| 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
(Small Pangkil Island) 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, however we do have
anchor points. Unfortunately we are not able to provide meals unless
you have hired the whole island. As a private island we do not 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.
INSEAD MBA students regularly squeeze in 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 the basic price per night applies to a
minimum of 10 people even if you have less than 10. There are
incremental charges for more than 10 people. |
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Is
there hot water on the island? |
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Yes. All
showers have hot water. |
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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. In fact we don't pick up from Lagoi but
rather a different port called Tanjung Pinang. |
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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 07:00 (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
09:40 (Singapore time, GMT+8). TMFT is very close to Changi Airport and
you could easily be there by 10:00 or 10:15 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. We also have a
covered speedboat in the fleet as well. |
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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. Firstly we do not pick
up at Lagoi (although you can catch a taxi to the south of Bintan).
Secondly, we generally need a minimum of 3 to 4 hours between transfers
to the island so that the launches can retun, refuel if necessary etc.
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$5 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 still cost our 'basic' rate which assumes a
minimum of 10 people. You will get the entire island to yourself but
this is obviously not as cost-effective as having 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 a
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
- Visas (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
- Massages, fireworks (if any)
- S$5 departure tax and ticket
reconfirmation fee
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
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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
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. There
is often a S$3 ticket reconfirmation fee. Expect to pay a total of S$5. |
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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? |
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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 may be
able to 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 on island? |
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Yes. We limit
to 3 credit cards to be used in one trip.
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How
will I know when my reservation is confirmed? |
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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? |
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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. There is however a S$500 cost for a day-trip and these are
usually limited to Fridays. |
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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. 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? |
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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? |
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Four. They
come complete with mosquito nets. |
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Do
you have babysitters or should we bring our maid? |
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We have a
number of female staff who will volunteer to baby-sit. We charge S$20
per child which goes directly to the babysitter. You are also welcome
to bring your maid. We charge $100 per night for maids. |
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Do
you charge for children? |
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Infants (less
than 3 years old) are free of charge. Children (3 to 12 years old)
attract the children’s rate and anyone older than 12 is charged as an
adult. |
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Do
you have buckets and spades for the kids? |
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No. You’re
welcome to bring your own. |
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Am I
able to sterilize bottles for my infant? |
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Yes. |
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| TOP |
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FOOD
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What
type of food do you serve? |
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We normally
serve Western and Indonesian-style dishes. These include grilled or
barbequed fish, squid, prawns, beef and chicken as well as curries of
all description. There are side dishes which include fresh garden
salads, pasta salads, boiled/steamed leafy greens and grilled
aubergine/egg plant (an island favourite). Prawn and tofu kebabs appear
from time-to-time as do satay sticks. Our home-made salad dressing is
much appreciated as is our freshly-baked bread. We serve fresh fruit,
mango sticky rice and sometimes sago as well as home-made cakes for
dessert (the almond cake has now been perfected). Everyone is uniformly
complimentary about the food. |
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Can
we cook ourselves? |
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You are quite
welcome to cook for yourselves if that is what you want to do, but our
cooks are pretty good, so you might as well sit back and enjoy the
sunsets ! We welcome visits to the kitchen by people with food
allergies or guests who would like to teach our cook a new recipe. Try
us with requests but it would help if you speak Indonesian otherwise
you’ll have to work through one of our translators. |
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Can
you serve Halal food? |
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Yes. Our
cooks are all Muslims. |
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Are
meals included in the price? |
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Three meals
are included in the daily rate. They can be any three meals (for
example dinner, breakfast, lunch OR lunch, dinner, breakfast). You can
eat as much as you want and when you want. If you arrive before lunch
on the first day and leave after lunch on the last day you will have
had one more than three meals per day. For this there is a nominal
charge. |
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Do
you provide snacks? |
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You can
effectively raid the kitchen whenever you want. Banana fritters, rice
cakes, prawn crackers, spring rolls and other fantastic snacks will
often appear at the pool or the main house in the afternoon. There is
usually a large jar of cashews or almonds at the Main House. If you’re
after the healthy option ask for fruit. Just let our staff know if
you’re hungry and when and where you’d like your snacks and they’ll do
their best. There are no extra charges. |
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Do
you cater for vegetarians? |
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Absolutely.
