Under-appreciated Riau makes for a superb side trip on your way back from a visa run to Singapore. If you have an extra day at your disposal, you can even visit Bintan in the morning and return by evening. Check out Singapore- Tg. Pinang schedules: http://www.penguin.com.sg/ferryschedule.htm.
The Riau Islands lie in a vast expanse of sea bordered on the north by Singapore, on the west by mainland Sumatra, and on the east by the island of Borneo. Riau actually is made up of two parts, mainland Riau (Riau Daratan) on the east coast of Sumatra and the small scattered archipelago to the east, its own island province since 2004.
Insular Riau consists of more than 3,000 islands, about 1,000 of which are occupied, and only 743 named. Riau’s largest and most populous island is Bintan, the location of Riau’s traditional capital Tg. Pinang. Bintan’s formerly pristine northern coastline has been turned into an Indonesian Waikiki, a large pricey resort playground for middle-class Singaporean Chinese.
Riau 300 years ago was the heart of Malay civilization, the islands’ illustrious history derived both from the Malay Peninsula and mainland Sumatra. It is an area rich in crumbling historical sites, a popular pilgrimage destination for its old mosques, reconstructed palaces and tombs of venerated saints. Twelve generations of sultans, said to be descended from Bugis seafarers, have ruled in the area.
The sultans of Tg. Pinang once held power over Johore state on the Malaysian Peninsula, the southern Lingga islands, and even as far as Tembilahan on Sumatra. By the early 17th C. they had learned the use of gunpowder and reigned by virtue of a powerful sea fleet. It was from a Riau sultan that Raffles obtained his license to establish a trading post on Singapore in 1819, later to become one of the world’s great trading and financial emporiums.
The main ethnic group is Malay, though there’s also a large Chinese trading population. It’s recorded that modern-day Indonesian originated in the Riau and Lingga archipelagos. The first Malay language grammar and dictionary, compiled by Rajah Ali Jaji, was published here and to this day, a pure, classical Bahasa Melayu is still spoken on Penyenget, a serene island just off Tg. Pinang that boasts a history way out of proportion to its size.
Tanjung Pinang
On the southeast coast of Bintan, Tg. Pinang (pop. 150,000) is a scurrying, fast-growing center of trade and shipping just 80 km south of Singapore with a distinctive mix of old-fashioned peranakan Chinese and Malay influences. In its markets and kampung, Chinese and Malays live, work and trade side by side – a real life paragon of Indonesia’s pancaila state philosophy. Telephone code: 0771.
Situated on important commercial sea lanes, a gateway to Indonesia, this attractive port serves as an important shopping and business center for Singapore, Medan, Jambi, Palembang and Jakarta, with excellent tourist facilities, useful transport links, vibrant markets and food courts, tempoe doeloe architecture, and a harbor filled with every imaginable type of wooden sailing craft.
From Singapore’s Tanah Merah terminal, frequent high-speed ferries depart directly to Tanjung Pinang - a pleasant 60 minute trip. Get visa on arrival. The main passenger port for Bintan, the town is overrun with Singaporeans on weekends seeking goods at cheap prices. In the town’s busy ferry terminal, watch people come and go from all over peninsular Malaysia and western Indonesia.
Most visitors spend only as much time here as it takes to meet a boat or plane, but Tg. Pinang is actually a fascinating destination in its own right. Just the wharves and maze of alleyways of the old harbor area (Pelantar II), where houses with hand-carved beams and shutter-windows line narrow wood plank streets, are alone worth the trip. In this kampung over pungent mudflats, the Chinese live much as Malays do, giving the area a unique, timeless feel.
Sights
Everything is within easy reach; ojek motorcycle taxis are cheap and ubiquitous. Pasar Baru, between the main street Jl. Merdeka and the harbor, is a traditional market of tiny alleys lined with shops and stalls selling exotic fruits, spices, dried fish, textiles, tools, household goods, and religious accoutrements.
This is a good walking town with green hills, tree-lined stairways, great backstreets, and villas dating from Dutch times. Don’t miss the dramatic old Chinese pagoda, Cetiya Bodhi Sasan, where incense burns in Buddhist shrines, at the end of Jl. Pelantar II. Another Chinese temple on Senggarang Island across the harbor is accessible by prahu. City taxis charge Rp40,000 (after bargaining) for the 40 km trip to fantastic Trikora Beach on the NE coast of Bintan.
Practicalities
For an a/c room in a comfortable hotel, count on spending around Rp150,000-Rp250,000. Try the delightful Riau Holidays Indah (Jl. Pelantar II 53, tel. 22715) on stilts at the end of Jl. Pelantar II near the long pier. Centrally located Hotel Laguna, Jl. Bintan 51 (tel. 311555) offers luxurious high-value large rooms. Food in their rooftop restaurant is tasty and reasonably priced. Budget travelers gravitate to 3 basic homestays along a narrow lane (Jl. Lorong Bintan II) off Jl. Bintan, only a five minutes walk from the harbor.
In the early evening, as the sky above fills with circling seabirds, the whole town converges on Singapore/Malaysia-style outdoor food courts serving inexpensive fresh grilled seafood and cold beer. The best is on Jl. Teuku Umar. Connoisseurs claim that the coffee served here has no equal. Kedai kopi cafés are thriving - no lattes, just strong local brew in chipped china. Perhaps due to the porous nature of the border waters, there is also a wonderful array of beers available from Malaysia, Singapore and China. Though cheap, in flavor and kick they greatly surpass the thin local brews.
