Telunas - A small piece of heaven

After Singapore we opted for a relaxing holiday, and chose to go to one of the islands off The city for the ease of it. There are several Indonesian island's just 1-2 hours' boat ride away, biggest of them being Batam and Bintang. However, they didn't really inspire me. I looked further, and found amazing private islands, some of them already fully booked months before our trip. Phil stumbled across Telunas private resort, a newly opened island-getaway further on from Batam within the Riau Islands in Indonesia, and we decided to take the risk as at the time of booking the resort wasn't opened yet.

And I'm so glad we did. The 15 over-water chalets were as gorgeous as they are on the website, which was a relief as they nearly lost us as customers in transit: typical South East Asia customer service completed with a laugh in the face. Whilst we weren't expecting luxury as the transfer is clearly described as a 90 min chugging on a longtail boat but as we disembarked on Batam we were first told to pay the porters tens of thousands, and then pick up our bags to walk to the domestic terminal (I'd use that term loosely...). Our unimpressed faces were promptly met by giggles from our guide - how I will not miss the customer unservice when we finally return to Europe! There's nothing much more pleasant than carrying suitcases around in 95% humidity. Not a great way to treat your guests! So the longboat ride went in somber mood, lightened ever so little by the vision of our home for the week on a deserted island. 

To our relief the transport issue turn out to be the only snag of the trip. The chalets were beautifully decorated, the towels fluffy and soft and the linen crisp. Between the beautifully sanded floorboards we could see the sea under our feet and have the sea breeze caress us whilst going to sleep. The lack of air conditioning didn't bother us other than just after dinner as for some unknown reason the turndown service also included turning off the sealing fans.


Each chalet has got a bedroom, sitting room, a big verandah and a mezzanine floor to sleep 2-3 more people. The bedrooms open on the the verandah with a day bed and a sitting area. Reclaimed wood has been used for building materials where possible, and the many pieces of furniture are built from old fishing boats. I had the most relaxing Telunas massage on the verandah. The breeze and the sound of waves sent me right to sleep! "Luckily" we never witnessed the sunrise but it is supposed to be amazing from the super king bed, sipping great Indonesian coffee.

The staff was lovely and adored kids (or were paid well enough to adore my child), which made our stay even more enjoyable. The chef created amazing 3 course dinners every night and Sofia was kept entertained whilst Phil and I had a relaxed dinner. Kids were really well catered for; if they didn't want any of the dinner choices, the chef created meals on demand. The lunch consisted mostly of local dishes that I found more interesting and flavoursome than the Malaysian equivalents. Chef's special sambal was amazing and I'm sad I missed out on the social activity of learning to make it. I would have gladly stolen his recipe as I normally find sambal too fishy. His was fiery, sweet and tasty.

There isn't much to do on the island but it is a picture perfect spot for relaxing. They do organise a social activity every morning from fishing, to jungle hiking, from visiting a local village to cooking courses. On the private island, all activities are included, and that comprises SUP boards and canoes, too. On the opposite side, the Beach resort offers more activities, and there is a regular shuttle boat service between the two islands. There are few other secluded beaches on the island, and a short walking track will take you around the island in well under an hour.

As it was the resort's first month since the soft opening in June, there are still some things to iron out but all in all I would highly recommend Telunas. At the time of visiting, the restaurant had an honesty bar and BYOB for wine spirits but the Facility advisor told us they are working towards a full licence with the government. After our transport debacle we were also assured that the resort is trying to open their own lounge at the Batam ferry terminal to avoid any more disappointments and to make the immigration process smoother (don't forget to bring money for the visa on arrival!).

If you enjoy peace and quiet,
great food, swimming,
and natural beauty,
this is definitely a place for you.

Watch all of our holiday photos:

...