Travel Review // Telunas Beach Resort, Indonesia {2023}

Last week my lovely friend Lizz and her kids joined us for the week in Singapore from the UK. For those of you not watching the UK weather, they’ve not had much of a summer. So we wanted to show our friends the best of Singapore but also we wanted to escape somewhere exotic and topical for the weekend.

I’m lucky enough to have visited a lot of the islands around Singapore. But there is one island that has been on my radar since our arrival in Singapore six years ago, that we were yet to visit, and that’s Telunas Beach Resort and Telunas Private Island. Now you might wonder why we haven’t been yet as it’s so close to Singapore (only 50km actually).

In truth I’ve never actually been able to figure out their website and which of their resorts is which and what they each offer. Now coming from someone who loves to research this raises a red flag on their marketing but I’ll come onto that later.

So we took the plunge last weekend and booked a cheeky very-last-minute stay at Telunas Beach Resort. Within just 12 hours of booking we were on the water and on our way to Pulau Sugi. I must admit that at this point I still wasn’t sure which of the photos I’d seen on their instagram we’d be stepping into later that day but I was excited to find out.

So this review is of Telunas Beach Resort but I’ll also share some details of Telunas Private Island Resort and what the differences are.

The Rooms at Telunas Beach Resort

The 18 rooms at Telunas Beach Resort are dotted around a maize of wooden over-water walkways. Then each room consists of a square room, a generous double bed, bunk-bed which are screened off from the main room by a curtain, a bijou balcony (equipped with a hammock) and an ensuite.

*The over-water world of Telunas Beach Resort*

The beds were comfortable and the linen soft, the pillows however were a little on the hard side for us. But the towels were fluffy and most importantly the shower was hot and powerful. I didn’t see a hair-dryer but there were plugs a plenty.

*The trip from Telunas Private Island to Telunas Beach Resort*

Cleverly there were lots of hooks to hang up towels and clothes and plenty of drawers to put clothes. Outside was a generous towel ladder to dry bathers and towels.

One thing I wasn’t prepared for was the noise of the waves, I had envisioned myself falling asleep to the gentle sound of lapping waves where in reality it was the polar opposite with crashing waves that kept us up all night. My poor daughter woke up seasick one morning just from the noise. I regretted not packing ear plugs and an eye mask. Now our room was quite close to shore, so I’m sure if you were closer to the restaurant that it would be considerably quieter at night.

There are no mosquito nets, unlike other islands we’ve been too, but I understand you can request them. They also provide bug spray, I got complacent on the second night and didn’t spray myself and subsequently the mosquitos had a field day.

Ask for a room with a sunset view, as the rooms closest to the sunset have great uninterrupted views over the bay from your private balcony.
Top Tip

The Food at Telunas Beach Resort

I love Indonesian food, it’s one of the reasons we like to go south from Singapore. Being a veggie I find it caters to my needs a bit better.

Breakfast was a simple buffet, with some fruits, something warm each day and an egg station.

If you ask nicely the chef might also whip you up some tempeh.
Top Tip

Lunch and dinner were also buffet affairs. The Indonesian food was delicious but the gluten-free pizza and gluten-free bread for my son weren’t quite edible. The kids had grilled fish and chips on the last night and that was a success. The vegetarian food was a bit hit and miss but the chef was always happy to whip something extra up for me.

Now sadly there is no bar on Telunas Beach Resort but instead there are honesty bars in the form of a fridge with a clipboard where you simply jot down what you take. Filled with beer and fizzy drinks but no bottled water. However I loved this concept of trust, it was simple and easy and reminded me of winter ski trips to Europe. There are big flasks of water dotted around the resort that you can decant from when needed.

*The view looking up from the hammocks at Telunas Beach Resort*

Getting wine or wine glasses was a little more complicated and required a request to Telunas Private Island via the reception desk and a boat delivery from across the bay. So you need to just plan ahead a little more or bring a few bottles with you as we thankfully had the foresight to do.

The restaurant is sat on the corner of the over-water village with relaxing views over the bay. You’ll find a selection of 4-seater tables and some for bigger groups, it’s first come first serve. We often had the place to ourselves.

There was the option during the weekend to dine at the beach and eat pizzas cooked in their handmade pizza oven. We didn’t know this didn’t run every night, so we missed out on this. But if you’re keen make sure you book it in advance.

