I kicked off 2018 at Telunas Private Island, one of the properties of Telunas Resorts, which is a resort that focuses on geo-tourism (sustaining or enhancing the geographical character of a place) and is basically a peaceful getaway in paradise. I have been sharing all about it on social media, and so many people have messaged about how to get here and how much it costs, so I’m going to do a full review of the property and let you know what to expect when you stay here.

How to Get to Telunas Private Island

It’s just 50 km from Singapore, although the island is technically in Indonesia. You’ll take a ferry from Singapore or wherever you are to Batam, Indonesia which will take about 45 minutes. The Telunas staff will meet you there and then you’ll take a longtail boat (so cool and they have snacks) about 1.5 hours to the island.

Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island

For me, I flew from Goa to Singapore and stayed the night in Singapore before going. I totally recommend you check out Singapore for a couple days before or after your trip. You can go from the airport to hotel to Harbourfront Ferry terminal all on the MRT (local transportation) really easy and very cheap. Tip: if you go for the morning ferry, there are Starbucks, McDonald’s, Coffee Bean, and all kinds of breakfast places at the ferry terminal so you can grab coffee and such before you board. If you want a hotel near the MRT, I stayed at the Dorsett which was just perfect – in Chinatown, next to an MRT stop.

When you book, Telunas staff will help you time out when you should get the ferry based on your flights and where you are coming from and help you book it. It’s all very organized and easy. When you arrive at Telunas private island, you’ll be greeted with the friendly staff, a cold towel, and a cucumber welcome drink.

telunas island

telunas island

telunas island

telunas island

The Rooms at Telunas Private Island

Staying on a private island is cool but I think the biggest reason people are so obsessed with this hotel is that it’s the only overwater villas near Singapore! I had never stayed in one before and it’s been a dream of mine – walking into my room was all “wow, omg, the view, the wood, the bed, it’s amazing!”. The girl who helped check me in was just laughing like she hears this 10x a day from guests.

Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island

Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island

Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island

telunas island

The wood in the room is reclaimed, mostly from old fishing boats. These villas are stunning. You can’t walk in without being wowed – and they’ve been designed with all Malay and Indonesian touches. All 15 villas are the same with a living room, loft with two beds, a bedroom that opens to the ocean, and a bathroom. The rooms can fit up to 5 people.

In terms of amenities, they have all the basics like shampoo and conditioner but also offer aloe, mosquito spray, and a list of extras they will bring you on request. They have coffee, tea, and a water dispenser in the room. A lot of people messaged asking about mosquitos and honestly I only ever heard one (didn’t see it) buzzing one night but never got a bite and didn’t even use the spray. Usually, over salt water, mosquitos aren’t as much of an issue. The room does not have A/C but has a strong fan which was fine (and I’m addicted to A/C). The bed was so soft and I was tired from traveling. The first night I went to bed at 10 and woke up at 10. Not bad!

telunas island

Right now, rooms are going for around $206 (2,950,000 IDR) per night. What a steal, no!? You can check availability and book here. Prices change based on peak season so you can input dates and see what the price is when you want to go.

Food at Telunas Private Island

Your food is automatically added to your room rate for $60 (850,000 IDR) a day or $31 (350,000 IDR) for kids. Breakfast is a buffet, lunch is a set Indonesian meal, and for dinner, you can choose ahead between 3 dishes (mix of Indonesian and European). Drinks are on an honors system and you can take what you want from the communal fridge.

telunas island

Indonesian soup to die for, chicken from the kid’s meal (I’m a kid still), beef wellington

telunas private island

Pasta, salads, soups: there is no shortage of food. There is also a bar by the pool with snacks like nachos and cocktails. If you want something special, they will arrange a candlelit dinner or a village tour to have lunch with some locals. I was never hungry enough to even need the snacks I packed (I mean, you can’t go to an island unprepared, haha).

Activities on Telunas Private Island

This is a place to have a social media detox, and detach from the online world and enjoy the jungle around you. I won’t lie – that is hard for me! I brought books and movies because I thought “Ah, I’ll get so bored!” but in the end, I never watched any movies. I did read by the pool but spent time doing the free activities they had and chatting with other guests. (If you want a good book, [easyazon_link identifier=”1101904240″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Dark Matter[/easyazon_link] was amazing).

Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island

They have kayaks, standup paddle boards, and games like cornhole and ping-pong. They also offer daily activities like treks, things for the kids, and bonfires. You can take the kayak over the island across from Telunas, which is their other resort and hang out there if you want. You can go on a solo trek around the island, too – there is a path.

You could also just chill by the infinity pool and read, my favorite vacay activity.

telunas island

Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island

telunas island

Details for Staying at Telunas Private Island

telunas island

You MUST get a massage. You cannot come here and not book one. It was the most insane experience because it’s on an overwater structure and while I was having my massage a HUGE thunderstorm came through. My masseuse kept going and I cannot even explain how cool it was. I think no other massage in my life will compare to having one while you can hear the strongest rain, wind, and water splashing on rocks below. There were tarps she pulled down, so I didn’t get wet, but I could peak below and see the ocean crashing. So wild! The sunsets are amazing so you might want to plan to finish your massage right as the sun is going down. When you go for a shower after, use the ones at the spa which are open-air showers with amazing views.

Pin this peek into Telunas resorts for later: