Banyan Tree Resort: Bintan Island

Bintan is a small, lesser-known Indonesian island straddling the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea. Its premier resort, Banyan Tree, is built on a hilly, beach-fringed promontory that overlooks both. It didn’t take long to discover that the best place to enjoy this exquisite view was from our private pool, a glass of something medicinal close at hand. The easiest way to get to Bintan is by ferry from Singapore. The crossing is usually calm and takes less than an hour.