Nikoi island : Riau’s best-kept secret

The private island is owned by a small group of expatriate owners who’d spent decades working in the region. The vacation spots in the vicinity fell short of their expectations. Bintan and Batam’s resort selections offered mostly mass tourist hysteria, and the very idea of a ‘resort’ was synonymous with uniform mediocrity and packaged tourists. They accidentally discovered the island of Nikoi on a boat trip from Bintan, and the rest is history: building up the the island’s slowly and sensibly, there are a mere six houses on the island at the moment, and plans in the pipeline for just nine more.

Nikoi is a 15 hectare private island 8km off the east coast of Bintan, Indonesia. Located less than 85km from Singapore, traveling time from Tanah Merah ferry terminal is approximately two and a half hours .It is ringed with white sandy beaches and coral reefs of spectacular color and diversity and a coastline studded with magnificent white granite boulders that seemingly defy gravity. Rising to a height of 30m, the island also boasts a rain forest where colossal trees, including native Banyan trees, provide a sanctuary to a diverse population of local birds. Nature is the recurrent theme on the island.



Nikoi Island is so unspoilt , you feel you've rented the whole thing for yourself. The only buildings on the island are the resort's 15 beautiful Indonesian beach houses, each with a stunning seafront location and perfect sunset view. Affordable and far from pretentious, the resort has 2 pools, affable staff and eco-friendly principles (solar-powered hot water, sustainable buildings, sea turtle conservation).

The clientèle are honeymooners, young couples or families whose kids can enjoy treasure hunts, pirate adventures and nature trails. The chalets are purely made of wood, with not an inch of concrete, and some original tree-barks used as pillars & foundation. The openness of the rooms to nature is immediately striking, and in some way, leads to an openness of thoughts too. You can let your doors remain open at night, with the waves soothing your every dream. You'll not be short of things to do - snorkelling, island hopping, fishing, sailing, beachcombing, wildlife spotting - or just reclining on a daybed, cocktail in hand. This resort has a great views out to the sea from each hut. The hut itself is truly a great feature in itself. Nikoi is a small island that caters up to 30 guests with personalised service and a relaxing atmosphere.

Beaches are beautiful and almost always secluded and devoid of guests. A great place to relax and have some peace and quiet. it's a special place and truly peaceful - only this small resort is on this island - no shops, other visitors, etc. Amazing! If you have ever dreamed of living on a private island...go to Nikoi, now!

What to do



Serious relaxation. Water sports such as swimming, sailing, snorkeling, diving (reefs and wrecks), kayaking, windsurfing, stand-up paddle boarding. Fishing, nature discovery and island hopping. Massages. Special “theme weeks” for mid-week guests and corporate groups, like yoga, fitness, photography, team building, cooking, sculpture and painting.

Rock climbing, mountain biking, trekking. There are some exciting trails for walkers or mountain bikers to explore on Bintan and neighbouring islands. Beach volleyball, boule, Capture the Flag, etc.

Nikoi provides a wonderful environment for children of all ages to play in and explore. With smooth granite boulders to climb, jungle vines to swing on, white sandy beaches to comb, and stunning reefs to snorkel there is something for everyone. Pirate treasure hunts, local craft workshops, rock pool discovery. Our staff are always on hand to help entertain or keep an eye on your children. There is even a dress-up box filled with pirate and mermaid costumes.

Best Time to Travel:

Singapore’s climate is warm and humid with temperatures between 31 and 23 °C. Rain falls throughout the year, with more consistent rain during the monsoon season from November to January. Showers are usually sudden and heavy, but also brief and refreshing.

How to get there

From Jakarta

There are daily flights from Jakarta to Bintan on Sriwijaya Air. From the airport on Bintan it is a half hour car journey to Kawal and then a half hour boat trip to Nikoi.

From Singapore

Overall journey time from Singapore’s Tanah Merah ferry terminal to Nikoi island is approximately two and a half hours. Ferry from Singapore to Bintan Resorts (one hour) , Taxi across Bintan from ferry terminal to jetty (one hour), Launch from jetty to Nikoi (half hour). or you can use Luxury Charter Yacht with 9 guests on board. If you are flying into Changi Airport, luxury charter yacht can pick you up from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, saving you the travel time into the marina in the city centre. The yacht travel time to Batam is also significantly reduced