SWISS-BELHOTEL LAGOI BAY
Surrounded by a freshwater fishing lake and white sandy beaches, the four-star Swiss-belhotel Lagoi Bay is an ideal island getaway from Singapore. There’s an array of services and facilities at the hotel, including an outdoor rooftop infinity pool, entertainment centre, kids’ club, spa, fully equipped gym and 24-hour room service. The Swiss- Café serves cuisine from an à la carte menu and daily international buffet breakfast. The Chadis Rooftop Bar – the hotel’s signature restaurant and the only venue of its kind in Bintan with sea and lake views – offers Western cuisine, succulent grills and weekend themed buffets, including Authentic Balinese and BBQ Seafood.
The hotel’s current promotion is the Mad Mid-year Deal, with prices starting from just S$160, and 50 percent discounts for a second person. The offer includes return ferry tickets from Singapore and land transfers on Bintan, a one-night stay in a Deluxe Room, buffet breakfast at Swiss-café, and an Activity Pass for kayaking, buggy riding, cycling and fishing. Valid until 31 October 2016. +65 6274 9555 | ssecsblb@swiss-belhotel.com
resort grounds – which also consist of a spa, infinity pool, library and outdoor deck for yoga and entertainment – was the lack of pretentiousness, despite the obvious luxuries.
Rides at sunset
We’d arrived just before evening, and we were taken on a long boat ride to see the resort from the water and to watch the sunset. As the sky turned flame red, I could pick out a line of shadow cast through the sky by the tip of the majestic Mount Agung across the water in Bali, like a beacon. Sipping on a fresh coconut and watching this otherworldly scene unfold in front of me, I couldn’t think of a better way to be introduced to the beauty of the island.
A traditional feast
Dinner at the hotel’s Olah Olah restaurant consisted of begibung, a Lombok-style feast based on the traditional Balinese megibung, which simply means that food is served communally, and is meant for sharing. We devoured small bowls of skewered meats, seafood, spicy vegetables and various curries with coconut rice scooped up from the middle of the platter – all delicious and filling. Afterwards, full and sleepy, I went back to my room and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean, a stone’s throw from my doorstep.
A day of snorkelling
Various day trips can be arranged by the Sudamala team; one is a trip to the Gili Islands for an active day of snorkelling. Although it takes just under two hours to drive there, it’s worth the wait. The charming Gilis are fringed with white sandy beaches, and surrounded by clear waters full of colourful fish, and it’s easy enough to hop from one island to another by boat. We were blessed with great weather too – suffering only a minor rain shower, which happened conveniently during lunchtime while we were under shelter.