Bintan

Bintan is the easiest Indonesian island to reach without flying — a one-hour ferry from Singapore. Most places to visit in Bintan sit on the Lagoi resort strip along the north coast: the island's best beaches, big pools, and a short list of good day tours.

• Beach and pool time on the Lagoi strip — calm water and the whitest sand on the island
• Boat through the Sebung mangroves; night tours run for the fireflies, and cost around Rp 350,000 ($19) per person
• The white sand dunes and blue lake at Gurun Pasir Busung — a former sand mine that photographs like a desert
• Watersports at Lagoi Bay: jet ski, banana boat, and ATV rides on the beach

Two honest notes. Bintan is a resort break, not a sightseeing island — if you want temples and culture, this is the wrong stop. And outside the resort zone, restaurants and transport are thin, so most visitors eat where they stay and book tours through the hotel desk.

The ferry from Singapore's Tanah Merah terminal to Bandar Bentan Telani takes about one hour. Resorts run shuttle pickups from the terminal — arrange yours when you book the room. One quirk: Bintan is an hour behind Singapore (GMT+7), so double-check which clock your ferry ticket uses.

Bintan works best as a 1-2 night beach add-on to a Singapore trip. Its sister island Batam is cheaper and closer, but Bintan has the better beaches and calmer resorts. For a full Indonesian beach holiday, fly to Bali instead — see our Indonesia guide to compare.

Money is simple: the currency is the Indonesian Rupiah (roughly Rp 18,000 to $1), but Lagoi resorts widely quote prices in Singapore dollars and take cards. Carry a little Rupiah cash for small stalls and tips.