Give us some advance notice and we promise to delight. |
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May
we use the fridge? |
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Yes of
course. If you’re planning on bringing a French Camembert to go with
your Waterford Crackers, then you are most welcome to store it in our
industrial-strength fridge. |
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Can
you cope with a nut allergy? |
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We have had
adults and children with nut allergies on the island before and they
survived. This being Indonesia (a country famed for the use of peanut
sauces), the best way to ensure that there are no nut derivatives in
the food, is to work with our cook. You're welcome to go right into the
kitchen (in fact we suggest this before the preparation of each meal
begins) and see what they're preparing. You’ll have to take our
English-speaking Customer Service Manager with you as our cook does not
speak any English. Our staff are very good and will try their best but
with the language difficulties we suggest you remind them before every
meal and double check on everything. |
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| TOP |
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| DRINKS |
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Can
we bring our own wine? |
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We have an
excellent, reasonably-priced wine collection and would prefer that you
didn’t bring your own, however if you do we will charge a $S15 corkage
charge per bottle. |
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We
have a few drinkers who are worried that there may not be enough
spirits/beer for the long holiday weekend? Should they be concerned? |
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No. Our boats
regularly visit the island when there are guests, bringing water, fuel
and additional supplies. You cannot drink us dry but we look forward to
the challenge! |
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We
drink a lot of Vodka Tonics and Bloody Marys. Do we need to bring any
mixers? |
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We stock soda
water, tonic water, orange juice and tomato juice. They tend to be
local or regional brands (eg F & N tonic water). |
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Should
we
bring our own beer or soft-drinks? |
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No. We stock
most of the major soft-drinks including diet colas. Soft drinks cost
$1.75 per can and beer $3 (Tiger & Bintang) or $3.50 (Heineken
& Carlsberg) |
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Is
there a real coffee maker on the island or do you use instant coffee?
We have a few coffee snobs coming (me being one of them) and I can
bring my own press if needed? |
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We serve
strong plunger-style Indonesian coffee. Everyone seems to like it. We
do serve tea, however if you’re a tea snob our selection is limited and
you may want to bring your own. |
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Should
we
bring bottled water? |
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We offer
complimentary bottled water produced in Indonesia. |
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Is
fresh milk available? |
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No. We use
UHT milk. |
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My
son is allergic to milk. Should I bring my own soy milk? |
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Yes. If in
doubt bring what you need. We don’t usually carry soy milk. |
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| TOP |
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| SAFETY & MEDICAL |
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What
do you do if there is a serious injury? |
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There is an
excellent well-staffed hospital in Kijang (the southern port on
Bintan). Our speedboat can reach Kijang in about 20 minutes if
necessary. Our staff members on Pangkil and Bintan have mobile phones
(and two-way radios) and will arrange for the hospital staff to be
ready to receive the injured guest. We have been extremely fortunate to
date that the only serious injury requiring a visit to the hospital was
a boy who cut his foot requiring stiches. |
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Is it
safe to swim? |
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Absolutely.
Open-water swimming is encouraged off the beach near the Main House.
Naturally common-sense suggests that parents supervise their kids, that
no one should swim after having consumed alcohol and that swimming at
night is not advisable. If in any doubt, have your friends (or our
staff) follow you in the kayaks or a speedboat. Stone Fish are found
all the way from Australia up to the South-China Sea. We suggest you do
not step on the coral or rocks and stick to walking on the sand to get
to open sea. At certain times of the year there are jelly fish. The
seasons are short and we have jelly fish ‘wipes’ in our first-aid kit.
We have never had a serious injury from the jelly fish. We recommend
that you always use reef-shoes to walk on the reef. |
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How
far is it safe to swim? |
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Guests swim
out to the swimming pontoon all the time. A few have swum around the
entire island before and some extremely fit guests have swim to Pulau
Pangkil Besar (‘Big Pangkil’) about 2 km away. We don’t advise either
of the latter-two options, but if you insist, please alert our staff
and have them follow you in one of the speedboats. |
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Do
you have security guards on the island? |
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Our male
staff members patrol the island at night. We have a purpose-built light
tower with an intense quartz-halogen light used to illuminate our boats
and the main beach throughout the night. This has worked well to date
warding off curious fishermen. |
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Are
there pirates in the area? |
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Rest assured, we are on top of
security arrangements. The whole of the area to the south and west of
Bintan is quiet and there have been no disturbances or any hint of
unpleasantness. We are known to the Indonesian Navy (which has a base
at Kijang) as well as the Chief of Police. Our General Manager is
Indonesian and was born in Bintan and hence has his ear to the ground
(or should that be water) with regards to maritime security in the
area. If there was the remotest possibility of harm to any of our
guests at any time we would immediately advise you not to travel.
