| 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 the basic price per night applies to between 1 and 10 people. There are incremental charges for more than 10 people. |
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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
? |
| |
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 ? |
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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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
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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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
Yes. Our cooks are all
Muslims. |
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| |
Are meals included
in the price ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
Absolutely. Give us
some advance notice and we promise to delight. |
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| |
May we use the
fridge ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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. |
| |
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 ? |
| |
We offer complimentary
bottled water produced in Indonesia. |
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| |
Is fresh milk
available ? |
| |
No. We use UHT milk. |
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My son is allergic
to milk. Should I bring my own soy milk ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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
|
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|
| |
I need to receive
an important telephone call on the island from
my company. What number should they ring ? |
| |
We are proud of the
fact that we do not have a fixed-line telephone,
a fax or even an internet connection on the island.
We do not have a television, 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. |
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|
| |
Do you have
satellite TV ? |
| |
No. There is no TV at
all and no DVD player. |
| |
|
| |
What voltage
is the power supply ? What are the connection
points or plugs like ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
We don’t sell
anything on the island other than t-shirts and
caps. 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. |
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|
| |
Should we buy
snacks and drinks for the journey ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
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 ? |
| |
It is highly recommended
that you pay the balance of your accommodation
charges before you leave Singapore to avoid losing
cash in transit to the island. For large groups
and those new to Pangkil it is mandatory to settle
the full amount in Singapore before leaving for
the island. |
|
|
| |
What time do
we have to leave ? |
| |
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). |
|
|
| |
Can we decide
to stay longer on the island when we are there
? |
| |
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. |
|
|
| |
Do you have
a shop on the island ? |
| |
No. We sell t-shirts
and caps and drinks and that’s about it.
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 ? |
| |
No. |
|
|
| |
I have a birthday
surprise in mind. Do you have a microphone and
a music system (or even a karaoke system) ? |
| |
Some guests have managed
to work out how to plug MP3 players (including
iPods) into our sound systems. We do not have
a microphone nor do we have a karaoke system,
however we are happy to hire these for you in
Bintan at cost. |
|
|
| |
Do we need to
bring our own towels, soap and shampoo or do you
operate as a hotel ? |
| |
We provide towels and
there should be liquid soap/shower gel in the
bathrooms, but we recommend you bring your own
toiletries. |
|
|
| |
Are the staff
on the island there to wait on us hand and foot
? Will a butler be provided for each cabin? |
| |
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 ! |
|
|
| |
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 ? |
| |
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. |
|
|
| |
How far apart
are the palaces ? |
| |
Far enough apart to be very private ! |
|
|
| |
When I visited
the island last year your staff put on a wonderful
firework show at the lagoon. Is this a possibility
? |
| |
From time-to-time we
are able to procure fireworks in Bintan. This
is seasonal and more likely close to Chinese New
Year. By all means ask us if you would like fireworks.
We will do our best but this is not always possible. There are small charges for the fireworks when
we are able to buy them. |
|
|
| |
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. |
|
|
| |
Can we ‘trust’
the ice ? |
| |
Yes. |
|
|
| |
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. |
|
|
| |
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. |
|
|
| |
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. |
| |
|
| TOP |
|
|
CORPORATE |
|
|
| |
Can you provide
a corporate trainer ? |
| |
Yes. |
|
|
| |
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. |
|
|
| |
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 |
