Coordinates 1 04 N, 104 43 E ... paradise located on the equator!
I have to say it sounds quite chic to say to your friends that you're going to a private island for the weekend. And that's exactly what Nikoi is!
Actually, the main reason we came to Nikoi is because we wanted to see the lovely and talented Australian singer Corinne Gibbons perform. We heard that Nikoi was planning a weekend performance featuring the velvety and rich sound of Corinne, so the combination of great music in a beautiful setting is what convinced us to come.
Located in Indonesia on the other side of Bintan Island, Nikoi is a small tropical oasis catering to a select crowd looking for pristine seclusion on a tropical island.
It currently has 6 bungalows, but very soon that will be expanded to 15. Given that these bungalows are either one-, two-, or three- bedroom villas, you can quickly calculate that even at full capacity, you're going to be one of very few guests on the island.
As you approach Nikoi by boat, you are quick to spot the white sand beaches in the distance. When you land, you feel like you've been jettisoned onto a tropical getaway. Relaxation is practically forced upon you! Refreshment drinks are waiting, the sun is glaring ... and you get to meet Suzie!! Who is Suzie you may ask? Well, I initially thought it was a fake gigantic spider pinned up in a web right above the bar by the beach. Instead, Suzie ends up being for real. Believe me ... she is beautiful ... but you would not want to encounter her in your bathroom at 2 am! It's the biggest spider I've ever seen, and the most spoilt one too! She's been living above the beach bar for 6 months now, not having to move or do much else. Food is brought to her! The staff feed her local grasshoppers and other delicacies. Ask for her when you land :-)
The buildings on the island have been designed to be unobtrusive ... they blend into the natural surrounding. A lot of the structures are built from driftwood and other local materials, giving the island a natural yet luxurious feel. The bungalows are very large with an open design. Underneath the thatched roof there are basically no walls. On the top floor you will find the main bedroom facing the ocean, while the bottom floor is one large indoor-outdoor sitting area, half tiled and the other half covered in sand. At the far end of your 'property' you have a pavilion for that very necessary afternoon nap. The additional bedrooms are in a separate building connected with a walkway, giving a family, for example, privacy within their own space.
The communal areas are stunning. Besides the outdoor bars and lounging spaces, they have two huge dining areas. Opened on all sides and under a very high thatched roof ceiling lays a massive and very long solid wood table. It's huge ... accommodating 20 very comfortably. And what's great ... that your feet never leave the sand. There are no tiles ... just sand everywhere. It grounds you beautifully.
What is an additional asset to the Nikoi experience is that they have friendly staff and that the whole experience is very well organized. Once you've paid ... you just surrender to them. The transfers are organized perfectly, the fee includes accommodation and food (alcohol excluded) and all you have to do is literally show up :-)
HOW TO GET THERE:
It's actually fairly easy to get to Nikoi from Singapore. The whole journey lasts about 2.5 hours. You take a ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore to Bintan. You can book your tickets online. The catamaran whisks you over the strait to Bintan in 60 minutes. When you arrive to Bintan, the Nikoi crowd will be waiting for you before you hit immigration, taking your passports and US$ 10, arrange for your luggage to be picked up and send you off to the VIP lounge. While you're having your complementary drink, they arrange for the visa et al.
Once you're done with the immigration process, the Nikoi hosts will transfer you by jeep/van to the other side of the island where a small ferry is waiting for you to take you to Nikoi. The drive across the island takes another 60 minutes and the boat to Nikoi is only 20-30 minutes, depending on the current and wind.
Given that you're going from a cosmopolitan city like Singapore to a tropical island with white sand and palm trees within 2.5 hours ... well, it's actually quite incredible and very convenient.
WHAT TO DO:
Obviously there is ample opportunity to swim and tan :-) You can snorkle to view the surrounding coral reef, go sailing with a catamaran, walk or kayak around the island, lounge, watch the sunset, get a massage, read, play games ... this is pure 100% down time for you, your friends and/or your family.
Have a gin and tonic while watching the sunset, go visit the staff kampong in the centre of the island where they constructed every single building piece that you see around you or lounge by the two beautiful swimming pools nestled into the rocks.
I highly recommend to check if Nikoi is offering an entertainment program while you're there. As mentioned earlier, we came here to see Corinne Gibbons perform. The program: Friday night, Corinne and Stuart Hunter, her producer on her forthcoming album Melt, played songs around a campfire. The sky was lit up with stars that you could practically reach out too. And sitting around a campfire singing and drinking wine was simply divine. For Saturday night, Corinne and Stuart had prepared an unplugged version of their Melt concert. Lounging on bean bags we were privy to a 60 minute concert of Corinne's new songs from Melt with Stuart accompanying her. The backdrop ... a huge screen behind them with stunning footage from the Antarctic and underwater shots from Papua New Guinea. It was a divine experience. Breeze flowing through the open room, sand in your feet and a glass of red wine in your hand ... while listening to Corinne and Stuart ... was an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend that you try and see her on Nikoi for yourself. You will remember this moment!
So be this a family retreat, group of friends celebrating or a romantic getaway, Nikoi is the perfect tropical island for you. It is one of the most beautiful places I've been to.
Bojan Tercon
It's one of the most beautiful places I've been to too :)
Posted by: Shivya | February 14, 2011 at 00:28
Yeah how is it possible that we are all around the world in the same places! Nikoi looks great, and where is the guy overlooking the sea thinking off? A great night with you I suppose!
We have a great time, now 3.5 weeks in Costa Rica. Unfortunataly I have fell and can not sport for 6 weeks, but that means I will be cured when we arrive in Bariloche ski area south Argentina..
Here a website, I had time to learn how this works because of the foot, written in dutch, sorry, but the pictures and film is nice I think.
In BA we probably will have an appartment when you arrive, we will see. Wonderfull to meet overthere.
Is this Nikoi story your first step in you internet travel book?
Love Jelle
Posted by: jelle | August 06, 2008 at 00:30