Club Med Bintan offers an all-inclusive experience for families looking for lots of fun! It is just an hour away too!
Venue: Club Med Bintan
Fees: Varies, do check Club Med for the latest offerings.
Located just an hour away by ferry, Bintan is a popular destination for families looking for a short-getaway. Families will usually choose to stay in one of the many resorts on the island, and one of these options is the all-inclusive experience at Club Med Bintan.
Original article was written in 2019. Last updated 2024. Pictures are a mixed of our experiences from 2019, 2022 and 2024.
Club Med Bintan
Our photos above showcase the Bintan sign from 2019, 2022 and 2024.
A former pirate refuge, Club Med Bintan Island welcomes families in a haven of luxurious tranquility, with beautiful white sand beaches and magnificent tropical parks.
Your All Inclusive Stay at Club Med Bintan
One of the key highlights of staying at Club Med is that it is all-inclusive. So what does it mean to have an all-inclusive stay?
Basically it means what it is, the entire experience is fully inclusive! You and your family will enjoy full meals, an open bar and most activities as part of your stay. Except for premium drinks and food, and the spa, you really don't have to purchase anything. Even when you are hungry, meals are served (almost) throughout the day with different options served every day.
Restaurants
You will find 2 restaurants at Club Med Bintan, The Waterfall and The Terrasse.
The Waterfall serves a buffet at regular hours, and caters well to families with lots of family-friendly food options like pizza, pasta, cold noodles, fruits and much more! It is a more communal and lively setting that is more forgiving to screaming little ones.
On occasions and when the weather permits, the buffet is moved to the beach or poolside for a BBQ lunch or dinner. You can even enjoy a performance on the pool while having dinner! Simply open a bottle of premium wine (chargeable) to reserve a front role table too!
The Terrasse serves course meals and is available for late breakfast, late lunch and late dinner. Due to it's limited space, you will need to reserve for dinners. It's a great chance to enjoy a romantic dinner for two while the kids are at the Junior, Mini or Petite club!
Throughout the day, you can enjoy the drinks at the bars located at the main lobby there is The Santaï Bar, The Panorama on Level 4 and by the beach, there is The Matahari. Not just alcoholic drinks, the bars will serve mocktails, shakes, fruit juices and soft drinks too.
For the hungry little ones, finger food will also be served throughout the day (at selected timings) at the main lobby too.
The Kids Club - Junior, Mini and Petite Club Med
For parents looking for a relaxing time on the beach or to spend some time sans kids will be pleased to know that Club Mid Bintan offers kids clubs to take care of your babies, toddlers, older ones and even teenagers too!
First we have the Petit Club Med that is for 2 to 3 year olds. This is a chargeable service (previously at $98 per day, but do check the resort for the latest pricing). While we did not engage the service, we noted toddlers around with 2 GOs (guest officers - or they call themselves Giant Octopus to the kids) to 5 kids.
Booking is required for this experience.
For older ones, there is the Mini Club Med+ (for 4 - 7 yrs and 8 -10 yrs old). This is included as part of your stay package where kids will be grouped according to age and given the opportunity to experience various activities, such as the flying trapeze, archery, various land and water sports, and workshops under the watchful eyes of the GOs.
Note: For younger ones, you will have to sign them in and out, while older kids above 8 yrs old have the option of self sign-out. This is where you allow them to leave and enter the club at will.
Lastly, the Teens Club Med (11 to 13 years old and Club Med Chill Pass (14 to 17 years old) are also included as part of the package, the teenagers will be brought around by a GO to the various activities around the resort. A great chance for your teen to meet new friends and have fun.
Our Experience - Mini Club and Amazing Family
*The following is our experience in 2019. While most of the experience remains the same, activities are subject to changes.
The Mini Club Med is flexible in that you can actually register the kids at anytime during the program. If you spot the GOs and kids walking around, you can just head over to the activity and have your kids join the activity (similarly, if you like to sign them out too).
However for a full day experience, you will need to register in the morning (it starts at 8.30 am) at Level 4, and the activities will start from 9 am.
- Registration (8.30 am)
You will need to sign a waiver and also indicate your preferences. Will the kids have lunch with the group or with you? Will you allow the kids to sign-out by themselves (an option for those above 8 yrs old)? Does he have any allergies? Can he swim?
- Circus School @ Trapeze Garden (9 am)
One of the highlights is the Flying Trapeze. Climb up the tall ladder, stand on the top of the structure, hold onto the bar and GOOOoooo! It is indeed quite a scary experience for the kids but most kids are brave enough to give it a try! If parents like to go onto the Flying Trapeze, family time at the Trapeze is at 10 am.
For those who are too young or do not wish to go on the Trapeze, they will play other ball games around the garden.
- Archery @ Sports Center (10 am)
Those aged 6 and above will have the opportunity to try out Archery where the instructor will teach you the basics of how to hold the bow, place the arrow, draw, aim and shoot!
While the older ones are shooting arrows, the younger ones are shooting hoops and other other ball games at the Sports Center. Families may also try their hands at Archery at 11 am.
- Break / Free Play / Lunch (11 am - 2 pm)
The Mini Club heads back to the room to take a break and to play with their new-found friends before heading out to The Waterfall for lunch at 12 pm. The kids will be seated around the table with a GO each to watch over them and to assist if they need something too!
If you have a young one that joined the Petite Club Med, the GOs will also help to feed your child too - you can enjoy your lunch in peace!
