Gladis woke before her alarm.
Beyond the curtains of her villa, the morning light was slowly finding its way across the sea. Somewhere below, the sound of the waves came and went with the breeze, quiet enough to make her forget that she was only a short ferry ride from Singapore.
She was staying at Banyan Tree Bintan, surrounded by tropical trees and the quiet coastline of the island. After yesterday's journey from Singapore, the resort had been exactly what she needed—a place to slow down, breathe, and let the island settle around her.
But this morning was different. She had somewhere to go.
After breakfast, Gladis returned to her villa and prepared her things. Swimwear, sunscreen, towel, phone. She checked everything twice, then looked at the time: Her guide would be arriving soon.
1. Toward Another Side of Bintan
When the car finally appeared, she left the quiet of the resort behind. The road slowly carried her away from the resort area and toward another side of Bintan. The scenery began to change: Resort entrances gave way to stretches of green. Small houses appeared beside the road. Motorbikes passed occasionally, and in the distance, palm trees moved gently in the morning wind.
Gladis looked through the window. Yesterday, she had only seen Bintan from the ferry terminal. Today, she was beginning to see the island itself.
2. The Floating Snorkeling Shelter
After some time, they reached the coast. A boat was waiting near the shore. Gladis stepped aboard, and the warm sea breeze immediately brushed against her face as the boat moved away from the beach.
Ahead, Gladis noticed a structure sitting quietly in the middle of the sea. At first, she thought it was simply a floating platform. As the boat came closer, she realized it was much more than that: It was their floating snorkeling shelter.
The open sea stretched in every direction—no roads, no buildings, no traffic. Just the shelter, the horizon, and the endless blue. Beneath the clear surface, a long formation of coral reefs stretched out, creating an underwater kingdom waiting to be explored.
3. Entering the Underwater World
Her guide prepared the snorkeling equipment: Mask. Fins. Life jacket. Gladis slipped on her gear and looked down once more. From above, the water had looked calm and almost empty. But beneath the surface, it was alive.
She took a deep breath and entered the water. The world changed instantly.
"The sound of the boat disappeared. The wind disappeared. Beneath her was another Bintan—rows of coral stretched through clear water, small fish darted between the reef, and sunlight painted moving patterns across the ocean floor."
Gladis floated slowly above it all. For a while, she forgot about Singapore, forgot about the ferry, and forgot about the road back on the island. There was only the water, the reef, and the quiet rhythm of her own breathing.
She had seen Bintan from the shore. She had seen it from the sea. And now she had discovered what was hiding beneath the blue.
Missed Episode 1? Read Gladis's Journey Across the Sea
Catch up on how Gladis traveled from Melaka and Singapore: Gladis Series 1 — The Sea Was the Reason She Came
Want to experience Bintan like Gladis did? Explore our Bintan tour experiences and discover the island beyond the usual getaway.