There certainly is ‘marine thievery’
in the Riaus (for example the Philips Channel to the west of Batam),
but this is a long way from Pangkil. Violent attacks on ship are rare
and many of those reported in the media happen many hundreds of
kilometres from Pangkil. Increased cooperation between the governments
and navies of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as some recent
victories by the Indonesian forces in capturing ‘pirates’ will lead to
improvements in the safety of the entire region.
We have prudently developed
contingency plans in the highly unlikely event that there are attacks
at the ferry terminals, on land en-route to a ferry terminal, on our
launch at sea, or if there is civil unrest in Bintan while guests are
on the island. We do not expect to ever have to activate these plans as
the area really is very safe.
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I was
extremely nervous when transiting through Tanjung Pinang last time. Why
do you still recommend departures through this terminal? |
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Tanjung
Pinang is a buzz of activity. If your only experience, previously, of
Indonesia has been the antiseptically clean and isolated Lagoi (Bintan
Resorts) area, then TP and its ferry terminal will seem scruffy, lively
and busy. This can be disconcerting the first time but it is very safe.
If it wasn’t we would not recommend it as the departure terminal. Most
of the people on Bintan come from other parts of Indonesia (such as
Java). Tanjung Pinang is a relatively rich town by Indonesian standards
and most people are there to work, and work hard. Of course like any
busy transport hub, anywhere in the world, watch out for pick-pockets
and make sure that either you or our staff have your luggage at all
times! |
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Do we
have to worry about malaria? |
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There is no
malaria on the island. We are fortunately also free of sand flies.
There are a few non-malarial mosquitoes, but we provide mosquito coils
and insect spray in the driftwood palaces as well as mosquito nets. We
also regularly ‘fog’ to keep the mosquito population under control. We
do however suggest that you bring your own preferred brand of insect
repellent. |
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| TOP |
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| PLANNING YOUR TRIP & ISLAND STAY |
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We
were hoping to arrive early but the Bookings Calendar shows that there
will be another group on the island? |
| |
We don’t tend
to know what times other groups will arrive or depart until a week or
two before their trips. With the current public ferry schedules, it is
not possible to overlap for more than 4 hours (maximum). If there is
the possibility of an overlap we encourage the departing party to catch
an earlier ferry and the arriving party to catch a later one. Overlaps
are therefore rare and seldom exceed an hour to two. Either of the two
groups is welcome to visit one of our other islands, Pulau Murbai for a
picnic on the way to or from Pangkil. |
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We’re
having trouble getting visas in advance as the Indonesian Embassy is
demanding proof that we’ve booked. Can you help? |
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Certainly.
Some nationalities (the Irish and the Spanish for example) need visas
in advance from an Indonesian Embassy. The bureaucrats sometimes demand
a letter from us. Let us know your Full Name; Passport Number;
Nationality; Group Organizer’s Name & Trip Dates and we’ll send you
either an email or a Word document composed by us. Print this out and
take it to the Indonesian Embassy and it will keep them happy. It does
not have to be signed by us. |
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We
are trying to work out whether or not to travel via Lagoi. How much
does the bus ride from Lagoi to Tanjung Pinang cost? |
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Pangkil strongly recommends that you
travel to and from Tanjung Pinang (TP). If you need visas for Indonesia
you CAN NOW obtain them on arrival at Tanjung Pinang. The Pangkil land
transfer (from Lagoi or TP) is included (but limited to a single trip
(in both directions) for the group. You’ll have to do the sums yourself
but:
- A visa in advance (in Singapore) is
more expensive than a visa on arrival (at TP or Lagoi)
- A return ferry trip from Singapore
to TP is generally cheaper than a return ferry trip to Lagoi
- A one-way trip via TP can save as
much as an hour compared with a one-way trip via Lagoi
- If you come in via Lagoi it will
cost you S$60 for a taxi to get to the south of Bintan to meet our
launch.
