I had a bit of trouble recalling my last beach holiday, but I'm inclined towards Goa in March. As much as Guethary in June was an awesome summer trip, France's beaches lacked the certain je ne sais quoi of Asia's beaches. Bintan was the getaway I didn't know I needed to realign my balance. It's not going to be easy reliving the trip without the 101 snaps I took, but I'll try.
*All the following pictures are taken off the Bintan Lagoon Resort webpage.
Though the dates were properly set, the start of the holiday seemed like a mad rush. The ferry website was down, and we were unable to pay for our tickets online. Mich only returned from Langkawi less than 12 hours before we were to board our 9am ferry to Bintan, and I was out late with a friend and thus unpacked till almost midnight. We were groggy and sleepy that cloudy morning, and only when we arrived to clear blue skies at the Bintan jetty did it sink in that we were on holiday.
Bintan Lagoon Resort was huge and sprawling, and basically one I would never have chosen if not for the free stay. All traces of fatigue were lost the minute we slotted in our key card and entered our room. It looks almost exactly like the picture above, except for our twin beds. A flat-screen tv, teak furniture, a huge window seat looking out to the sea, and a spacious balcony all had us squealing like seals in heat.
We wasted no time in changing into our bikinis and strolling to the beach. The last time I was in Bintan with Ceci, the beach was a 30-minute drive away and its waters were murky. This time around, the beach at our doorstep had powdery soft sand, rolling waves and crystal clear waters despite it being the monsoon season. With the sea breeze caressing my skin, I watched the uncluttered beach through half-closed eyes and felt the inexplicable rightness coursing through my veins. The rhythmic pounding of waves was nature's lullaby, but Mich and I proved too chatty for sleep. So we talked, and laughed, and walked along the water's edge picking up seashells.
Hours and minutes seemingly melded into moments, and if not for our evening spa appointment at Pasar Oleh Oleh, I'm pretty sure we would have lazed our day away till sunset. Pasar Oleh Oleh was nothing to rave about, though the massage was bone-crackingly good. We returned to the hotel and not wanting to feel like old ladies, we checked out the Silk nightclub, which was disappointly empty. I was served a really toxic Vanillatini though - by the time I'd drained the glass, I was popping peanuts at my chin and giggling a little too much.
It was pretty late by the time we made our way back to the room, and after a hot shower, I wrapped myself in the comfy cotton bathrobe and stood at the balcony watching the sea. The skies were fairly light, and it felt more like the early dawn than midnight. I turned my face up to the starless sky, feeling at ease for the first time in a very long while. I'd watched the seas too often with a hollow in my chest, but this time around, with the sea breeze playing with the lapels of my robe and the sound of waves crashing onto shore, I was whole.
I was dead to the world by the time Mich finally slept, and the next day passed by in a blur of breakfast buffets, sunshine and suntan lotions. It was a quick holiday no doubt, but this first trip with my bitch was truly an enjoyable one.
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