Leap into Telunas Beach!

After you live in Singapore for more than a few weeks, you’ll become irked by the incessant and omnipresent city noise. Speeding diesel taxis, aircon hums, kitchen pans clanging, and blasting jackhammers will become the soundtrack of your life. Just like the air pollution that accompanies it, you’ll eventually become so used to the noise pollution that you will barely notice its presence. That is, you won’t notice it until you get a chance to escape it; and, in my opinion, a trip to Telunas Beach, Indonesia, is the best way to escape Singapore’s noise pollution and smog and reconnect with God’s marvelous, peaceful creation.

Nestled within Indonesia’s Riau Islands, Telunas Beach provides a no-frills escape to serenity.  The structures of the resort are situated on an eighth-mile boardwalk above the sea that is supported by wooden and concrete pylons.  The dining room and bunks have large windows to capture the sea breeze. And the beach at the end of the boardwalk is lined with hammocks and sand volleyball courts.

Telunas Beach is one of the most idyllic locations on the planet.

At Telunas you’ll be served the perfect combination of Asian-American fusion food.  In their hearth fire, they can cook pizza to order. If you prefer traditional Asian food, you can get freshly caught seafood with head intact.  Their pastas and soups are unforgettable.  The culinary triumph of Telunas is their signature banana crepe, a melt-in-your-mouth dessert that is the perfect combination of sweet and sticky.

For recreation you can explore the shoreline in a rented kayak, compete in sports on the beach, read books in one of the many hammocks, leap off the dock into the ocean, or play a few of their board games. If you come with a large enough group, you can opt for nature hikes, team challenge courses, Indonesian village home stays, or a trek through the mangroves to a breath-taking waterfall.

For what you get, Telunas is a bargain.  Three days and two nights costs roughly two hundred Singapore dollars ($160US), and that price includes the food.

You'll pass small Indonesian fishing villages in this boat before you arrive at Telunas Beach.

The only trouble that you might have is getting to the location. You’ll need to take a ferry from Singapore to Sekupang terminal in Batam.  From there the Telunas staff will pick you up and whisk you away in a small boat equipped only with an outboard motor for another ninety minute trip to the resort.  If I remember correctly, if you go with a small group, they charge an arm-and-a-leg for that second ferry ride; but if you go with a large enough group then the fee is waived.  (Three years ago I took my family and we were able to piggy-back with another retreat to avoid the fee.) I strongly recommend this place for church youth group and cell group outings.

Hopefully, I’ve piqued your interested in this picturesque place.  If you’re considering making the journey, contact Brad, Mike, or Eric through Island Connections official website.

Telunas Beach – Island Connections