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I
need to receive an important telephone call on the island from my
company. What number should they ring? |
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We are proud
of the fact that we do not have a fixed-line telephone and a fax. We do
not have a radio and
certainly no daily newspapers. Mobile phones do however work provided
you and your carrier have roaming agreements for Indonesia. We have a
mobile phone booster on top of the kitchen and you may need to be at
this end of the island to initiate or receive a call. Sadly we bowed to
pressure and installed a 32" LCD television screen and satellite TV in
May 2010. |
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Do
you have satellite TV? |
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Yes. We
bought a 32" LCD TV in May 2010, in time for the World Cup (football).
We have had satellite TV installed as well. |
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|
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What
voltage is the power supply? What are the connection points or plugs
like? |
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The power is
240 volts from UK/Singapore 3-prong power sockets. |
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One
of our group will not know if she is able to come for the weekend until
the Friday of our trip. Can she confirm on the Friday, or do you need
more warning? |
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Most of our
food is bought fresh in Bintan and taken out to Pangkil on the morning
of your trip. To plan menus and organise the land and launch transport
we ideally need to know the size of your group and your ferry time(s) a
week before your trip. Small changes to the number of guests closer to
your date of departure are fine. In this case, if she is planning on
being on the same ferry as the rest of you, you can let us know on the
Friday. If she needs an extra transfer (because she is on a different
ferry to everyone else), you will have to let us know on the Thursday
at the latest as it takes time to reorganise our land and launch
schedules. If she is vacillating between a late Friday and early
Saturday ferry, you can sort this out on Friday on the island. |
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Who
will meet us in Bintan? |
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One of our
English-speaking Customer Service staff members or possibly our General
Manager will meet you just after Immigration. Don’t panic, they’ll find
you! |
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Should
we
buy duty-free goods? |
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We don’t sell
anything on the island. We don’t stock tobacco products, so you may
want to buy your own. We have plenty of alcohol on the island. We
charge S$15 corkage per bottle if you bring your own wine and S$25 for
spirits. |
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Should
we
buy snacks and drinks for the journey? |
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The ferry to
Lagoi has a slightly better selection of food and drinks than the
ferries plying the Tanjung Pinang route. Don’t get your expectations up
though. The good news is that the food on Pangkil is outstanding. We
will provide a hot meal even if you arrive at midnight, so try not to
spoil your appetite for your first Pangkil meal. We usually provide
complimentary water, soft-drinks and beer on the launch. We will often
also do this on the bus, particularly for evening trips. |
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One
of our group is prone to sea-sickness. Should he be worried about the
launch journey? |
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No. The
launch travels through sheltered water for much of the trip and the
water is rarely rough. At all times land is visible. Our intrepid boat
crew sometimes fail to appreciate that large swell (which is rare) can
frighten guests and so they may forget to hand out the life jackets.
Please ask for them if you feel you need them. |
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How
do you break down the final bill for each family? |
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How you sort
out the costs amongst your group is up to you. It really is swings and
roundabouts. The Tree House, the Main House, the Big House & #1 are
different in size and style to #2 to #5, however they all have their
own unique charm. If you want to make minor adjustments in how you
charge each person, couple or family, it is entirely up to you. |
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When
is the final bill presented? |
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The final
bill will be presented to the Group Organizer an hour or so before your
departure. |
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Is it
possible to charge the drinks to each room or family? |
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Not really.
We have an honesty system. You and your group may help themselves to
soft-drinks, beer, wine and spirits at any time, day or night. At the
end of your stay we count the number of cans and bottles consumed and
measure the number of centimetres of spirits consumed (in their
bottles). We don’t have bar people as such mixing or dispensing drinks.
