Dubbed the new Maldives of Southeast Asia, Bawah Reserve is nothing short of spectacular. Bawah Reserve is in Indonesia – fast becoming the new top travel destination, Indonesia was recently voted the number one country in the world to visit by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (CNTraveler) Readers Choice Awards 2019.
Bawah is situated in the lesser-known Anambas – part of the larger Riau Island province, the Anambas Islands are a small chain of islands located between peninsular Malaysia and the island of Borneo – roughly 300 kilometers from Singapore.
The area comprises around 250 islands, of which only 10% are inhabited by some 50,000 people. Terempa, the administrative capital, is located a few hours by boat from the Reserve. Bawah means “below” in Bahasa Indonesian, a moniker chosen to fit our resort’s position at the bottom of the Anambas Island archipelago.
Aquamarine water glitters under the sun, and lush greenery spans almost the entire island, you’ll definitely feel like you’ve been lost in a secret paradise, not that you’ll be complaining!
You’ll also be pleased to know that Bawah Reserve takes its sustainability seriously, preserving the natural surroundings and incorporating sustainability into its design and construction.
Plans are slowly but surely being made to start using solar as a means to generate their electricity, beautiful and good for the environment!
Opened in July 2017, Bawah is one of the world’s most exciting new hideaways: remote, beautiful, and with bar-raising environmental policies.
Days can be spent hiking through butterfly-filled primary rainforest, gliding over pink, purple and electric-blue corals in see-through kayaks, snorkeling with clownfish, triggerfish, parrotfish, and, if you’re lucky, green turtles.
The 36 villas, 11 of which are stilted above the water, are made from recycled teak and local bamboo and fit effortlessly into the scheme of things, with their rustic-smart interiors, balconies, crisp white canopied beds, and hammered-copper bathrooms.
The big design statements have been saved for the main building, where a swarm of jellyfish chandeliers is strung across the dining room and a wispy octopus made from discarded fishing line dangles above the bar.
The food is sunny and seriously good: luminous yellow seafood laksa, lemony scallop risotto, and zingy salads plucked from the 800 square meters of organic gardens. After dark, the stars will stop you in your barefooted tracks, the silvery bay lit not by moonlight but by the glow of the Milky Way.
Rates: From IDR 41,961,281.49 per room per night (approximately USD 2210) (includes all transfers from Singapore, meals and drinks, unlimited spa treatments, and water activities)
How to get to Bawah Reserve
Jakarta/Indonesia to Bawah
Organize a flight on one of the many carriers that operate the Jakarta – Batam route – It’s a 1hr 45 min flight. If you want to travel the same day to Bawah you will need to arrive by 8:00 am – currently, Lion Air has a daily direct flight at 6:00 am arriving at 7:45 am which is ideal.
You may also opt to spend one night in Batam and we will collect you via private car from your hotel at 8:00 am the next morning.
