Rich W.
Google
I will struggle to do justice to how amazing this beautiful island is, but here goes my best attempt!
From the moment I arrived at the ferry port in Bintan, I was treated like a celebrity.
A fantastic journey that included a lovely car down to the south of the island to "Base" from where a robust speedboat transported me over to Nikoi Island. I never knew places like this existed
I was met on the jetty by many of the staff members, all of whom were smiling, in full flow of conversation and incredibly welcoming.
From the moment I stepped foot on Nikoi, I fell in love with this tiny island. My room wasn't exactly a room (see the photos) it was a two-storey villa all open plan facing out to see and leading straight onto the glistening golden beach. The room itself was immaculately clean and incredibly well appointed and, not that I needed it, the Wi-Fi was great
Great toiletries, daily water, coffee etc / beautifully comfortable bed with crisp linen sheets / super comfy
Downstairs, there was a seating area / daybed / robust fixed hammock etc absolutely perfect
The dining room is all open planned and the floor is simply sand. The food and service could not have been better. I relished every morsel
The bar area is close by and again, looks out to the ocean. You can lose yourself chilling out in one of the quiet seating areas or sit at the bar and listen to Gully, Yudi or Habib quietly strumming away on their guitars and singing harmoniously together, whether it's Coldplay or someone else.
There is a daily cocktail served by Baltazar, which was delicious.
Throughout my stay the staff checked on how I was enjoying myself and was anything else that I needed.
Rene, took me a on a tour to run me through what goes on behind-the-scenes and we discussed the sustainability initiatives that are in place such as harnessing energy, harvesting rainwater, recycling water, composting food waste etc - he is a genius and has an infectious and interesting way of explaining how these initiatives work
One evening XL appeared to tell us that a giant sea turtle nest was hatching and we watched as baby turtles made their longest journey in their lives on land, strengthening their backs as they went down the beach ready for a life in the ocean.
I lost myself on Nikoi / it was a complete reset / recharge / an appreciation of nature and great to leave the world behind, if only for a few days
I can't wait to get back one day
...... don't procrastinate..... Just visit-it's truly amazing