Bintan 2011

We zipped out for a short trip to Bintan right before the school holidays ended for Chubbs. Thought it'll be a great experience for Chubbs, since he has never been on a ferry, and seldom gets a chance to be on a beach or splashing in the pool endlessly. Plus, it'll probably be the last trip out for the three of us before baby comes.

On the ferry, where Fuzzy got quite seasick. And Chubbs took a rare nap.

We booked ourselves in Bintan Lagoon Resort, and it was very nice on the day we arrived because there were very few people around. So we literally had the whole pool to ourselves. We realised then that Chubbs could swim with his water wings on! Very exciting for us parents to watch. He'd tread water or kick and move his hands, and actually gain distance. And was he mighty proud of himself too.

Swimming with Daddy, and then on his own.

Bathing Mommy.

The room was surprisingly spacious and well-thought out, with a play/ chill out area for the kids. Chubbs entertained himself with the pillows and the few toy vehicles that I brought along, calling it his construction site.

Happy with the play area in the room.

The next morning after a very full breakfast, we explored the beach. It was beautiful! And very kid friendly, since the waves were gentle and and the seabed stays flat for a long way out. Chubbs built sandcastles in the morning, and when we came back after a swim in the pool, we found that the tide had come in and created some shallow pools of water where Chubbs and I could sit and play with the water without having us be in the sea. It was great because the tide brought some fish and hermit crabs in too, and Chubbs had great fun chasing them around.

Building sandcastles.

Laying back and recharging with a snack before hitting the beach again.

Chasing fish with Daddy.

Chilling with Mommy in the "pool". You can see the waves breaking in the distance, but not where we were sitting. Perfect.

Clowning around before another disappointing dinner.

Busying himself with the sand and water, before it was time to check out.

Looking for fish and exploring the big rocks on the beach.

The rooms, beach and pool are great at Bintan Lagoon. But there's just one thing. The food borders on inedible. We ordered Chubbs spaghetti carbonara for dinner one night, and after taking a bite, said, "Mommy, can I just have plain rice?" Even Fuzzy who doesn't believe in wasting food, and eats almost anything, couldn't stomach it. It was microwaved, and the sauce was made with palm oil. And it cost most than $20. Fuzzy and I ordered nasi campur (rice with mixed dishes), a very Indonesian dish because we thought it was a safe bet. It was horrible. The beef was so tough, I could hardly poke the fork through, the chicken curry was absolutely tasteless and the battered fish tasted like chalk. The next night, we thought we'd try another restaurant, since the last dinner was so sad. Not much better, just more expensive. So we spent more than $150 for two dinners, eating absolute rubbish. We had been prepared to pay a lot for food since we had to contend with resort food, but we never thought it'd be so bad. So you have been warned, if you are a foodie, or appreciate tasty, well-cooked food, this is not the resort for you. Thankfully, I packed some pieces of Babybel cheese, snacks and lots of fruit in a cooler box, which became his staples for the trip.

The only upsides in this whole bad food experience, is that Fuzzy lost about 2kg from the trip alone, and Chubbs now thinks that the food that I cook tastes like manna from the heavens. He eats almost anything now, even the horrid lunches in school. And porridge too! So our current threat when he whines at meal times is, "Eat this, or I'll bring you back to the Bintan restaurant!"

Helping Daddy with the big luggage.

Napping sweetly in Daddy's arms on the ride home.