Singapore's newest attraction, Bintan, is the largest of 3,200 islands in the Riau archipelago and the third largest of 27 provinces in Indonesia.

Located just 45 kilometres south-east of Singapore and twice its size, northern Bintan is easily accessible via a 45-minute ride on a high speed catamaran from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. To get to the southern part of Bintan, ferries also depart from the World Trade Centre and take 90 minutes each way. Despite Bintan's proximity, you will need your passport and, where necessary, a visa.

In the northern sector of Bintan Island is Bintan Resorts, a 23,000 hectare development which is being jointly undertaken by the Singaporean and Indonesian governments. It has 18 kilometres of pristine white beaches and azure waters, rich with marine life and offers the ideal retreat for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Accommodation options include hotels, condominiums, luxury villas and chalets. It is possible to rent cars and there are transfers from the ferry terminal and between the various hotel resorts.

Bintan Resorts has a dedicated sea-sports centre offering a variety of activities underwater and on the water including hosting a major annual windsurfing event. Choose from motorised and non-motorised watersports including jet skiing, windsurfing, snorkelling, scuba diving or just unwinding on the beach.

Diving at Bintan is a comfortable experience for newcomers and aficionados alike with waters gentle enough for novices and enough undiscovered surprises to content old-time divers. The best diving is from April to October and Bintan's marine population includes more than 100,000 species with snails, clams, oysters, squid, nudibranchs and sea shells. There are also regular dolphin sightings.

On land, Bintan has several excellent golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Ian Baker-Finch, and it is worth taking a sightseeing trip to the southern part of the island. You can take a public bus between northern and southern Bintan, or travel by charter taxi or speed boat arranged through your hotel. The trip will take approximately 90 minutes.

In the south, a must see is a visit to  Bintan's capital, Tanjung Pinang, a quaint old town characterised by rows of wooden houses on stilts linked by a maze of walkways.

A ten-minute ride on a motorised sampan will take you to historical Pulau Penyengat, originally the home of the Melaka Sultanate. This tiny island is distinguished from afar by a glittering dome belonging to its 170-year-old mosque which houses a rare handwritten Koran. Near the mosque are the royal tombs of past sultans.

Senggarang is renowned for its Land, Sea and Earth Temples, more than 100 years old, to which many Singaporean Chinese come to worship during festivals. There is also the 300-year-old Kwan Yin Temple, which is the oldest in the Riau group, situated near the mouth of the Snake River (Sungai Ular).

There are so many leisure facilities being developed within Bintan Resorts that visitors won't need to go far in order to experience something new. A stroll through Bintan's nature trails enjoying the lush tropical flora and fauna might even provide a glimpse of the shy mouse-deer. As well as a wildlife sanctuary, there is also an agro-tech park (where visitors can pick their own fruit and vegetables), a marina centre and excellent retail facilities.

For a unique dining experience, enjoy spectacular views as you sample Indonesian seafood cuisine at Panorama Kelong Restaurant which seats up to 100 diners in a traditional stilt structure stretching 200 metres into the sea. It offers outdoor and air-conditioned dining areas and bar facilities.

Planned future leisure developments include a health spa, an amusement park with old-fashioned merry-go-rounds as well as more sophisticated roller coasters and other attractions, and entertainment complexes which will incorporate amusement arcades, cinemas and pubs.

The resorts employ more than 2,000 locals from the nearby town of Tanjung Uban and many are resettling in new homes in the form of cluster housing and dormitory accommodation at Bintan Resorts. Many new facilities have also been provided for the locals including a mosque and a park complete with barbeque and sporting facilities.