Although this was a school trip back in Oct 2007, it was a good retreat for us Tourism Students. The management gave us a tour around the premise, explaining to us what specific functions do and how the management work. It was a learning journey for us, which is not something you get everyday.

The rooms were good, no trouble at all, we were busy enjoying ourselves, and we enjoyed the hospitality by the hotel, and the locals. (There's a shuttle bus that'll bring you to town for a little shopping).

This resort is a good getaway for all types of travels, be it for family, relax & unwind, budget etc. Good job to the staffs there! =D

Beach Club at Nirvana Gardens has single story Huts set in a Tropical Forest Like Surroundings, has a pond with beautiful lotus flowers and golden Fish. Has just Basic Amenities in a small one room & a tiny attached Toilet with just a shower and an old Wash Basin with a loose hanging wall mirror . There is no telephone in the room , for any requirement , one has to walk down to the office hut .
La Luna Continental Restaurant & Bar is just 2 minutes walk from the Huts . Other Restaurants like Spice Kitchen , catering Indian Cuisine & more than one restaurants in the main Nirvana Resort Hotel are just 7 to 10 minutes walking distance . Facilities like Swimming Pool , water sports and other facilities are all easily accessible.In room massage services are available at no extra cost

The Nirwana Beach Club is good for budget travellers who aimed to stay out at the beach as long as possible or read a book outside at the patio in serene surroundings. Small chalet-like rooms at SGD128 a night is bare mininum - just two beds (comfy enough), one sofa, 2 shelves for cloths and a mini bar with two bottles of water. No phone, no mirror (only in bathroom), no dryer, no hot flask or free coffee/tea. The reception is not close to the chalets as well so make sure you have everything you need - there's no shop at venue either. Opted to stay here as I was just attending a beach wedding for a night. if I were to stay longer, would have opted for the fancier Mayang Sari or the Nirwana Resort Hotel which flanked the beach club and have more and better facilities. But then again, you can easier walk to the other two properties (if there's no rain) - all are under the Nirwana Gardens umbrella - via the beach or cement walkways. There are also resort buses every half hour or you can try your luck with any of staff on their buggys. Good thing about the beach club is that it shared the nice sandy beach housed in a cosy bay inlet with the Mayang Sari and you are allowed to use the pool at Nirwana Resort as well, not to mention dining at their restaurants (which some friends claimed are better as well). So you could opt to pay less and have the best of three worlds. In a nutshell, if you like roughing it out and hang out at a nice beach a lot, this place for you, If you like luxury and comforts, then it's not. For instance, the chalets are definitely not sound-proof, the lizards chucking didn't keep us up but our neighbours who spoke up to 5am at their next door patio did...

We stayed in a cabana (44) that was further inside and was a 5 minute walk from the lobby. Initially, it might seem inconvenient, but it really isn't all bad. In fact, our cabana which was practically the last row furthest from the main road, was next to a small route that led to the resort centre with activities like bowling and table-tennis, as well as a foodcourt-style dining place called Makan-Makan. The food in Nirwana Gardens is very good. Free breakfast at the Coffee-Shop at the resort hotel was a good buffet! I would recommend the Spices Restaurant at Mayang Sari for its vegetarian Indian food. Wide selection of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, great flavours and extremely lovely service. We were just chilling out on the beach chairs at Mayang Sari, and decided to get a drink from the Spices Restaurant because the beach hut was closed. The service crew was nice enough to offer to send the drink over to the beach. Really really commendable service there!

Wherever you walk, you will meet staff who will be smiling and greeting. I admit it came as a shock for us Singaporeans who are misers with smiles. Being there made us friendlier, happier, and most importantly, more thankful for the genuine service. Thumbs up for the service crew! There was an instance when we exited our cabana and saw a cleaning staff driving his buggy past our place. We did not even dare to ask, but he offered us a ride right after seeing us. It was a great morning. He sent us right to our destination! These little acts of kindness really made our Bintan getaway a truly enjoyable one.

All charges there are in SGD, so no need to bring rupiah over. Food costs about SGD20 per meal per person. The cabana only has a small fridge, so dont bother with your cup noodles. Room amenities in the cabanas are as basic as it can get, but it is cosy and quaint. Not a single mosquito bite on me. Aircon was good, shower could be better, bed was comfy, nothing I would complain about.

Swimming pool at the resort hotel was a short walk/ a shuttle bus away. Free usage, shower facilities available there. Beach activities at the beach club include kayaking, banana boat, snorkelling, jetski, and bodyboarding. Kayaking was $14 for a double kayak for an hour. It got boring after 20 minutes so I would say, try something else. Maybe the banana boat ($10/pax for 15 minutes, I think). We did not go to Happy Valley though we passed by on a shuttle bus, and saw elephants, archery, and some other activities suited for a family with kids. There was flying fox too. A 3D2N stay there is a perfect duration.

All in all, great great getaway in Bintan. Would have been wonderful if they served Avocado Milkshake there. But oh wells, this is as close to perfect as it could get.