accept
credit cards ? |
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No. We are a relatively
small business and the cost of becoming a credit
card merchant is prohibitive. In any event we
do not have a landline telephone on the island
and would not be able to verify credit cards. |
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How will I know
when my reservation is confirmed ? |
| |
Your reservation is
only certain when we have received your deposit
(and if it is a cheque, after it has cleared).
We will notify you at this time. |
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Can we visit
the island before we book it ? |
| |
Certainly ! You’ll
have to get yourself to Bintan but we will pick
you up there and take you to the island and back
at our expense. The island is indeed private and
we will obtain the permission of the guests in
residence at the time. |
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Do you have
any brochures ? |
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There are a number of
‘soft copy’ brochures you can download
from this website. We don’t usually stock
printed brochures. |
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Can we meet with you to discuss booking the island ? |
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We have a part-time
office in Singapore which our guests occasionally
visit to drop off funds to be guaranteed of securing
a booking (or to pick up items lost on the island
following a trip). Our Singapore-based office
however operates on a part-time basis and our
staff are generally not able to meet with you
personally. You are however welcome to phone us
or visit the island. We also have an operations
office in Tanjung Pinang (Bintan) but it is not
open to the public. |
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Can we increase
or decrease the number of people after the deposit
has been paid ? |
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Yes. Indicative numbers
at the time you book are useful. Final numbers
are needed a week before your trip. |
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| TOP |
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| KIDS |
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Do you cater
for children ? |
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Absolutely ! We are
set up for children (of all ages !) and have them
on the island all the time. We have cots and high-chairs
as well as spare beds for the bigger ones and
children’s life jackets. |
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Do you have
a special children’s menu ? |
| |
Our cooks are used to
producing less spicy (or even non-spicy) food
for children. We have two dining tables in the
Main House. Some families seat the kids separately.
Others organise an earlier sitting for the kids. |
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Can the children
eat at a different time to the adults ? |
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Yes. |
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How many cots
do you have ? |
