Pulau Pangkil Kecil is a delightful little island located close to Singapore in Indonesia. ‘Pulau’ means ‘island’ and ‘Kecil’ means ‘small’ in Indonesian. Pangkil the island and Pangkil the resort are one and the same. When you hire Pangkil – and you can only hire it as a whole – you get the lot: all the driftwood palaces (our luxury accommodation), the bar, the sound systems, the pool, kayaks, snorkelling equipment, speedboats, kitchen and more than twenty staff ! Truly “Survivor with maids and butlers”.Pangkil lies off the coast of Pulau Bintan which is the largest island in the Riau Province Archipelago and is bigger than Singapore. Singapore's Changi Airport is by far the easiest entry point to the region although there is also an international airport on the other big island in the group, Pulau Batam. The islands are all remarkably close. Batam for example can be seen from Singapore.
Accommodation in Driftwood Palaces
This depends on the composition of your group and how well they know each other ! They have 9 separate dwellings (‘driftwood palaces’) including the gazebo by the pool and the tree house, hence we can accommodate 18 adults in complete privacy with each of the couples in a king-size, four-poster bed. There are however 13 four-poster double beds and 2 double ‘day beds’ (which can certainly be used to sleep on) across these 9 palaces. They also have 6 wooden-framed single beds which can be moved around and many of the palaces with 2 double beds have magnificent wooden benches which can be made up as comfortable single beds. There is more overflow accommodation in the form of numerous hammocks and large tents. So it’s not uncommon to see groups of up to 25 or even 30 adults. A typical family group might be 5 or 6 families, 12 adults and 14 or 15 kids. We did once have a party (literally) of about 40 people.
The power is 240 volts from UK/Singapore 3-prong power sockets.
Note: NO air-conditioning, NO hot water shower, NO doors to accommodations, NO shopping, NO live music, No fixed-line telephone, NO fax, NO internet connection, NO television, NO radio and NO newspapers!!!!
Mobile phones do however work provided you and your carrier have roaming agreements for Indonesia. They have a mobile phone booster on top of the kitchen and you may need to be at this end of the island to initiate or receive a call.
Best time of the year to go
The winter monsoon (very mild at our latitude) blows from the north, starting at the end of November until early February and brings cooler temperatures.
The summer monsoon – very gentle and from the south - starts in April/May.
Activities
Pangkil is ideal for relaxing: reading in a hammock, sun-bathing by the fresh-water pool, having a massage, kayaking around the island, walking on the beach or swimming in the sea. A volleyball court and a boules set as well as two Lasers (sailing dinghies). The numerous secluded beaches, jungle paths and unusual rock formations are often woven by parents into elaborate treasure hunts for kids which have been known to include the swimming pontoon and tree house. The more adventurous have been known to kayak, sail or even swim to neighbouring islands. You can use the speedboats or launches to explore other island or even have a picnic on Pulau Murbai a tiny deserted jewel that we own just for such trips. After dinner, relax with a coffee and a glass of wine around a beach bonfire or turn up the music to kick-start your fancy dress party !
They supply squid and shrimp at no extra cost for FISHING!!!!
PRICING
If there are only two of you, it will cost either S$5,900 or S$6,800 for the weekend (depending on the season). These are our minimum prices and usually apply for 1 to 10 people. If however you are part of a larger group, then you should speak to your group organizer and see how she/he is splitting up the total cost. The Cost includes:
Accommodation for 1 to 10 people
All land and launch transport from Tanjung Pinang to Pangkil (one return trip per group is included)
Welcome drinks
Three meals per day (everyone loves our food !)
Unlimited coffee, tea, snacks and bottled water
Use of all of the driftwood palaces (bathroom towels and linen is supplied)
Use of the fabulous fresh-water pool
Beach towels
Use of the tree house and viewing platform
A volleyball court
A boules set
Use of our sailing dinghies. They have 2 Lasers.
Use of our sea kayaks. They have 6 kayaks.
Snorkelling equipment
Indonesian-style fishing trips with free supply the bait !
Day-trips to explore other islands
All government accommodation taxes
All land and launch transport from Tanjung Pinang to Pangkil (one return trip per group is included)
Welcome drinks
Three meals per day (everyone loves our food !)
Unlimited coffee, tea, snacks and bottled water
Use of all of the driftwood palaces (bathroom towels and linen is supplied)
Use of the fabulous fresh-water pool
Beach towels
Use of the tree house and viewing platform
A volleyball court
A boules set
Use of our sailing dinghies. They have 2 Lasers.
Use of our sea kayaks. They have 6 kayaks.
Snorkelling equipment
Indonesian-style fishing trips with free supply the bait !
Day-trips to explore other islands
All government accommodation taxes
extra charges ?
Ferry tickets from Singapore to Bintan and back
A visa (waived for many ASEAN nationalities)
Drinks. They charge for alcohol and soft-drinks (Soft drinks cost $1.75 per can and beer $3 (Tiger & Bintang) or $3.50 (Heineken & Carlsberg), but not tea, coffee or bottled water!!They charge S$15 corkage per bottle if you bring your own wine.
Ferry tickets from Singapore to Bintan and back
A visa (waived for many ASEAN nationalities)
Drinks. They charge for alcohol and soft-drinks (Soft drinks cost $1.75 per can and beer $3 (Tiger & Bintang) or $3.50 (Heineken & Carlsberg), but not tea, coffee or bottled water!!They charge S$15 corkage per bottle if you bring your own wine.
Three meals per day are included, but there may be a nominal charge for an additional meal.
They also charge an extra S$200 (per additional one-way land/launch trip) if your group does not arrive and depart together. There are also additional accommodation charges (over and above the basic island rate) if the size of your group is more than 10 people.
There is a departure tax from the scruffier ferry terminal at Tanjung Pinang which is indeed IDR 10,000 (Indonesian Rupiah) per person. This is approximately S$2. Their staff will usually pay this for you and add the cost (in Singapore Dollars) to your final invoice on the island.
Currency
Singapore Dollars (SGD). You should be able to travel all the way from Singapore to Pangkil and back without having to use Indonesian Rupiah.
Singapore Dollars (SGD). You should be able to travel all the way from Singapore to Pangkil and back without having to use Indonesian Rupiah.
NO CREDIT CARD
Snacks
You can effectively raid the kitchen whenever you want. Banana fritters, rice cakes, prawn crackers, spring rolls and other fantastic snacks will often appear at the pool or the main house in the afternoon. There is usually a large jar of cashews or almonds at the Main House. Just let their staff know if you’re hungry and when and where you’d like your snacks and they’ll bring snacks at no extra charges.
Links
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