Nirwana Resort Hotel Review: Best Family Getaway in Bintan Island

June is always a special month for me—it’s my birthday month! This year, Nicole had a great idea: why not celebrate with a quick getaway to Bintan? It sounded perfect. After all, what better way to unwind than a weekend trip to a beautiful island?

We didn’t need much convincing. Soon, our family was all packed up and ready for a relaxing weekend at Nirwana Gardens Resort Hotel. Bintan has always been one of those destinations that offers the perfect balance of relaxation and adventure, and we couldn’t wait to experience it firsthand. With the promise of stunning beaches, family-friendly activities, and a peaceful atmosphere, Nirwana Gardens seemed like the ideal place to celebrate and take a break from the city. Little did I know, this short getaway would turn into one of the most memorable birthday trips I’ve ever had! From the moment we arrived, I could already tell we were in for a treat. Let me take you through our stay and share why Nirwana Gardens Resort was the perfect choice for our family’s weekend escape.

About Nirwana Gardens

Nirwana Gardens Resort Hotel is a favorite getaway for Singaporeans. This 5-star resort on Bintan Island offers access to beautiful white sand beaches and is only a 55-minute ferry ride from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. The resort is also home to parts of the annual Bintan Triathlon, adding to its appeal for sports enthusiasts.

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Tips on Booking

Check for promotions at the website.
Book ferry tickets from brf.com.sg
Sunset in Nirwana is from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm. The best place to view sunset is at Kelong Restaurant and Calypso Floating Bar.
Shuttle bus is at every 30 mins interval. E.g. 6:00PM, 6:30PM.

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Top Things To Do In Nirwana Gardens Resort

Like many other Bintan resorts, there are quite a number of activities you can do when visiting Nirwana Resort Hotel. Here are some of the activities:

• Swimming in the infinity pool overlooking the beach.

• Visiting mini zoo with tropical animals and birds.

• Engage in water sports like snorkeling, water skiing, surfing, kayaking, diving, sailing, motor boating.

• Playing beach volleyballs or sun tanning.

• Going for some tours. e.g eco tours or going to town.

• Mountain biking, bicycle rentals, buggy rental.

• Chill & relax beside the pool or beach with cocktails, wine or coffee.

• So many more

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Buying the Ferry Tickets

We bought our tickets through the Bintan Resort Ferries website, and the booking process was pretty straightforward. We made our reservations just a week in advance, but there were only a few seats left. Since economy class was fully booked, we ended up having to purchase two emerald class tickets instead. It was significantly more expensive, which didn’t feel worth it for a 55-minute ferry ride. Tip: always book early to avoid this!

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Birthday Promotion in Nirwana Resort Hotel

If you’re visiting Nirwana during your birthday month, don’t forget to take advantage of their birthday promotion. We booked our stay using a special birthday promo code, and here are some of the perks we enjoyed:

• 25% off on Best Available Rates.
• Complimentary Birthday Cake.
• Complimentary upgrade to hi-speed internet.
• Complimentary upgrade to next room category OR early check-in/late check-out (subject to availability).
• Complimentary return private land transfer between Bandar Bentan Telani and Resort (weekdays only).
• Birthday Treat Booklet* that includes free activities and fantastic discount vouchers up to 50% off.

Visit http://www.nirwanagardens.com/ for more information.

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Transfer to Hotel

Upon arriving at the Bintan Ferry Terminal, we headed straight to the Nirwana Gardens booth. It’s easy to find—all the Bintan resort booths are right outside the customs area. After confirming our arrival, we were directed to the shuttle bus, which took us to the hotel in just about 15 minutes.

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Welcome Ceremony 

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Our arrival at Nirwana Resort Hotel was nothing short of welcoming. We were greeted with a delightful Indonesian dance performance and refreshing drinks, which set the tone for our stay. The check-in process took place in the members’ lounge, and I have to say, the staff were incredibly friendly and warm! Even though we arrived early—around 9:20 am—we only had to wait a few minutes before our room was ready. The customer service here is top-notch!

Once we settled in and dropped off our luggage, my sister, Nicole, and I set off to explore the resort. We had been hearing about the rain over the past few weeks, but luck was on our side. The weather stayed clear, and we were able to fully enjoy the beautiful surroundings without a drop of rain.

This is the main entrance of Nirwana Gardens Resort Hotel. Found these elephant statues and decided to take a photo with it. #jumpshot

Then, we went walking around the resort area to take some photos before lunch.

Lunch @ Spice Restaurant

Craving some authentic Indonesian cuisine, we decided to have lunch at Spice Restaurant. We hopped on the internal shuttle bus, and it was just a quick ride—only three stops from the main resort hotel. While the prices were on the higher side, the food was definitely worth trying. After a couple of cocktails, I started feeling a little lightheaded, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the meal! One thing I wouldn’t recommend, though, is the chicken rice. It’s priced at around $20 SGD, which felt a bit steep for what it is, although Nicole did say it tasted pretty good.

Luckily, we had our birthday vouchers and managed to get 15% off the total bill. That definitely helped with the price. If I had to point out one downside, it would be the flies—there were just too many of them!

After lunch, we headed back to the main resort to take a dip in the pools! Snapped this photo while waiting for the shuttle bus.

This is how the shuttle bus looks like. Not bad right?

Swimming Pool @ Nirwana Gardens Resort Hotel

We spent about two hours swimming and lounging in the infinity pool, which was incredibly relaxing. There’s also a pool bar right in the middle, perfect for grabbing a drink while you enjoy the water. The deep end of the pool is about 1.5 meters, making it a comfortable depth for most swimmers.

The beach is just in front of the swimming pool. Look how beautiful the beach is! Blue waters and white sands!

Horse & Elephant Riding

If you are interested, you can ride a horse and elephant along the beach too. Check them out below.

The highlight of our trip was catching the sunset at Kelong Restaurant. We missed the shuttle bus, but one of the kind Nirwana staff members went out of their way to drive us there! #supernice. To show our appreciation, we gave a small tip of $4 SGD for the thoughtful gesture.

Sunset @ Calypso Floating Bar

Luckily, we didn’t miss the sunset, and the view was absolutely breathtaking! I highly recommend grabbing a drink and relaxing at the Calypso Floating Bar to take in the full sunset experience before heading to dinner.

Check out the sunset photos…

Dinner @ Dino Bistro

We had dinner at Dino Bistro before heading to our complimentary bowling session at the Resort Centre. The pepper steak was absolutely delicious—we loved every bite! Unfortunately, we couldn’t snap any photos of the food since the lighting was quite dim.

Complimentary Photoshoot

We also enjoyed a complimentary photoshoot with the resort’s photographer, which was a nice touch. You even get a framed photo to take home, which we picked up just before we left. Just a heads-up—you’ll need to book the photography session in advance to secure a spot.

As part of the birthday promotion package, we had the convenience of leaving the hotel with a private coach transfer. What really impressed us was that the staff had even collected our ferry tickets in advance, making our departure completely hassle-free.

Conclusion

Overall, we were really impressed with our stay at Nirwana Gardens. The staff were incredibly kind, friendly, and always ready to help, which made the experience even better. The customer service was excellent throughout our trip. If we get the chance in the future, we’d definitely love to return and explore the other beach resorts and villas within Nirwana Gardens.