Province Riau Islands | ||
 | ||
Pulau Nikoi is a 15-hectare (37-acre) resort island located 8 kilometres (5 mi) off the east coast of Bintan, Indonesia, approximately 85 kilometres (53 mi) southeast of Singapore. The island was purchased by Andrew and Julia Dixon, an Australian couple visiting Bintan, in 2005 and developed, with the aid of a group of financiers, into a boutique private island resort named Nikoi Island. The resort opened in 2007, and as of 2010 consists of fifteen beach houses. The island has been ranked as one of the best private islands in the world by Condé Nast Traveller and reviewed extensively by the world's travel press.
Map of Pulau Nikoi, Teluk Bakau, Gunung Kijang, Bintan Regency, Riau Islands, Indonesia
The island has a maximum height of thirty metres, and consists of white sand beaches studded with white granite boulders, with coral reef off-shore. Two thirds of the island is Banyan forest, home to various bird species, while turtles are said to nest on the island's beaches.
The resort is marketed as an eco-resort, with the use of driftwood as a construction material and alang alang grass as roofing. A double-layered roof design improves ventilation and means that rooms do not require air conditioning. Solar panels are use for heating water and a hybrid solar PV array provides renewal energy for up to 12 hours a day. Diesel generators are required for water pumping and refrigeration.
As part of the operators' commitment to sustainable tourism, a non-governmental organization (NGO) called The Island Foundation was registered as a charity in Singapore in 2009 to support the community on Bintan Island. The resort was a runner-up in Wild Asia's 2009 and 2012 Responsible Tourism Awards (Mid-size to Small Accommodation Operators category) and went on to win this award the in 2015. The resort has gone on to win or be a finalist in many other responsible tourism awards notably National Geographic's inaugural World Legacy Awards in 2014. Nikoi is also a member of the The Long Run, a group dedicated to achieving sustainability through the balance of the 4Cs (conservation, community, culture and commerce).
The resort is accessed by launch from Kawal, a small town on Bintan, one hour's drive from the Bintan Resorts ferry terminal.