Travel&Vacation

Hundreds of lights shimmering in the distance across the water suggested other islands, perhaps villages.

But beyond the tropical palms and the white sand beach of Indonesia’s Club Med Ria Bintan, the South China Sea hosts one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes as captains wait for their turn to enter Singapore.

Club Med Ria Bintan, on an Indonesian island, is a 55-minute ferry ride from hectic Singapore. Here you can laze by the pool or on the beach, relaxing.

Or you can join in the vast range of activities.

Out on the water, there’s snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking or sailing.

On shore, try squash, tennis, archery, badminton, yoga or fitness classes.

Nearby, there’s an international- standard golf course.

But be warned: Bintan is a stone’s throw from the equator, and the heat and humidity take some getting used to.

Archery was new to me, and, with expert tuition, I quickly had the basics worked out well enough to be able to hit the target regularly.

On the archery range were Koreans, a Singaporean couple and an American, along with another Kiwi.

We had our own mini-Olympic tournament, and at the end we stood together and sang or hummed national anthems in a mock medal ceremony.

All the activity works up an appetite. From sirloin steaks cooked to order, whole grilled crayfish, salmon fillets, sushi, Asian noodle dishes, soups, salads, all manner of vegetables and breads, the tastes for more than 20 different nationalities are catered for.

Many visitors to Ria Bintan, particularly from nearby Asian countries, come for the golf.

The Gary Player-designed Ria Bintan Golf Club course is of international standard, and the view from the first tee is breathtaking.

Looking down the immaculate fairway toward the sea, with tropical jungle on one side, artificial lakes and bunkers on the other, there is no doubt that this course is for the serious golfer.

The jungle gobbles up any stray shots, and warning signs tell us to secure personal items on account of the light-fingered monkeys.

Our caddie, Novi, a friendly local woman, did a great job dealing with the aftermath of a sizeable number of fairly agricultural shots and filling in the divots.

Nothing could detract from the experience, especially as we strode on to the course’s signature hole, the par 3 ninth.

At 155 metres, and played over a rocky tidal inlet, only a bold, near-perfect shot will see the ball find the safety of the distant green.

Anything but, and the jungle or the sea will claim another prize.

Playing fees reflect the international standard of the club.

The starting price for nine holes is S$94 (NZ$87) for mid-week players, rising to S$132 on weekends. Eighteen holes cost S$138 and S$199 respectively.

Clubs, cart and shared caddie are all extra.

In the tropical heat, the cart is almost essential, given the sapping nature of the humidity.

Club Med and other resorts are in a large enclave on the Indonesian island of Bintan.

The 23,000-hectare resort zone is the result of Singapore fostering economic cooperation with its Indonesian neighbour, and Singapore’s living standards and infrastructure have been transplanted into the zone.