Cempedak Island

Why book?

For a grown-up castaway experience immersed in nature, it’s as though an eco-minded Robinson Crusoe has crafted a laid-back, five-star, tropical island retreat.

Set the scene

An island fringed by ribboning, gilt-coloured sands, where hermit crabs skitter, shells sprinkled where the South China Sea meets the shore, with thick jungle at its heart, two-thirds of this 17-hectare private island remain deliciously wild and undeveloped. Feeling far more remote than the journey from Singapore would have you believe (reached by a ferry from Tanah Merah to Bintan, a chauffeured drive, and a speedboat combination taking around three hours). Sometimes, Irrawaddy dolphins or otters can be glimpsed from its bamboo and alang-alang thatched villas, which blend sensitively into the leafy landscape, bird’s nest-like, with striking spiral staircases and crescent-moon-shaped roofing. The ambience is grown-up, enveloped by nature serenity, and the international adults-only crowd (guests must be 16+; sister hotel, nearby Nikoi Island is the best best for families) comprises Singaporean creatives and couples, clad in Ong Shunmugan kaftans, Orlebar Brown trunks and wide-brimmed straw sunhats on kick-back-and-relax microbreaks, loved-up newlyweds breaking into laughter over toppling Jenga bricks and briny Bloody Marys by the infinity pool, and nature enthusiasts who discard flipflops to wander barefoot, whilst keeping binoculars close at hand willing hornbills to make an appearance.

The backstory

Cempedak is the follow-up act from banker-turned-hotelier Andrew Dixon to fellow hit Riau archipelago private island Nikoi, an eco-hideaway with stylish accommodations built from driftwood, which, since its opening in 2007, has proved a magnet for bohemian, sustainably minded families. A decade later, guests keen for a similar, more grown-up escape collided with an opportunity for Dixon to acquire a second, nearby island, and so, in 2017, adults-only Cempedak opened. Its founding principles – informed by an environmentally-conscious ethos and values which ‘protect the islands, support local communities, and do business in a … fair and future-focused way,’ says Dixon – mirrored those at Nikoi, and still hold strong today. Sydney-born Dixon’s environmentally friendly hospitality approach – with properties conceived, built, and operated with a sustainability-first mindset – stems from a lifelong connection with nature, holidays spent camping by the Hawkesbury River, and barefoot summers on the Bouddi Peninsula’s beaches. Ahead of the curve, at a time when sprawling buffets of produce flown in from across the globe, and blasting air conditioning signified luxury to some, Dixon leant into sustainable architecture, combining natural topography and design to enable Cempedak’s stylish all-bamboo villas to be cooled by the sea breeze, and adopted set, delicious menus which embodied a low-waste approach. Since its opening, it has proved a hit with adults seeking soulful island escapism.

The rooms

With curvaceous walls, built in fast-growing Indonesian bamboo, split-level villas with a spiral staircase which winds seashell-like between a ground-floor lounge and upstairs living quarters have the grounding feel of being wrapped in a tropical bamboo forest. Decoration is minimal; in the lounges, spiky, wood-carved Cempedak (jackfruit) sculptures are propped on cluster-of-bamboo tables, and reclaimed teak furniture rubs up against Pierre Frey fabrics. Upstairs, woodsy four-poster beds are curtained in billowing mosquito nets, and open, stone-floored showers are stocked with all-natural, lemon-calendula-rose toiletries. During three separate stays here, I’ve honed my villa favourites. While both jungle and beach locations are equally striking, I prefer a beachside villa for leisurely, straight-to-the-sands access. At golden hour, I adore flinging back the floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper balcony, sipping a cup of coffee (complimentary grounds from Aceh province are provided), and relishing the breeze, as the balcony’s centrally split bamboo railings cast wavy shadows of its geometric interiors onto the bedroom floor. Entire afternoons can disappear into the ether, spent floating, starfish-like, in the teal, droplet-shaped plunge pool, punctuated by icy watermelon shakes ordered straight to the villa via an in-room iPad. There are no bathtubs, televisions or hairdryers (don’t worry, you won’t miss them for a second) and yoga mats and TRX systems for the actively-inclined.

Food and drink

It’s a clever thing when a property’s sole restaurant delivers a completely set menu, yet it’s so tasty and diverse that one feels totally spoilt. At Cempedak’s restaurant, reached by elevated wooden walkways, Medanese chef Dika whips up authentic Indonesian fare – nasi lemak, sweet and sour tempeh, pineapple crumble with coconut sorbet – alongside some western dishes, rich in produce from Cempedak’s 7-acre farm on Bintan Island and local markets. Low-waste is the watchword, with any small amount of kitchen waste eventually becoming nutrient-rich compost. To bag the loveliest tables, which jut out in frond-like tendrils towards the sea and afford extra privacy, opt for an early dinner. As for drinks, sundowner piña coladas at the hip Dodo Bar, a triple-tier bamboo structure where David Bowie records spin on a (yep, you guessed it) bamboo record player, are only outdone by swim-up drinks, which, during fair weather, can be ordered at a kelong (floating fishing platform) turned-bar which bobs offshore.