How you divide the drinks bill is up to you. Our staff will help you
draw up a paper-based ‘tick’ system for the individuals, families or
Palaces, but these systems rarely work exactly and the Group Organizer
may have to do a little ‘horse trading’ with her group to reconcile the
individual consumption patterns with the total. You may choose to have
all alcohol and drinks removed from the bar areas and placed in the
kitchen (where we have staff around the clock). The staff could then
serve the drinks upon request. To date no one has ever done this as it
would, in our opinion, detract from the simplicity of Pangkil. |
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Can
we hand over the remaining accommodation balance in Singapore to
someone before we go? Then all we’ll have to settle on the Sunday is
the bar bill? |
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It is
mandatory to pay the balance of your accommodation charges one week
before you leave Singapore. We also suggest you transfer a 'kitty' to
cover drinks. This will show up as a credit on the island. It minimizes
the need to carry SGD cash to the island. |
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What
time do we have to leave? |
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We don’t have
check-out times unless there is another group arriving and it is rare
for a weekend departure (typically on a Sunday) to overlap with new
arrivals. So you can leave as late as you like subject to the buffer
times you need to make your ferry (2 hours if via Tanjung Pinang &
3 hours if via Lagoi). |
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Can
we decide to stay longer on the island when we are there? |
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Provided
there is no one staying after you that week, then yes you can - with
about 24 hours notice - decide to stay longer on the island. |
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Do
you have a shop on the island? |
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No. So if you
want marshmallows or chocolate to go with your coffee around the fire
you’re going to have to bring such items yourself. |
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Do
you have live music on the island? |
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No. |
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I
have a birthday surprise in mind. Do you have a microphone and a music
system (or even a karaoke system)? |
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Some guests
have managed to work out how to plug MP3 players (including iPods) into
our sound systems. We do have a microphone but do not have a karaoke
system. |
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Do we
need to bring our own towels, soap and shampoo or do you operate as a
hotel? |
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We provide
towels and there should be liquid soap/shower gel in the bathrooms, but
we recommend you bring your own toiletries. |
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Are
the staff on the island there to wait on us hand and foot? Will a
butler be provided for each cabin? |
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Even for
large groups there will usually be more staff on the island than
guests. They are there entirely for the benefit of your group and will
follow you in the speedboat if you go kayaking, take you on picnics to
other islands, clean the driftwood palaces each day, prepare and serve
you meals and work behind the scenes to keep the electricity working
and the island stocked with fresh water. They are however trained to be
discrete and will not disturb you unless you have asked for specific
help. Remember - you have hired the whole island and what you say goes! |
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We
have a colleague who injured his leg while mountain climbing. We want
to ensure that facilities are easily accessible to him. Which Palace
would you suggest that we put him in? |
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All the
accommodation is above ground and requires the navigation of ten or so
steps. The steps are however wide with sold hand rails. Our staff can
if necessary help carry your colleague to his Palace. The only vehicle
on the island is a small tractor which tows a small cart. While not
designed to carry guests with limited mobility, our staff would be more
than happy to improvise by strapping a solid chair on to the cart for
trips from the Main House to the pool area. |
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How
far apart are the palaces? |
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Far enough
apart to be very private! |
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When
I visited the island last year your staff put on a wonderful firework
show at the lagoon. Is this a possibility? |
| |
We are
usually able to procure fireworks. Packages range from S$150 onwards.
Discuss these with the Island Manager when you arrive. |
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| |
Could
you tell me if you have blenders to make frozen drinks? |
| |
We do have a
blender. Please ask the staff if it is not out on the bar. |
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Can
we ‘trust’ the ice? |
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Yes. |
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Are
beach towels provided? |
| |
Yes. All
laundry is done on Bintan so we ask that you use no more than one beach
towel per day. |
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Is it
possible to have a campfire? |
| |
Usually. At
certain times of the year a combination of high tides and sand patterns
mean that there is nowhere suitable for a fire. This happens rarely. |
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Is
there a CD player? |
| |
Yes but we
suggest you bring your own CDs. Another option is to bring an MP3
player and plug it into our sound system. |
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| TOP |
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|
CORPORATE
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Can
you provide a corporate trainer? |
| |
No. |
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Can
we be invoiced for the balance after the trip? |
| |
No.
Unfortunately we aren't set up to invoice guests after a stay. We
accept SGD cash or a single SGD cheque on the island. We suggest your
company pays the full accommodation amount before the trip and that one
of your group then settles (and expenses) the final amount. |
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What
time are meals as I need to plan our conference program? |
| |
We suggest
that you knock up a program schedule for your stay to suit your needs,
including preferred meal and coffee-break times and include any special
requests. Our staff will fit in with your program. |
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| TOP |
