Where Is Telunas, and How Do You Get There?
Telunas Private Island is a real resort in Indonesia's Riau Islands, a province recognised by Indonesia's own national tourism board, about 50 km south of Singapore. Telunas has been operating there for more than 20 years. It is reached by ferry and boat via Batam, not by air, and the Telunas team travels with you for the transfer and boat legs rather than leaving you to navigate alone.
- The Journey: About 2.5 Hours, Via Batam
- Book the recommended 10:00am Sindo Ferry from Singapore's Harbourfront Centre Ferry Terminal to Sekupang, Batam, an approximately 60-minute crossing. Most guests land in Sekupang around 10:00 to 10:10am Batam time, one hour behind Singapore. The Telunas team, in blue polo shirts, meets you at Sekupang and guides you the rest of the way: a short 5-minute walk, then about 20 minutes of domestic terminal transit, then a further 60-minute boat ride through the Riau Archipelago to Telunas. Door to door, the journey runs approximately 2.5 hours.
- Entry Requirements
- Singapore passport holders get a free 30-day visa on arrival in Batam, and Singapore permanent residents travelling on an NRIC can enter visa-free for up to 4 days, per Telunas's own pre-arrival information guide. Other nationalities should confirm current requirements directly with Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration before booking. Visa rules can change, and it is worth getting right before you travel rather than at the terminal. For the complete journey breakdown, see the full travel information page.
What “Wellness” Actually Means Here
Telunas does not run a wellness programme with a printed schedule. WiFi runs on Starlink and is intentionally limited to a few designated public areas, not the villas, and there are no in-room TVs. For most guests staying in a standard Overwater Villa, there is no in-room air conditioning either, just natural cooling from the sea breeze; the Signature Overwater Villa and the Ridge Villas both add it, if that matters more to you than the breeze. An Overwater Spa Massage is available if you want one, in an open-air pavilion built on the reef shelf, but it is an additional-charge extra, not part of the daily rhythm.
Choosing Your Room: Overwater, Signature, or Ridge
The Overwater Villa, Signature Overwater Villa and Ridge Villas below are the room types at Telunas Private Island specifically; Telunas Beach Resort has its own, separately built overwater rooms and bungalows, a different style of stay this guide does not cover. Within Private Island, the choice comes down to air conditioning, privacy, and whether you are travelling with children.
| Room | Sleeps | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|
| Overwater Villa | Up to 5 (king bed plus a children's loft for 2 to 3) | 90 sqm, private balcony, natural sea-breeze cooling |
| Signature Overwater Villa | Up to 5 | Same setting, plus air conditioning and an in-villa minibar |
| Ridge Villas (adults-only) | 2 (king bed) | Private plunge pool, breakfast served at your villa |
Room facts current as of this article's last update; see each room page for live rates and availability.
The Overwater Villa is the natural fit for families or groups: 90 square metres with a sitting room, a private balcony and a children's loft sleeping two to three, alongside the king-size main bed, cooled by the sea breeze rather than air conditioning. Want air conditioning in the main room without leaving the overwater setting? The Signature Overwater Villa adds it, along with an in-villa minibar (reserve either from the same room page below). If you are travelling as a couple and privacy matters more than direct water access, the adults-only Ridge Villas sit on the ridge overlooking the sea, never waterfront, each with its own private plunge pool and breakfast served in your outdoor lounge each morning. Reaching them takes a short uphill walk that needs a moderate level of fitness.
What's Included, and What Costs Extra
Scheduled activities are included at no extra charge for the length of your stay. Daily activities run every day of your visit:
- Sea kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding
- The guided nature walk and deck jumping
- Jetty fishing, the freshwater infinity pool, and ping pong
A complimentary rotating roster fills in the rest of the schedule, subject to availability and shared with you on arrival: a cooking demonstration, a village tour, a seasonal jungle waterfall hike, a pottery lesson, a low ropes course, an evening bonfire, moon-gazing and island hopping, among others.
Meals are part of every stay too: a three-course breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, cooked from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. Overwater Villa and Signature Overwater Villa guests eat at the Grand Lodge. Ridge Villas guests have breakfast served at their own villa instead, but the meal plan itself is a required charge billed separately from the Ridge Villas room rate, not bundled into it (see “How Many Nights, and When to Book” below for the exact billing split).
A handful of experiences cost extra and need advance booking:
- Overwater Spa Massage (60 or 90 minutes, in an open-air pavilion on the reef shelf)
- The Fishing Boat Adventure
- Raft Building
- A Malay Lunch with a local family
- A Candlelight Dinner for two (book 2 to 3 days before arrival)
- The Klepon cooking class
None of it is required for a genuinely restful stay. It is there if you want it.
How Many Nights, and When to Book
Check-in at Telunas is 2:00pm and check-out is 9:00am, unless otherwise agreed with your host. There are two return-ferry options from Telunas, per its current schedule: an early departure leaving Telunas at 8:15am connecting to an 11:20am Sekupang-to-Singapore ferry, or the normal departure leaving at 1:15pm connecting to a 3:20pm ferry. Confirm the current schedule with your host before you book your return.
Because the journey runs to about half a day each way, two nights is a reasonable minimum for the trip to feel worth it. Three or more nights gives you a full day free of travel on both ends. Room rates cover the villa itself. For Ridge Villas specifically, the meal plan and the transfer between Singapore and the resort are required, billed separately, and confirmed when you book. Confirm the same billing split for your own chosen room on its page before you finalise dates, so dates and room get settled together rather than after.
Ready to Decide?
If the Overwater Villa is the right fit, reserve an Overwater Villa takes you to current rates and dates. Prefer the privacy of the ridge? Reserve Ridge Villas instead. Want to add a massage to the trip? book an Overwater Spa Massage alongside your stay. Still deciding, planning for a group, or travelling as a couple specifically? enquire with our team and we will help you plan around it, or see our couples wellness retreat guide if you are planning this specifically as a couple, or our guide for group organisers if you are planning a wellness trip for a larger group.