The spa

The small, yet lovely Rock Spa boasts breathtaking views out to a mangrove-filled bay, patrolled by white-bellied sea eagles, and features a clutch of treatment rooms cooled by the sea breeze. These rooms are ideal for facials using Sensatia products and massages utilising locally sourced virgin coconut oil.

The neighbourhood

Given its private island locale, your neighbours – bar other guests – are monitor lizards, hornbills, and swallowtail butterflies. Activities showcase Cempedak’s wild landscapes and seascapes, offering complimentary forest birdwatching and night walk safaris, yoga sessions, and watersports equipment, including SUP, kayaking, snorkelling, and windsurfing. For an additional charge, catamaran rentals, scuba diving, and visits to deserted islands can be arranged. As well as two grass tennis courts, an in-the-forest archery range, and a rock climbing setup have opened in recent years.

The service

The long-serving, warm-hearted team here make you feel like you’re part of the family in a flash, remembering names, favourite dishes, and keenly assessing whether guests’ sporting talent warrants an invitation to join hotly-contested staff volleyball matches. The style is refreshingly informal yet efficient, ensuring guests feel warm-and-fuzzy cared-for, without being overfussed. Jaslan, who heads up watersports, is as likely to chat about birds as he is to offer SUP tips, while resident marine biologist Mutia and talented pianist might, on occasion, pull up a stool to tinkle the keys at the restaurant piano.

Eco effort

Cempedak (and sister hotel NIkoi) has been a true trailblazer in setting the standard for responsible tourism in the region, an exemplar of how responsible tourism can go hand-in-hand with boutique, luxury.

From the outset, Cempedak’s has had a no-air-con ethos, featuring striking bioclimatic and biophilic architecture, solar panels, technology to boost energy efficiency, and wastewater gardens. The decision to build villas (including floors, walls, staircases, and light fittings) and structural walkways from Indonesian bamboo was made due to its sustainability credentials, as it is a fast-growing and robust material. Cempedak’s restaurant utilises ingredients grown in its kitchen garden, a seven-acre farm on mainland Bintan, and local markets. Fixed menus help reduce food waste, as kitchen scraps are transformed by a closed-loop on-site composting system. Black soldier fly larvae efficiently break down organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, which is then used as a sustainable feed for chickens and fish.

Despite consideration for the environment being integral to all aspects of Cempedak, it wears its sustainability credentials lightly, showcasing its efforts to guests in an engaging, refreshing, and unpreachy manner. Free, well-attended sustainability tours – most guests jump at the chance to get a behind-the-scenes peek – see enthusiastic staff point out monitor lizards rootling through compost beds, and identify rosella and ropes of bright-blue butterfly pea in the kitchen garden. Naturalists and marine biologists regularly survey the island’s flora and fauna, as well as coral health and water quality, while a sustainability manager assesses how to strengthen long-term environmental stewardship across the property. Staff are encouraged to eco-innovate; recent staff-led successes include converting waste kitchen oil into mosquito-repellent candles and using leftover fruit to make syrups, which are then used to create sweets.

As well as The Island Foundation, a charity started by Dixon, in 2009 – supporting a raft of local education initiatives, Dixon, alongside local stakeholders, was instrumental in helping to create a 138,500-hectare Marine Protected Area in East Bintan, and is currently speaking out against a proposed industrial park on an undeveloped island which neighbours Cempedak, highlighting its potential negative ramifications for environment and community.

Accessibility

Not suitable for travellers with accessibility needs.

Anything left to mention?

Dietary requirements (such as vegetarian, vegan, etc.) can be well catered to within set menus; just be sure to let the property know in advance.

One thing I wish I’d known before visiting is that sandy beaches here are slender and rich in wild, rocky romance, rather than wide sweeps of golden sands (sister hotel Nikoi is the one to pick for these). Oh, and if you’re planning to ‘work-from-private island’, there is wifi, but it can be pretty patchy; another reason to simply pop out of the office while here and switch off.

Anything I’d change? While I love the discreet luxury of private car transfers across Bintan Island to reach the speedboat to Cempedak, perhaps there’s scope for an eco-minded, luxe-touches carshare or larger vehicle to transport guests going in the same direction?