Love the idea of a chilled-out holiday by a beautiful beach? Always on the hunt for an easy weekend away close to Singapore? Here's the lowdown on Telunas Private Island as an option to add to your list...
If, like us, you’re always dreaming of your next family holiday, and you’re looking for that magical combination of beautiful beach, relaxation and a quick escape from Singapore. In that case, you need to know about Telunas Private Island. We’ve shared our tips on travelling to Telunas with a baby, but what’s it like travelling with two little boys? Here’s the lowdown…
REVIEW: TELUNAS PRIVATE ISLAND WITH KIDS
Things we love…
A digital detox
First things first – don’t even think of bringing the work laptop, because A, you’re on holiday, and B, Telunas Private Island is a wi-fi free zone. Imagine: you can just be together without all the digital distractions. The fact that there was a beach to enjoy IRL without being able to capture the moment on Instagram seemed to strike terror in one young couple I met, but frankly, a three-day digital detox is one of the best things that ever happened to me.
Massages!
Yes, you do need a divine massage in an open-air hut over the water. Book your massage as soon as you arrive because they are, unsurprisingly, very popular.
All-round good times
This vacay is all about watching the sun rise over the water, spending hours playing at the beach, chillaxing by the pool, reading on the balcony of your overwater villa and catching the stunning sunsets together. Telunas is for letting everything else in your crazy busy life slip away… and really, you’ll get into the swing of that quick smart. There are cooking classes and village visits, and if you’re after a bit of adventure, grab a kayak or a paddleboard. I opted for the chillaxing and massage approach.
What’s in it for the kids?
Hermit crab hunting, sand castle building, splashing around in the calm waters and running up and down that boardwalk… need we say more? The staff at Telunas Private Island are the loveliest bunch: happy to sit down with little ones to play with building blocks, grab the guitar for an impromptu sing-along, or bring out a board game. They have infinite patience, and clearly love kids.
But what seals the deal is THE KIDS’ CLUB. This great little space has its own massive sand pit where the kiddos can play supervised and join the activity of the day. Our boys made flowers out of plastic bottles one day and went crab hunting the next. Use their time in the kids’ room wisely and go for that massage we talked about. The kids club is open for five to 12-year-olds.
The food
I often wish there were more local dishes on offer when vacaying in resorts around South East Asia. I’m here for the local food! Telunas Private Island serves a compact menu, and its take on Nasi Uduk, literally ‘mixed rice’, was our fave way to start the day. But what really got me hooked was the superb, house-made sambal. Yes, you can buy a massive container to take home. And yes, I begged for the chef’s recipe.
The home from home
Did you see those over-water villas? Our five-year-old is still drawing pictures of our Telunas villa and talking about our summer holiday on ‘the island’. There is, however, a steep ladder to access the children’s room on the upper level, so keep this in mind if you have little ones who are too big for a cot but aren’t ready to safely climb up and down to a loft. Mattresses can be brought in if the safest option is to sleep at ground level.
Need to know…
How to get there:
It’s less than an hour on the ferry from Singapore to Batam, then 90 minutes on a long boat to Telunas Private Island. Book with Batam Fast from Harbourfront (Singapore) to Sekupang (Batam). You’ll be greeted at Sekupang by the Telunas team, and there’s a short walk from the international to the domestic ferry terminal.
Visa info:
Check if you require a visa to enter Indonesia! Singapore is among several countries whose citizens can enter Indonesia without a visa for 30 days.
Other tips:
- If you intend to check in your luggage, prepare a SGD $1 tip for luggage porters when entering Indonesia. If you check-in luggage with BatamFast, tip the Indonesian terminal staff.
- Sit near the ferry doors so you can get out faster and through immigration. Because we all know what waiting in a queue with kids is like.
- And here’s a hot tip: alcoholic beverages are available at Telunas Private Island, but you can BYO, without corkage! Bring that bottle of bubbly for a sunset tipple, but remember, only 1L is allowed per person. Pack them in separate bags to avoid a hassle at immigration.
Enjoy!
