We have just returned from paradise. Nikoi Island is amazing. We loved the time we spent there and will treasure the memories. When we first moved to Singapore and I was meeting new friends and trying to get a plan together for our time here, I was asking every body where their favorite place to go is. Several people told me Nikoi is their favorite holiday. Now, I can see why.
One friend told me they call it Pirate Island. It is very rustic and basic but absolutely luxurious too. It's amazing to me how the two can coincide. There is no tv or electronics of any kind. No air conditioning. The rooms are totally open air. If needed, there are mosquito nets around the beds. We got lucky with a wonderful ocean breeze; no mosquitoes.
We had three glorious nights on this private island turned paradise. The meals were amazing. Each one absolutely delicious. We took our shoes off on the dock when we arrived and didn't put them back on until we were leaving.
We left our condo about 7:30 am. It's a short drive over to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, but it was long enough for Lily to get car sick. Lucky for us, we were prepared and all of the vomit made it into a plastic bag. Gross! I thought... Oh boy, we've got a long day ahead of us! We got checked in for our ferry and then waited to board. The boat ride was about an hour, but we waited in the dock for quite a while. It was pretty choppy and lots of people on board were sea sick. Lily fell asleep and lucky for us nobody else in our group was sick.
Once in Bintan, we got into the cars arranged by Nikoi and headed out for part 2 of our journey. It's an hour drive to the Nikoi port. The drive was pretty twisty and hilly, nobody got sick! Finally, we boarded another boat over to Nikoi Island.
Once on Nikoi, the shoes came off and we were in relaxation mode. We were greeted by the wonderful staff with fresh juice and a delicious lunch. The kids found a fun tree with swings and a hammock and a rope bridge.
This was our beautiful home for the next few days. It faced the ocean so we got to fall asleep listening to the waves crash upon the shore. A fabulous ocean breeze blew over us and kept us cool. Lily told me that she loves going to the beach because it brings peace to her heart. I totally agree.
I brought our water paints and we painted coral.
Underneath our room was a lounge area with a couch and chairs, also a hanging swing couch and a shaded cabana. So peaceful!
Each night before dinner and just before sunset, the staff organized a treasure hunt for the kids. They LOVED it! All the children staying on the island ran around in a pack either looking for clues or looking for items. It was very exciting! While the kids were hunting for treasure, the parents were enjoying a cocktail at the Sunset Bar.
One of my favorite things about Nikoi is the soft sand that is used as the flooring just about every where. The dining rooms, the bars, they all have sand as the flooring. I'm kinda short, and one problem that I often face is that most chairs are a little too high for me, so my feet rarely touch the floor. With sand as the floor, I could make a little mound under my dining chair and rest my feet comfortable on top. Perfect!
This is Yogi, he was one of the main entertainers for the children during our visit. He led the treasure hunts and also a nature walk in the morning after breakfast.
There were a lot of activities for us to do! Scott and Dana tried the wind surfing. I thought the wind was blowing a little too hard, but I enjoyed watching them crash in the ocean. Dana got out so far that the instructors ran back and jumped in the speed boat to rescue her!
One of our favorite activities was jumping off of the pier into the water! Madeline was especially brave. We went sea kayaking and rock climbing too!
Every villa on Nikoi faces the ocean and feels very private.
Lily was so brave to try rock climbing! It was her first time. She got up about half way. I was so proud! Madeline really wanted to try it, but you have to be 7 to rock climb. Lily was just old enough.
I got to rock climb too! I haven't been climbing since my college days and I was pretty excited and nervous. I made it up to the very top!! I was sore and scratched up a bit, but proud of myself.
Here's a good shot of our beach villa. We had two rooms. Dana and the kids slept in one and Scott and I in the other.
Building sand castles and collecting sea shells!
Scott took this picture of Madeline.
This was so cool! They set up a "real" angry birds game. They had large coconuts carved to be the pigs and smaller coconuts for the angry birds. We used the wood blocks and planks to build towers and then shoot little coconuts at it. Wyatt LOVED it!
There was a bonfire on the beach and we roasted marshmallows.
Yogi carved this sword for Wyatt. What more does a little boy need?
Time to leave our little paradise.
Tired Pirate.
The journey home was full of vomiting from multiple people. So gross! We were all tired from all the fun and sun and sad to leave, but grateful for our time there. Thanks Nikoi for the excellent vacation!!
