Bawah (“below” in Bahasa Indonesia) is positioned within the lowest a part of the 255-island Anambas archipelago, which is roughly 280km northeast of Singapore. It’s a four-hour skip away, from a chauffeured trip out of your Singapore residence or lodge to the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to a scenic 80-minute flight on an amphibious seaplane from Batam’s Hold Nadim Worldwide Airport.
As lush, foliage-clad islands surrounded by shades of blue loomed into view, there have been spontaneous gasps of awe. The second we stepped off the aircraft onto the boardwalk, chronological time fades, and the times are marked by each day spa remedies, meals with toes within the sand, wanderings in 100 hectares of untouched forest — all included within the each day room price.
On our first evening, we had a magical seaside dinner, lit up by the closest, largest, and brightest Tremendous Blue Moon of 2023. There have been no unhealthy meals, actually, as we slurped up Indonesian soto ayam at breakfast and dug into scorching barbecued meats with sambal for dinner. Non-public seashores aplenty — 13 spots to be precise — meant no lack of picnic spots to tuck into of tasty roast pork sandwiches, satisfyingly crunchy zucchini noodles, wholesome grain bowls and protein bars in bamboo tiffin. Placid turquoise waters made kayaking across the islands a tranquil deal with.