Two Birthdays and a Weekend at The Canopi

In November 2018, we travelled to Bintan with the family of one of my wife’s friends.

Their daughter and our son had birthdays just a few weeks apart, and instead of organising separate celebrations, we decided to take a short holiday together.

We booked a weekend at The Canopi, a glamping resort at Treasure Bay in Bintan.

The idea was simple: let the children enjoy themselves while both families spent some time together.

Glamping at Treasure Bay

The Canopi was a little different from the usual hotel stay.

Instead of conventional hotel rooms, we stayed in large safari-style tents. It was a fun setting for a family getaway, especially with young children.

A row of white safari-style tents with pointed roofs among young trees, lawns and paths, with wooded hills behind under a cloudy sky. — Safari-style tents at The Canopi, 11 November.

A paved path curving between white tents and small white huts, edged with low hedges, under a cloudy sky. — Safari-style tents at The Canopi, 11 November.

Treasure Bay also had an enormous artificial lagoon, which was one of the main attractions.

A wide artificial lagoon of pale blue water under a pale evening sky, with wooded hills and a cable wakeboarding tower on the far side, and an adult and three small children paddling at the water’s edge on the right. — Evening in the lagoon, 10 November.

There was plenty to keep the children occupied, from swimming and playing in the water to the various activities around the resort.

A children’s indoor play area seen through glass doors, with a pirate-ship play structure, blue floors and red stools along a counter. — The children's play area, 10 November.

They seemed to enjoy everything.

Whether it was playing around the tents, spending time in the play area or splashing around in the water, there was always something for them to do.

Two small children hidden under a large beige umbrella printed with “The Canopi”, with only their legs and shoes showing, on a hexagonal-paved path outside a tent. — Under a Canopi umbrella outside the tent, 12 November.

And that was really the whole point of the trip.

We hadn’t planned an elaborate birthday celebration with a cake or a special dinner. The weekend itself was the birthday treat.

A plate of fried chicken and rice on paper, a green plate with chicken bones and a fork, and a bottle of Corona on a wooden table. — Lunch in Bintan, 10 November.

Lanterns in the Evening

One of the activities we enjoyed together was painting and releasing sky lanterns.

Everyone joined in, including the children.

Hands writing with a marker on a flattened purple paper lantern spread across a wooden picnic table, with a child’s hands resting on the table nearby. — Decorating a lantern.

We decorated the lanterns before releasing them into the night sky.

A group on a dark lawn at night, two of them holding up a glowing pink lantern while another holds a purple one, with lit resort buildings behind. — Getting ready to release a lantern, 11 November.

It was a nice experience to share as two families, and looking through the photographs now brings back memories of that evening.

The lanterns rising into the sky also made for some lovely photographs.

A glowing orange paper lantern rising against a black night sky. — Rising into the night sky, 11 November.

A single lantern, now a small point of light, high in the black night sky above dark treetops. — Rising into the night sky, 11 November.

A Humbling Experience on the Water

While the children were having fun, I decided to try something a little more adventurous.

Treasure Bay had a cable wakeboarding activity, where an overhead cable pulls you across the water instead of a boat.

It looked interesting, so I decided to give it a try.

A wakeboarder in a helmet and life jacket holding a handle on a cable, skimming across the blue lagoon past a ramp, with a dark pavilion and wooded hills behind. — Cable wakeboarding on the lagoon, 12 November.

I quickly discovered that I wasn’t nearly as strong as I thought.

I couldn’t hold on to the rope properly. I simply didn’t have the strength to keep myself going.

And it wasn’t just the wakeboarding.

Even during the water-play activities, I struggled to pull myself up onto one of the platforms.

That was quite an eye-opener.

Until then, I hadn’t fully realised how physically weak I had become. Trying those activities made it very obvious.

I didn’t suddenly change my lifestyle after returning from Bintan. The changes came much later. But looking back, this was one of the experiences that stayed with me and eventually contributed to my decision to improve my fitness.

It’s funny how a family holiday can leave you with an unexpected lesson about yourself.

A Weekend for the Children

Despite my struggles on the water, it was an enjoyable weekend.

The children had a wonderful time with the tents, lagoon, swimming and play areas. We spent time together as two families and enjoyed a different kind of resort holiday.

The sun setting behind clouds over the calm lagoon, with a sandy shore in the foreground and a palm tree at the edge. — Sunset over the lagoon, 10 November.

And since their birthdays were only a few weeks apart, it was a lovely way to celebrate both occasions.

At the time, I had no particular reason to think we’d be returning to Bintan again so soon.

But less than two weeks later, we were back on the island, this time staying at a completely different resort with a much larger group.