We found ourselves sitting in the reception area of an evening on the few chairs they had. It was a lovely big airy space with a sea breeze but it was calling out for more seating and to really transform it into a place to relax, read a book or enjoy some games with friends.

What to do at Telunas Beach Resort

The highlight of Telunas Beach Resort was maybe not surprisingly the beach… the softest sand, shallow water and monkeys that sneak out of the jungle and sunbathe in the morning light. I’ve never seen so many tiny crabs decorating the beach with little balls of sand as far as your eyes can see. The beach is also lined with a few wooden cabanas kitted out with hammocks too while the day away, enjoy some shade and make the most of the sea breeze.

*Telunas Beach Resort at dawn, there were monkeys just at the horizon*

Our kids were kept plenty busy playing in the waves, jetty jumping, fishing and beach combing but there was also a beach volleyball court, ping pong table, a swing and swing-ball all included in the stay.

*Jetty jumping on repeat at Telunas Beach Resort*

We spend our mornings fishing off the jetty after breakfast, then after a little jetty jumping before headed to laze away the afternoons on the beach. If you’re keen, like my friend Lizz, the lovely chef will also cook your catch for you.

Fishing at Telunas Beach Resort — *Fishing off the jetty at Telunas Beach Resort*

There is also the option of adding paid activities onto your stay with stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and throwing some pots in their pottery studio which sits at the edge of the jungle. We donated the tiles we made, which will then be fired and passed on to local villagers after their twice annual firing.

At weekends and when the resort is busy enough they light a BBQ on the beach, so we gathered on our first night for marshmallow roasting and a bit of campfire singing as the team played songs on the guitar.

One of my highlights was that I offered a complimentary spa by the team at Telunas as part of this review. So one afternoon I was whisked over to Telunas Private Island to experience their over-water spa. Just me, the boat driver and with the salt water spraying my hair for the 10 minute ride across the bay. Before arriving and strolling under tropical trees along a sandy path to their spa. Where you round the corner to a reception area, four over-water treatment rooms and a stunning view. I was very very spoilt and grateful for this opportunity,

*Taking the boat over to Telunas Private Island*

There are four massages to pick from, I’m camp no-pain-no-gain so I opted for their Balinese massage. Then you’re given a choice of oils, so I went ‘traditional’ as it was the one that resonated with me on the day. Next over to get dressed in a robe and make my way across the boardwalk to my treatment room.

*The over-water spa at Telunas Private Island*

What followed was an hour of bliss; listening to the gentle waves lapping on the shore, the smell of salty air, all whilst being pummelled and having all my knots massaged away. Then another delightful boat ride back across the bay to my family.

*Headed to my massage at the over-water spa on Telunas Private Island*

The massages at the overwater spa are only for guests to Telunas Private Island, but the team at Telunas Beach Resort also offer massages down on the beach.
Top Tip

*Post massage glow at Telunas Private Island*

I also wanted to share that they also offer excursions to local villages, walks to the waterfall, and more. As our trip was short we opted to stay put but if you stay longer there is certainly enough to keep you and your family busy.

The Journey

The journey to Telunas Beach Resort is one of my favourites of all the islands we’ve visited, not for its ease but for the glimpse into the Indonesian culture it gave us.

The starting line is in Singapore’s HarbourFront Ferry Terminal in VivoCity near Sentosa… my advice is not to cut it fine like we did and arrive more than 20 mins before your ferry leaves and avoid running like you’re in Home Alone through the terminal. But also not like Home Alone as we miraculously managed to keep track of all four kids throughout. The crossing from Singapore to Sekupang in Batam is about an hour and for us was a nice and easy crossing.

One of the many over-water villages we went past on our ferry, Indonesia — *One of the many over-water villages we went past on our ferry*

When you arrive in Batam you need to have $50 (SGD) per person ready for your visa-on-arrival depending on what colour your passport is. This was relatively straightforward. We then joined the queue for passports which was the longest part of the journey. I had a lovely chat with the immigration officer about food and travel. Waiting just on the other side of passports were the Telunas team with big smiles, blue t-shirts and instructions to go and enjoy a coffee whilst we waited for our next ferry.

