A buoyed channel winds between the shallows, then the Bandar Bentan Telani terminal comes into view, set on the edge of a quiet cove on Bintan's northwest coast. The island belongs to Indonesia's Riau archipelago, directly across from Singapore, and this proximity has shaped its calling: the northern tip has been transformed into a vast resort area, where beaches, gardens and golf courses follow one after another along a peaceful sea. The port call promises to be relaxed; you might as well accept it right away, from the first breath of warm air on the gangway.

A day with your toes in the sand

From the landing, shuttles serve the neighbouring resorts, where passengers can book a day pass. The pale sand slopes gently toward water that stays warm in every season, shaded here and there by casuarina trees. Kayaking, paddleboarding, unapologetic lazing under an umbrella: everyone sets their own agenda, while coconut vendors make their way from towel to towel without ever being pushy. Golf lovers, for their part, will find several courses laid out facing the sea, a rare luxury so close to a cruise pier.

The Treasure Bay lagoon

A local curiosity, the huge man-made lagoon at Treasure Bay ranks among the largest saltwater pools in Southeast Asia. You can paddle, pedal on floating contraptions or be towed on an inflatable, all in a pool of an almost unreal blue. The spot is a big hit with families, who spend hours there without noticing the time slip by between two iced lemonades.

Through the mangroves

The day's nature counterpoint plays out on the Sebung River. On board for about 90 minutes, you glide between the stilt roots of the mangrove trees, on the lookout for monitor lizards, tree snakes coiled on the branches and kingfishers darting just above the water. The guide sometimes cuts the engine: the flooded forest then begins to rustle with a thousand unseen presences. This gentle, well-run eco-cruise offers a real look at the ecosystem that protects the island's coasts. The resorts organize departures at regular intervals, leaving plenty of time for a swim on your return.

Flavours of Riau

You can't leave without tasting the local cuisine. The resorts and the area's small restaurants serve grilled fish with sambal, fried noodles and the morning's seafood, often facing the beach. Offshore, the kelongs, fishing platforms built on stilts, show where the shrimp for supper come from. In season, durian intrigues the boldest, while fresh fruit juices — mango, papaya, calamansi — accompany every meal. For many passengers, a traditional massage in the late afternoon rounds out the port call, at prices that make regulars of North American spas smile.

Planning your port call

Three options share the hours in port: the beach and its lagoon for relaxation, the mangroves for nature, golf for enthusiasts. Distances around the terminal are short, the shuttles are well organized and English is understood everywhere. It would be a shame, though, to plan everything down to the minute: Bintan is lived at a pace set by the heat, slowly and without a watch. Bring a hat, sunscreen and your swimsuit already on under your clothes, so you don't lose any beach time.

The channel home

When it's time to leave, the mangroves draw their green curtain across the cove and Singapore is already twinkling somewhere to the north. Bintan leaves the memory of an interlude: hours in which the only difficult decision was choosing between the sea and the lagoon. Some port calls are measured in monuments; this one is measured in accumulated relaxation.