The Sanchaya

Character and identity

A 50-minute ferry from Singapore delivers you to 24 beachfront acres on Bintan Island, where 30 suites and villas sit beneath palms in a compound that fuses Southeast Asian craft with colonial European restraint. Expect crisp black-and-white interiors warmed by bamboo, Indonesian antiques and curated objets. The Dining Room anchors the main house with Indonesian-European cooking; Tasanee Grill handles casual Thai by the 50-metre oceanfront pool, and a colonial-era wine cellar hosts sommelier-led tastings from thousands of bottles. The spa leans into Indonesian technique, including deep-pressure Balinese massage, with open-air pavilions for Thai work and reflexology. Service is attentive, with a high staff-to-guest ratio that smooths the day.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets this place apart is the combination of scale and access: only 30 keys on 24 acres, less than an hour from Singapore, with private ferry-lounge check-in and fast-track immigration that make a long weekend genuinely frictionless. Couples should book a pool suite; families of four or more should stretch for the four-bedroom Vanda Villa at the beach's far end for maximum seclusion and its own ocean-facing infinity pool.