Mount Bintan, Riau Islands Province, Indonesia

5shinraemonsam 5:00 PM Sep 3, 2017

You don't need a guide. Seriously, how do you dress yourself?
In short: • real jungle walk: snakes spotted • 2 hours up and down for reasonably fit people • 20,000 entry • no guide needed in the slightest - follow the rope!

4lamlani 5:00 PM Sep 25, 2016

Not a beginner's hike, but it's fun
So a small group of 12 of us decided to sign up for this hike with BRC Tours. They arranged two 7-seater cars to pick us up from the hotel at 9am. There were 2 others who joined this tour, and we have 3 local guides to accompany us. Frankly, after the 1st 30 minutes ascending up, I realised it's not going to be an easy hike. And when I looked back, I realised the slope is steep and almost impossible to turn back. So we changed our mindset and decided we have to carry on no matter what. We were blessed with good weather because it would be much more challenging if it rained. We took many mini breaks in between to let some members rest and catch up. Some tips if you wish to attempt this hike: bring a walking stick, pack sufficient water but don't over do it, travel light. Wear cotton or dri-fit materials because you will sweat buckets, long pants preferred. Shirts can be short sleeves but if you are a mosquito magnet pls cover up. Wear gloves. Wear covered shoes, not open toes. Bring mosquito repellent. Sun glasses optional but a cap would do the job. The route is 99% unpaved. The ascending route is harder and took us 2hrs. There is a viewing tower at the summit but it's really old, so only 2 pax to go on it at any point of time. Descending is much easier and we took 1 hr. There is a waterfall at the end and water is clean enough to drink. (I tried it, nothing happened to me) Definitely engaged a local guide, we booked through BRC Tours and didn't regret it. After the hike, the driver drove us to a kelong for seafood lunch and we like it. Basic fitness required for this hike. But human minds are very strong, if you are determine to complete it, nothing will stop you. We met a group of retirees Singaporeans / Malaysians of ages 60s and 70s, they could do it too. You maybe visiting Bintan for a chillaxing holiday but I definitely encourage you to try an adventure, it will be an unforgettable experience.