When back at the Mini-Club the kids can choose to either watch a Cartoon or take part in an Art & Craft activity. Or to play with their friends again!
Tip: Listen out for the army-like singing as the troop of kids from the Mini Club move from place to place. Its your chance to spot your kids in a "no-parent" environment
- Aqua Fun @ Mini Club Pool (2 pm)
Remember to pack a set of swimming attire, equipment and towel because the kids will head to the pool! In case you were waiting by the resort's pool, do note that the kids will be playing at their own private pool at the Mini Club!
- Snack and Free Play (3 pm - 4 pm)
This is basically to allow the GOs to prepare the Mini Club Special Afternoon event which starts at 4 pm.
- Mini Club Special Afternoon Event (4 pm)
The event changes everyday. The day we arrived, we saw the kids doing a dancing / game competition at the Disco room. On our 1st full day, the kids got to bake their own cookie, and on the 2nd day, they had an outdoor picnic with foam party!
Parents were invited to join in the foam party too! and after that the Amazing Family's Slip & Slide opened for everyone to just get wet and have fun!
- Sign-out and Pick-up (5 pm)
Pick up your kids at 5 pm, and it is time to head out for dinner or to take part in the family-friendly programmes planned for the day. Known as the Amazing Family programme, there are different activities planned for each day.
- Mini Club Special Evening Event (6.30 pm)
It was a very interesting Show and Tell event where the kids got on stage to perform! They could choose to sing, dance, do aerobics, tell a joke or even just skip! And every kid was so brave and amazing - an adult would have had stage fright with a proper audience of 50 - 100 watching from down the stage!
Our Experience at the Junior Club
When we revisited in 2024, our kids were older and we had the chance to experience the Junior Club. In the Junior Club, the programme is less structured and the GO will accommodate and play with them. From playing 3 on 3 basketball to countless rounds of table tennis, it is a great chance for them to meet new friends and have fun.
Do note that there is a schedule for the day, but according to the GO that we spoke to, they usually deviate from it to accommodate the teens.
Main Performances
Right after your kid's performance, the same theatre will be used for the resort's main performance. We are not sure if the performance changes nightly but we caught Dreamland, an exciting performance that is sure to impressed!
We were so surprised by the quality of the show! You can expect acrobatic acts and a light show performed to a simple but captivating storyline.
Limited-time Mission - Ranger Buddies: Start a Wave of Change
From now till 5 Jan 2024, families who book their stay with Club Med Bintan will also get to experience the Ranger Buddies: Start a Wave of Change mission, a unique family experience that encourages young adventurers (ages 4 – 10) to protect the environment and make a difference!
For little ones in the Mini Club Med+ programme, they can dive into activities curated especially for them, such as creating their own special goggles to learn about threats to the turtles' habitats, to working as a team to sort out rubbish found in the sea!
Parents and children can also take part in the resort's Amazing Family programme to engage in family-bonding activities such as the Turtle Egg Rescue—where parents and children use augmented reality to search for and rescue hawksbill turtle eggs together!
Along the way, they'll discover that every action, big or small, can make a difference to animals and their homes, teaching them the importance of making the right choices. They will also receive limited-edition Ranger Buddies collectibles and a mission completion certificate, making this an experience they'll never forget.
To fully enjoy this experience, we recommend a minimum stay of 3 days and 2 nights (3D2N) at Club Med Bintan. Simply book a stay between 16 Nov 2024 and 5 Jan 2025. The Ranger Buddies: Start a Wave of Change mission is already included in your stay.
Find out more at Ranger Buddies!
The Beach!
Do not forget the beach where you may wish to spend time with the kids at. The soft sand and shallow water is perfect for them to play in! You can even enjoy a drink at the bar beside the beach, while keeping an eye on the kids as they play!
But do take note of the beach flags, where green means it is safe, yellow to be caution and red means it is not safe. As it is monsoon season from around November (the school holidays), families visiting during the year-end holiday are advised not to go into the waters.
Getting To Club Med Bintan
Families can get to Bintan via Bintan Resorts Ferries that plies a regular ferry service between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Singapore and Bandar Bentan Telani (BBT) Ferry Terminal, Bintan.
During our visit in 2019, our tickets cost $236 for 2 adults and 2 kids, and in 2022, the tickets are priced at $356. You may check Bintan Resorts Ferries for the latest pricing.
*Take note that the time at Bintan is an hour behind Singapore, so you will be arriving at the same time as you depart.
At the BBT Ferry Terminal, you will spot the Club Med counter located nearest to the exit. Here, you will check in and receive a key tag (to be used at the resort for any spending). You will board the resort bus and start your 15 - 20 min ride to the resort.
Check-in & Check-Out Times
Plan your ferry times with the check-in and out times below.
Check-in Time: 3 pm
Check-out Time: 11 am (late check-out is available at additional cost, subject to availability)
Pricing
Kids under 4 stay FREE. Up to 40% off for kids between 4 - 11 years old and up to 20% off for teens between 12 - 17 years old. Do check Club Med for the latest offerings.
Additional Information
- The all-inclusive will include all meals, drinks and most alcoholic drinks, the only exception are the premium spirits and wines as well as premium food.
- Beware of monkeys - they are around and if you see them, just avoid them. Also remember to lock your windows as we were warned that these are "trained" monkeys that know how to open windows too!
- Conditions of the rooms can be improved - in the 2022 visit, we note that the rooms' are quite dated. That being said, it was relatively clean on the days we were there.
- Kids club for kids below 4 yrs old is chargeable.
