Bintan getaway...

I don't remember how it was brought up, but HB Boy and I agreed to go on a weekend getaway.

Since he arrived in Singapore, I don't think he has actually gone on a trip to any of the neighbouring countries.

On the other hand, I've been wanting to go on a beach getaway. I miss the beach very much but I don't think TBC will do it for me.

Having lived here for a longer time, I told HB Boy our options. We could either go to Batam or to Bintan. If we were to go to the former, I was thinking of Turi Beach since MkSurf8, Chris, Ian and I had a great day trip to the place and I wouldn't mind going back. The other option was to go to the spa resort Tempat Senang. A few colleagues have given the resort a thumbs up so I believe that it is actually good.

For Bintan, I was initially thinking of going back to Angsana since MkSurf8, RKGreg, Chris, PG Boy and I went there on a weekend trip and I thought the place was really great! I would definitely want to visit again. The other option was Nirwana Resort, which Tipz visited with CP not too long ago.

After checking the rates and consulting with each other, we ended up booking with Nirwana. Alright, one reason I skipped Angsana was because it's already associated with PG Boy. LOL! I dun want my first trip with HB Boy to be to a place the ex and I went to. Haha!

I wasn't sure what to expect about the resort because I've been reading mixed reviews.

We booked a room with the Nirwana Gardens (I think). Overall, I thought the resort is worth a second visit. The room was nice and clean. The shower and toilet had no weird smell. The food at the bistro and the coffee shop were so so, but it's still good enough. I liked the pool very much. The beach was also good enough to satisfy my craving for the beach. Haha! Just gotta be careful of some tar balls. Bleh! We also got a massage at the health club. I fell asleep during the massage, so that's a good sign. Haha!

HB Boy and I also booked a dinner at a kelong place outside of the hotel. Kid that he is, he also wanted to go for the firefly tour. Haha! Hmm, the firefly tour was a unique experience. It was my first time to do it and I'm glad that there were actually fireflies to be seen. Haha! What I didn't like was that there was a light drizzle and I got a bit scared that we were traversing the river in complete darkness. I wasn't afraid of the dark. I was more afraid of capsizing in the middle of nowhere and drowning there and then. Lol! HB Boy got excited seeing the fireflies that looked like Christmas lights on a tree. I enjoyed the sight, too, except I was just thinking of how I will float in case the boat does hit some floating log or something. Haha!

It was a good short getaway. Definitely memorable since I did two new things during this trip.

I found another day spa that's in the middle of the mangroves. I think that's worth a visit. Maybe next time.