Family trip to Bintan Island with children. Ideas on where to go with your child

Palau Bintan or just Bintan is one of the best places for a holiday with children. A long flight and a necessary acclimatization are compensated by a comfortable water and air temperature during the whole year. During winter the temperature is rarely less than 25 degrees, and the ocean is still warm for a long swim. The island is a duty-free zone, so you can buy something for your child even cheaper than in other places in the world. Bintan allows you and your child to spend enough time at the perfectly clean beaches, and at SPA-salons, and learn the history and culture of Indonesia, and enjoy the pure nature.

Take your child to Penyengat island, which you can reach by boat from the capital of Bintan. First of all, the trip itself will be fun, and secondly, Penyengat, the spiritual center of the Riau Islands, will be interesting for a child of any age. Older children will understand the story about the love between Raja Ali Haji and the daughter of the Sultan of Malacca. This story is similar to the one of Romeo and Juliette but has a happy ending. The children will appreciate the opportunity to visit such a sacred for Indonesians place. The younger children will be fascinated by the beauty of the local temples, which remind more of castles than cult buildings.

You should also visit the capital of the island. Those, who like history, and just curious children will like the historical museum with a big collection of artifacts, which will tell you about the past times of Bintan. The culture of the aboriginals, the lifestyle of the Indonesian pirates, the life of the colonists – all of this will become more clear after visiting the exposition. A child can also be interested in the crafts center of Sri Binan, where you can watch the process of furniture weaving from pandan leaves. Keep in mind that a child may be really interested in the finished products, which you can buy here. The city itself is also beautiful, you can show your child the real stilt houses in the port. The suburbs are filled with pineapple plantations, which will be interesting for children. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

You can take your child to Senggarang village to show him the Chinese culture. There is a unique Banyan Tree Temple. Built more than two centuries ago, it is still covered with the strong roots of the tree, and the beautiful carved elements have preserved inside. No child will refuse to visit Jumbo Park. Here you can pet, talk, and for an additional fee, ride the biggest mammal on Earth – an elephant. Besides that, every day, except Tuesday, there is a real show. You can watch, who the elephants are fed, and how those giants do different tricks.

If your child is in good physical shape, you can climb Gunung Bintan mountain with him. It is 350 meters high, and the way up will take you three to five hours. All this time you will spent in the jungles, where you can see a lot of animals and look at wild growth fruit like mangosteen or rambutan. There will also be a fountain with a pool, where you can swim. The view from the top of Gunung Bintan, despite its not big height, takes your breath away.

A good opportunity to explore the local nature is a trip down the Snake River. It will be a real adventure for a child, he will feel as a brave pioneer and will appreciate the beauty of mango forests. During the road you will see houses on stilts and local people, who are fishing the way their fathers and grandfathers had. If your child is old enough, he will be interested in paintball game or a sea fishing. A child of any age will like a horse ride, which will give you an opportunity to communicate with the horses. You should also take your child to the Dolphin Island near Bintan.