After about 40 mins we were escorted over to the local ferry terminal, which is next door to the international ferry terminal. The team took care of everything and within minutes we were sitting on our next ferry.

This is where it gets interesting for me, as this was a local Indonesian ferry with all the locals, and I love people watching. The ferry was like a little spaceship with sliding windows to let in air. It jetted us in between fisheries, past remote overwater villages and the odd tree growing in the middle of the ocean, deeper and deeper into rural Indonesia with every bounce of the waves. The Telunas team were well prepared with bottles of water and apples for when reserve levels inevitably dropped.

One of the many over-water villages we went past on our ferry — *A warm welcome to Telunas Beach Resort*

An hour later the ferry pulled up at Telunas Private Island, alas this wasn’t where we were staying this time but we were transported into another little wooden boat for our final piece of the journey to Telunas Beach Resort, just over the bay. As we pulled up at Telunas Beach Resort the team were singing and dancing and our anticipation about our stay grew.

*Over-water village at Telunas Beach Resort*

The journey back isn’t quite this in reverse but involves a bigger wooden boat from Telunas Private Island to a very remote ferry terminal. Luckily the team at Telunas accompany you all the way back to Sekupang so you don’t have to worry about not understanding the language, not being able to reading the signs or know what do do with a ferry delay as happened in our case.

We were free to hop onto the ferry as the team arranged for our cases to go onto the roof along with a few chickens in boxes and even a pet cat. If you want to experience something that is polar opposite to Singapore this is the island getaway to pick.

Loading the chickens with out luggage on our ferry home from Telunas Beach Resort — *Loading the chickens with our luggage on our ferry home from Telunas Beach Resort*

The only thing that was a bit of a pain on the way back was the tropical storm as we arrived in Sekupang. There is no covered walkway between the local and international ferry terminals so we had to run through the thunder, lightning and torrential rain across the water logged car park with our luggage and no umbrellas. Thankfully we had bellies full of laughter and a few minutes to change into some dry clothes before our final ferry back to Singapore.

Summary

In summary we left Telunas Beach Resort in a mist of calm, a weekend of the kids (and us) being disconnected from gadgets. Now’s probably a good time to mention they don’t have wifi, but promise you my kids didn’t have time to notice. I think all the people asleep, catching flies on the ferry home is testament to this.

Telunas Beach Resort is simple and whilst we were there we hardly saw another soul apart from the team who worked there, The team were super friendly in a way that Indonesian hospitality is known for. My friend Lizz managed to get her passport damp and one of the ladies, bless her, sat there with a hair dryer patiently drying each page one by one.

How are Telunas Beach Resort and Telunas Private Island different?

*Telunas Beach Resort with Telunas Private Island across the bay*

When I went over for my spa the team kindly showed me around Telunas Private Island which has a row of 15 overwater bungalows rather than an over-water village and five ridge villas (which are only for couples). Now I didn’t get to see inside the bungalow houses but I understand they have two levels and are perfect for families. The waves looked calmer on Telunas Private Island rather than Telunas Beach Resort, so you’d probably get a better night’s sleep there.

They also have a bar, a swimming pool, kids club, a la carte meals and of course the aforementioned divine over-water spa. Telunas Private Island guests can also shuttle over to Telunas Beach Resort twice a day to enjoy the beach but not vice versa.

I can’t help but think that if the names of the resorts were somewhat different like Nikoi and its sister island Cempedak that some of this confusion could be avoided.

Another thing to note is that Telunas Beach Resort hosts school groups 5-6 times a year, so they have big dormitories as part of the village. I did check and when school groups arrive they book both resorts out. So you don’t have to worry about sharing the tranquil beach with 100s of international school kids from Singapore.

The pool at jetty at Telunas Private Island — *The pool and jetty at Telunas Private Island*

I really hope that this helps clear up what is different about the two islands for you. Anything else you want to know then please leave a comment below.

About Telunas Beach Resort

Details: Pulau Sugi, Mentangun, Moro, Kabupaten Karimun, Kepulauan Riau 29462, Indonesia
Instagram: @telunas_resorts
Email: stay@telunasresorts.com

Check-in and Check-out time: Check-in is at 2 pm and Check out was at 1 pm when we stayed, but this may vary if they are fully booked.

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