Tanjungpinang City

The main town on Bintan is Tanjung Pinang, which can be easily reached from Singapore. It is located on the western part of the Bay of Bintan, and is also the largest town on the Riau islands. It has the usual Indonesian chaos, but also it's share of charm, especially the stilted buildings that sits above the water in the northern part of town is worth a look. Tanjung Pinang has a busy harbor that is strategically located close to the Malacca strait, one of the worlds busiest sea lanes. Most of the ships arriving Tanjung Pinang are however smaller vessels coming from all over Indonesia and from Singapore.

The 28m tall Raja Haji Fisabillah Monument of Struggle sits in the western part of Tanjung Pinang and is raised in memory of the hero Raja Haji who died during the battle for Malacca against the Dutch in 1784. The Sungai Ular (Snake River) Buddhist Temple is another attraction opposite the harbor in Tanjung Pinang. While you're here you can also visit some of the many small islands with fishing villages just a few minutes by boats from the town, and of course Pulau Penyengat. Tanjung Pinang is well known for good and inexpensive seafood and has a large selection of mussels, prawns, fish, squid and gong gong, a local specialty (shellfish). Also other traditional Riau food is served here, one specialty is "otak otak", fish meat cooked in coconut milk mixed with Indonesian spices and wrapped in coconut leaf, you can also find traditional Nasi Padang rice dishes. There is a large number of shops here, with a variety of relatively cheap goods, including electronics, tools, jewels, toys, batik and gold.