Bintan Island, a short ferry ride away from Singapore is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It has been a popular (short) getaway destination for locals as well as long-stay visitors of Singapore. Most hotels and resorts on the island used to accept foreign currencies (mainly SGD and USD). However, following an alleged government policy that requires all transactions to be made in the Indonesian rupiah (IDR), this is starting to change.

Major hotel chain Banyan Tree Bintan, part of the Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts group, has stopped accepting foreign currency. More hotels are expected to follow suit so it is definitely something to keep in mind should you decide to head over. Batam has also quite recently made a reputation for itself in being strict on the level of tolerated noise.

Click HERE to access the article on The Straits Times for more information on this new implementation.