Cassia Bintan for A Quick Getaway

When was the last time you hopped on a ferry and headed to Bintan? Now there is another reason for a quick getaway to Bintan with your family and friends. Actually, when was the last time you stayed in a chalet back home in Singapore? I remember the days of booking a chalet or bungalow in Changi when I was much younger, and a bunch of friends would stay over, playing board games, carrom and have a barbeque. Well staying at Cassia Bintan kinda brings back those memories for me except with much more modern facilities.

A new hotel under the Banyan Tree Group of hotels has opened recently. Cassia Hotels has opened its second property after Cassia Phuket opened in 2015. Cassia Bintan offers similar fuss-free service and amenities as Cassia Phuket. Cassia Bintan is located next to its sister hotels with Angsana and Banyan Tree located just next to it.

Bintan is a 45-minute ferry ride journey from Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bintan’s Bandar Bentan Talani Terminal. Cassia Bintan is a 10-minute ride from the terminal.

All the rooms at Cassia Bintan come equipped with a kitchen so that you can cook your own meals when you feel like it. Included in your stay are free wifi and free breakfast, fresh sea breeze, stunning sunset and lot of space throughout the three resorts to explore.

This was us checking into @CassiaBintan. Quite catchy lah. You can sing along with us. Come sing after me “I wanna check in. I wanna check in”. I feel young again. That is the vibe at Cassia. Bintan is also not too far away from Singapore. So making a weekend trip you is so easy and fuss free. . . . #bintan @cassiahotels #checkin #hotels #indonesia #cassiabintan #lifewelltravelled #dance #life #fun #staycation #vacation #beachfun #weekends #getaway #singalong #karaoke #asia #asean #southeastasia #becoolwithcassia #livelaughloveyourway #cassiahotels

A post shared by SUPERADRIANME.com (@superadrianme) on Sep 9, 2017 at 3:14am PDT

The Two-Bedroom Loft Apartment

We were hosted to a one two-night stay at Cassia Bintan. I always prefer a spacious room when I am away from home. The two-bedroom loft apartment is perfect for those travelling with 3 or more people. Also great for families with children. This apartment comes with one bedroom with an ensuite bath and shower room, another bedroom with separate bath and shower room  a kitchen, living room area to watch television together, an outdoor garden and a loft to just relax or play some board games.

The loft makes a nice private space besides the bedrooms, if you just want to chill and read a book. The sofa in the loft opens up into a bed so more people can sleep up here if needed. You can request for an extra bedding kit for the sofa.  Do note that extra beds are not provided at Cassia Bintan. Electrical points have been thoughtfully included here so you can charge your devices while relaxing here.

The living area on the ground level is extremely spacious. And that high ceiling makes it feel even more spacious.

You can access to your own private garden area and enjoy the fresh air if the air conditioning in the apartment is too much for you.

The outdoor garden is rather big and also a great place to enjoy the sunrise or sunset. If you have kids, they can run around here too. The outdoor garden is a space I didn’t use much but was glad to have it anyway. The garden also leads out to the public walkway which leads back to the main building where the lobby is located.

The kitchen is pretty well equipped. A microwave oven, convection oven as well as pots, pans, knives and cutlery are provided. Just bring your sponge and washing detergent if you are the clean freak. You can also bring along your preferred cooking oil and other sauces if you are planning to cook up a meal, otherwise you can get some of that and other basic ingredients at Cassia Bintan. One of the highlights about dining in is hot pot and mookata, a personal favourite which we did not get to try during our stay.

A bunch of us cooked up the nasi padang dish (pictured above) with the ingredients available at the resort in the room. So I guess if we can do it, so can you. Recipes are also available so even people who don’t cook can have fun trying.

The smaller of the two bedrooms is comfortable. Just nice for two kids or one adult. It comes fitted with a television and some cabinet space for your clothes. This room does not have an ensuite bathroom.

The master bedroom is spacious. The queen size bed is extremely comfortable for a good night’s sleep. Ample cabinet space is available and resort outdoor slippers are provided just in case you forget to bring your own.

The bathroom is spacious. Enjoy rain showers during your stay. An all-in-one bath and hair wash dispenser as well as a hair conditioner dispenser are provided. Other amenities such as toothbrush and toothpaste are also provided.

Things to Do While Staying at Cassia Bintan

There’s a small dipping pool for you to relax. Hop onto one of the unicorn floats and busk under the sun for a perfect tan. The pool overlooks the beach and deck chairs where you can enjoy a tan. In fact it is sandwiched between the lobby and the beach.

The bar is located not to far away from the pool. The open air lounge and bar is perfect for you and your friends to have an enjoyable time.

Dining on a kelong is quite an experience. And there’s one in the sea that is visible from the beach. A two minute boat ride brings you across to the floating restaurant. A set menu is available here. The floating restaurant is open air, so dining here is possible if it is not raining.

The menu features grilled seafood and hot meat dishes prepared in Indonesian style.

The Meeting Place is quite well stocked up with beverages, microwavable food as well as ingredients for you to cook up a meal. Pricing here is reasonable. But if you wanted anything more gourmet, you can consider carrying that over from Singapore.

Breakfast is included at Angsana’s Lotus Café which is located just next door to Cassia Bintan.

The Laguna Golf Course is located not too far away by buggie. And if you are into golf, enjoy a round or two of golf while you are in Bintan. And when you get to hole 17, enjoy the stunning views of the sea and Banyan Tree Bintan.

We had to take a group photo here just because the view was absolutely stunning. I kicked myself in the butt for not bringing along by golf clubs and gear. It would have been nice to pick up the sport again and play a round of golf here.

There isn’t much to see at One Tree Hill which is accessible by buggie. But the view is once again stunning, especially during sunset. One would really have not thought that Bintan would be the vantage point of scenic sunsets and views.

And head over to Angsana Spa for a relaxing spa session after the water sports. Release those knots and have a relaxing good time. They have a selection of body scrubs, massages and other relaxing therapies for you to select. The outdoor shower at the spa suites are a nice touch.

And you can also help to contribute back to the locals by purchasing a lock and drawing your own design on the lock before hanging them on the grills in front of The Meeting Place. Just for the fun of it.

Cassia Bintan is located at Jalan Teluk Berembang, Laguna Bintan Resort, Lagoi Bintan Resorts, Indonesia 29155.