Nirwana Gardens, Hotel in Bintan

From the point of check in the staff of Nirwana resort a truly one notch above the rest in terms of hospitality and friendliness. Always with a smile and always ready to help. My son enjoyed 3 days at the Kids' Club and couldnt stop talking about the amazing Ms Tina and the fun they had at the Club.

The food is definitely one of the best we ever had in any hotel anywhere. We had a fun time trying the numerous restaurants within the resorts and each one truly was a different gastronomical experience.

We stayed in Nirwana Beach Club in November in the middle of the week. Therefore there were not too much guests... I fount it a little bit sad... But despite of that, the place is amazing beautiful and even if the rooms are a bit old, we felt it's great! The territory of Nirwana Gardens is huge with many restaurants and activities! Everywhere you can get by shuttle which passes every 30 minutes.. Or walking.. Not so far! If you like the nature and queit holidays, then it's better to stay in Nirwana Beach.. All the main restaurants, bars, swimming pool and some activities are in Nirwana Resort Hotel. But the beach at Nirwana Beach Club is definitely better. Finally, doesn't matter in which part of Nirwana Gardens, you can reach any point by shuttle bus, cars or even walking.

Also I sincerely recommend you the Elephant Show! The staff is great there and very kind! And the elephants are really cute and friendly! Good luck and enjoy!

The hotel staffs were very helpful and friendly. When we reached the ferry terminal in Bintan, staff was there to show us the signage of the hotel so that we know where to go even before we step into the customs. When we reached the hotel there were warm welcome by dance, music and welcome drink. We have no problem during our check in, it was fast. If you have a family of 4 with older kids like mine (11 and 13), good to book a connecting rooms. They will have their own space and also spacious instead of asking for additional bed.

We weren't planning to stay here again so soon, as our tour agent had told us the standard rooms were sold out, and we were booked into Mayang Sari. However, that didn't work out and we found out the deluxe rooms at Nirwana Resort were available so we moved across.

The deluxe rooms face the pool, and the one we had was at the far end of the wing. It was nearer the pool. Fittings were quite new (renovated recently?) and we enjoyed our stay much more than Mayang Sari.

The food here is better than Mayang Sari, and the poolside on a Sunday was great (quieter than it is on Saturdays).

This time, we also spent more time on the beach than the previous time and it was enjoyable.

As with previous time, the best tasting and value food is in the cafe (ala carte - not the buffet), and in the coffee bar upstairs.

Mayang Sari was just what my family was looking for. Rustic charm right on the beach. We loved the view and the water was heavenly! Perfect for small children, the ocean is shallow and great for swimming with very small waves. The accomodations were comfortable and the rooms are huge with plenty of room to spread out and for a rollaway bed. Restaurant was great! The staff were the best and did what ever we needed to be comfortable. I also tried out the spa. The massage was one of the best I have ever had in my opinion and I have had many.

If you want a great place right on the beach with rustic charm this is the place!

Stayed December 2010. Really loved it, especially the private pool facing the sea.. Kids spent loads of time in the pool. Well-equipped kitchenette - microwave, toaster, kettle, big fridge, stove...

Rooms were really nice, especially the master bedroom and the toilets were big too. Having the buggy to move around was thrilling, too. Massages can be done in the room for $30/hr. Food in the restaurants slightly expensive but presentation was always good. Service was excellent by all staff, both at Nirwana Gardens and the villa host. We even had 2 monkeys visiting us at the villa. Activities at the Resort Centre like horse riding, archery and elephant show are also good but you need to pay for them. There is also a mini zoo within the compounds with a huge python, crocodile and birds. 

Check-in and Check-out was a breeze and the hotel staff reply queries through mail really fast. Really loved the whole experience.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa - it was large and clean, a little run down but only needs a lick of paint! Outside we were surrounded by nature - ponds filled with lillies and 2 resident monitor lizards! Resort was huge and if you like sport they have archery, trampolines, flying fox all on site so no need to get bored. Restaurants on site although didn't try them, all the food was great and lots of choice.

For us living in Dubai it was so nice to get away from skyscrapers and modern life and have some basic nature to appreciate. I was worried after reading the reviews but go for it, I am sure you wont be disappointed!