It's been a while since I was at the Angsana Resort & Spa. The main reason being cost. It's actually cheaper to make a 3D2N trip to Ko Samui or Phuket, or even Bangkok, then to spend 3D2N at Bintan!
For this simple reason of economics and value, it simply doesn't make sense to spend so much and, then again, Bintan has nothing much to offer in comparison to Ko Samui or Phuket.
The only compelling reason is that you can make a day trip there, whereas Thailand would entail staying at least 3 days to make it worthwhile.
I wasn't going to blog about this trip but then someone close to my sis had casually mentioned that perhaps my jaunts to Bintan were not all that altruistic. Is he really going for the spa? hahaha.
So Brad, here are the pictures to prove it. (By the way, my sis lives in Texas)
Click on the pictures for a larger view
The rooftop spa treatment pavillion.
The essential oils used for spa therapy.
The Angsana Spa and the view from the pavillion.
The Angsana Resort
Who's this?She was the guest on the ground floor. (I stayed on the 4th floor)
The Beach
This is the Pantai Grill, buffet dinner right on the beach
Breakfast at the resort Lotus Cafe
And finally, the ferry home
So in a nutblog, that was my day spa trip to Angsana Spa last week.
The downside to going to Angsana/Banyan Tree is that all the prices are in US$.
The 3 hr spa treatment I had was US$120, dinner US$40, buffet US$28, etc.
The overnight stay cum breakfast and transportation was US$165
The neighboring spas at Bintan like Nirwana Resort, Bintan Lagoon, Mayang Sari or even Club Med are less expensive and charges S$.
Whenever I go to Bintan, there is always at the back of my mind, the tinge of sadness and the irony of the situation there. It seems Bintan Resort was created through commercial lobbying and political manueverings that saw about 10% of the island given over to developers to make it Singapore's beach playground. Sadly, the locals are relegated to being workers and are actually restricted completely from resort area and pristine beaches. They just can't get past the security cordons.
This brings to my mind what I saw happened exactly in Mauritius, the other island resort paradise in the Indian Ocean. There also their world famous pristine white sandy beaches that ring the island have all been sold to major resorts and developers. What remains for the Mauritian general public are the basically the rejects. The islanders are also denied access to the best beaches renowned for its clear waters and deep sea fishing. Sad.
If you want to know a bit more of Bintan, which nevertheless, is still a nice place to spend some quiet time go to http://www.bintan-resorts.com
Map copyright of Bintan Resorts
If you want to know a bit more of Bintan, which nevertheless, is still a nice place to spend some quiet time go to http://www.bintan-resorts.com
Map copyright of Bintan Resorts
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