We had already visited Bintan twice in November 2018, each time with a different group.
I certainly hadn’t expected to be returning again so soon.
But on 4 January 2019, we made our third trip to the island in less than two months. This time, we were travelling with family.
Joining my wife, our son and me were my parents, my in-laws, my brother and a cousin sister.
We stayed at Cassia Bintan, an apartment-style resort near the beach.
Of our three visits, this one was particularly special to me.
Getting Everyone Together
Travelling with both my parents and my in-laws wasn’t something we had done before.
In fact, apart from our wedding, this was the only occasion I can remember when both sides of the family went somewhere together.
Getting both sides of the family together for a holiday wasn’t easy. Whenever travelling came up, both my parents and my in-laws would question why we should spend money on it.
Looking back, I’m glad we managed to arrange it.
An Apartment With a Kitchen
For this holiday, we chose Cassia Bintan, where we had apartment-style accommodation with cooking facilities.
Having a kitchen was important, particularly because of my mother’s dietary preferences.
She doesn’t eat most non-vegetarian food, apart from certain types of fish, so being able to prepare our own meals made things easier.
As far as I remember, we generally went out for lunch and cooked most of our dinners in the apartment.
There was something nice about that arrangement.
Instead of depending on restaurants for every meal, we could spend time together preparing food and eating at our own pace.
It also made the holiday feel a little more like staying together in a family home than being in a conventional hotel.
Days by the Beach
Of course, we didn’t spend the entire holiday indoors.
Cassia had a swimming pool and access to a lovely beach, and we made good use of both.
Our son enjoyed playing in the sand and spending time by the water.
Looking through the photographs, I can see sandcastles, waves rolling onto the beach and everyone enjoying the surroundings.
There were also moments spent around the pool and simply relaxing at the resort.
We weren’t trying to squeeze in as many activities as possible.
This was a family holiday, and much of the enjoyment came from being together.
A Different Kind of Bintan Trip
The three Bintan visits were surprisingly different.
At The Canopi, we had celebrated two children’s birthdays with friends, enjoying the lagoon, glamping tents and various activities.
At Bintan Lagoon Resort, we had travelled with four families, enjoyed wonderful dinners, swimming and an ATV adventure.
Cassia was different again.
There were no particular adventures I remember as clearly as the cable wakeboarding or ATV riding.
What made this holiday memorable was having my parents and my in-laws together, along with the rest of the family.
It was something we rarely managed to do.
Three Trips, Three Different Memories
By the time we returned home on 7 January 2019, we had visited Bintan three times in less than two months.
Three different groups. Three different resorts. Three very different experiences.
It probably sounds a little excessive to visit the same island so often within such a short period.
But looking back, I don’t really remember it as three visits to the same destination.
I remember two families celebrating their children’s birthdays, a lively holiday with four families, and a rare opportunity to bring both sides of our family together.
The place happened to be Bintan.
The people were what made each visit different.
And that is why all three trips are worth remembering.