Indonesia,

Beaches

All Indonesian beaches are coral. They look extremely pristine and layered as the water is transparent blue which allows a refractive peek into the coral belly of the water body. I went collecting shells and I collected some massive mother of pearl conch shells right on the beach the hotel hut was floating over

Hotel Bintan Laguna

So there are beach facing hotels and this one was on top of the ocean. So I had to walk 15 min into the ocean over really flimsy looking (but quite enduring)bamboo bridge to be able to get into my room or my hut. It was primitive in terms of construction so much so that you could be sleeping in the middle of the night and feel the waves hit the bamboo foundation my hut stood on. I was on an ocean cradle, being rocked to sleep. It was an extremely unique, adventurous, exotic and a pleasant experience indeed.

Fishing

When the hut is built on stilts in the ocean, it's obviously deep enough for fishing. I could simply open my window, look through the clear blue water, spot the fishes and throw my trap. The cach of the day gets cooked and is on my plate for dinner with localy brewed bintang beer. This is the local life and I enjoy living like Indonesians, when Indonesia !

Swing

This swing is also near my room. I got a relaxing massage just before I kept flying on this swing. This feeling of abandon and freedom is to die for.

Currency

Do you want to be a trillionaire. Yes it's possible by spending only $ 100. The exchange rate in Indonesia is $ 100 = rp 1329361.90 as of 25th March 2017. Though it might not really buy you what you think a trillion can it took care of our one day stay and food.

I had a trillion when I entered the country and I thought that would buy me a world but because the prices of smallest things are in thousands eg, coconut water for rp 30,000.00 I could survive for only one day including meals and accommodation in a trillion.

Every country is a whole new different world and I learnt to never compare any two different places ..

Please do not mind the most commonly available souvenirs of Bintan !!!