What People are saying

July staycation

stan636on 25/07/2017 02:03

The chalet is very suitable for rest & relax people like us as we are not the on the run & sporty type.
We just want a place where we can spend quanlity time together & my bf loves cooking & I just sit & eat.
the sea is just in front of the chalet & pool is just behind.

Excellent family-sized accommodation

Malarchyon 21/07/2017 08:09

Banyu Biru is a set of multi-bedroom villas within the Nirwana Gardens resort in Lagoi, Bintan. It is an excellent and calm place to stay if somewhat expensive. The quality of the accommodation is superb and the facilities of Nirwana Gardens make it a first rate place to stay.

Check-in is at the main Nirwana Gardens area. The check-in process was a bit convoluted as was check-out with various forms to fill-in and sign. Getting to the hotel was not completely straightforward as it is geared up to take people off the ferry from Singapore. For those travelling via the airport no help was offered even though there is a taxi service as part of the hotel's offer. There are taxis at the airport but they were not in good condition.

Banyu Biru itself is adjacent to the main Nirwana Gardens area. It takes about 5 minutes to walk but those who have mobility needs can use golf buggies. Being slightly away from the main area means this is a quiet and peaceful place. The calming effect of pools with fountains and the attractiveness of the buildings are great.

The exterior of the buildings is a sharply contrasting black and white. It looks really good and almost gives the appearance of show homes. The interior is excellent. A 3 bedroom villa included 2 double beds and 2 singles so plenty of sleeping space. The bedrooms themselves are spacious and well designed. The curtains keep out the light well. The beds were so comfortable once the over-sized pillows were discarded.

The villas also include a huge television with a local region DVD player as well as a kitchen area equipped with cooking utensils, cutlery, and crockery. The interior is clean and well-kept. Everything is in good working order even if the showers do splash out onto the bathroom floor too easily.

A real plus in the area is the greenery and the wildlife. Birds hop around. Monitor lizards skulk about but they tend to run away when a person gets too close. It is a nice touch of nature.

Banyu Biru also has an under-used swimming pool. It doesn't help that the slide into the pool is broken so is out of use. There are two sections of swimming pool with one being warmer and shallower.

The beach at Banyu Biru is outstanding. The Nirwana Gardens beach is one of the very best in Indonesia. It is a rare example of a clean beach with soft white sand. The sea is so calm and fish can be seen just by walking a couple of feet into the water. It is a beautiful spot because it is such a rarity to see a beach without rubbish.

The rest of the Nirwana Gardens resort is pretty good with plenty of things to do. The biggest downside is the food which is average at best. There are a couple of restaurants in the main area. The poolside restaurant is significantly better than the one near reception. There are a couple of Asian vegetarian options as well as pizza and other western choices. It is not delicious but it will just about do.

Breakfast is pretty good. There are a range of choices including a few cereals, eggs, western options like beans, potatoes in different formats on different days, waffles and pancakes, Asian options like fried rice as well as curry. It is a good sized buffet and easily the best food the place serves all day.

Wifi was effective and fast.

Nirwana Gardens has managed to create something excellent in producing family-sized accommodation at Banyu Biru right by a glorious beach. An excellent family choice.

Peaceful Oasis for the Bintan Triathlon

JayTee369on 01/06/2017 05:14

We booked a 3-bedroom villa for 6 adults and one child - please note that only the bedrooms on the 2nd level have air-conditioning. We arrived on the Emerald Class ferry and therefore had a headstart at Reception before everyone else arrived. We were brought to the villa by buggy but for the rest of our stay we walked everywhere as the Main Building was quite near - even in the rain with an umbrella.
The villas seemed quite close to each other with the balconies facing the ponds but not all of them were occupied so it was really quite tranquil and peaceful. We opened the glass doors around the living room for ventilation and it was great until we saw the monitor lizards roaming around and swimming in the ponds.
It must have been mating season because we saw at least 4 fellas and they provided a fair bit of entertainment slithering in and out of the pond and chasing each other at top speed into the pond etc. Our 5 year old loved watching out for them all morning - behind closed glass doors as they ventured onto the porch - just slow walking at the edge.
Breakfast at the Main House was substantial and with a lot of choices - western or indonesian & even porridge chinese style. Definitely recommended.
For our next triathlon we will try the villas right on the beach which we saw whilst wandering around.
There is a swimming pool with a water slide - definitely a big plus away from the Main House pool which was quite crowded. But there is no food or bar service - however towels are available - help yourself

Very scary due to big lizards around the villa

Steven Con 19/05/2017 15:57

Very big lizards. Annoying. No dare to open door. Scare it come in. Very hard to find cheap food. So expensive for food. No good at all. No feel want to come back anymore. Plaza lagoi is like a no people at all. Too too expensive.

Best Villa

Lydia Eon 18/05/2017 16:29

This is one of the best villa ive been to. The beach is behind the villa! Mine was located very very near the beach. But i would recommend going to the beach at Nirwana Beach Resort for beach activities. They are accessible by the shuttle bus available. For food, there are many restaurants available in the resort. Not cheap though. We took a full day tour to Tanjung Pinang for about $100 over for a group of 6. We packed local food and brought it back to the villa.

U can also bring food stuffs over and cook it yourself in the villa since there is a working kitchen. Microwave is also available. For a fee, u may rent their BBQ stuffs and have a BBQ.

Staffs are friendly and helpful. Check in and out are swift. Requests (extra towels, pillows etc) are also tended to fast.