Trikora Beach 1 in Bintan Indonesia - Just Menong

December 2021, I had the opportunity to travel to the Riau Archipelago. There, I was invited to visit one of the famous beaches, namely Trikora 1 Beach, Bintan, one of the iconic beaches which has become a tourist destination in the Riau Islands.

Growing up and living in a city surrounded by mountains, made me love everything about the beach. The waves, the white sand, the coconut trees, the blue sky is an addiction that calls me to always come back.

I never deliberately took the time to go on vacation to the beach. It seems we can count the number of times we have visited Pangandaran Beach and Pelabuhan Ratu, which are beach tourism destinations in West Java.

Bintan Island

The Riau Archipelago or better known as Kepri is a province resulting from the division of Riau Province in 2002 and becoming the 32nd province in the republic. One of the islands in the Riau Islands province is Bintan Island, an island nicknamed a bushel of pepper, which is located not far from the Indonesia-Singapore border. 

Apart from the city of Tanjung Pinang which is the provincial capital, on the largest island in the Riau Islands there is a beautiful city, namely Bintan Regency. The city I am going to is about 42 km from Raja Haji Fisabilillah airport which is located in the provincial capital. Even so, the distance is not so far because there are no traffic jams.

Staying at the Comforta Hotel Tanjung Pinang, we enjoy the silence of Bintan Island which is famous for its literary work, Gurindam Dua Belas, the work of Raja Ali Haji. Loaded with Malay culture and customs, we spent two nights visiting the beautiful city of Tanjung Pinang and Bintan Regency which seemed not to be far away.

Trikora Beach

The second day, one of our colleagues invited us to release our fatigue after finishing work. That afternoon we glided through the quiet city but still showing its hidden beauty.

He used to serve in the capital city of Jakarta before deciding to fill the vacancy in the Riau Archipelago province. Having lived for almost a decade, apart from serving, he fills his free time with gardening. We even took the time to stop by to pick up garden produce in the form of bananas and corn. 

Along the way filled with nostalgic stories and interspersed with stories about Bintan Island. He also offered us to stop for a while at several tourist destinations around Tanjung Pinang - Bintan. The first stop is Trikora Beach which is located in the Village of Malang, Meeting, Gunung Kijang District, Bintan Island, Riau Archipelago.

That said, the name Trikora comes from the word ' three corral' , a nickname given by tourists to this beach because of the many corals or corals on this exotic beach. Another story says that 'Trikora' comes from 'Tri Komando Rakyat', a designation because this beach used to be the base for defense of Indonesia's outermost regions during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in the era of President Soekarno.

Trikora Beach is 45 km or 1 hour drive from the city of Tanjung Pinang. The streets are quiet without obstacles making the trip seem like it doesn't feel long. On the right and left of the road, simple people's plantations that look green are presented. There is no access to public transportation to Trikora Beach. As a reference, Menong friends can rent a car from Tanjung Pinang to Trikora beach for around Rp. 400,000 including a driver or motorbike at a cost of Rp. 100,000 per day.

Approaching the beach, the scenery changes to rows of fishing boats or commonly called kelongs, mangroves, and the beautiful beaches that tempt us to stop by right away. Trikora Beach stretches for 25 kilometers which is divided into 4 areas, namely Trikora 1, Trikora 2, Trikora 3 and Trikora 4. 

We chose to stop at Trikora 1 beach. Just like Tanjung Bira in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi , stretches of white sand, clear blue water dotted with waving coconut trees welcomed us. Because it is still in the atmosphere of a pandemic and working days, not many people come to visit so we are more free to explore the beach.

If Menong friends want lodging and other accommodation facilities, Trikora 3 and Trikora 4 beaches are more appropriate choices. In addition, the condition of the beach looks cleaner because it is under the management of hotel management. 

 games Seaside restaurants and banana boat , snorkeling are ready to accompany Menong friends to relax, enjoy the beauty of nature and spend vacation time with family.

Trikora 1

We arrived at the parking area that looks simple. There were no ticket booths in the parking area so we headed straight to the beach. Not far from the car stop, a row of bathrooms with doors. Usually I always avoid public toilets for fear of cleanliness. However, after I took a peek, the condition of the toilet was not as bad as I imagined. Even though it's not luxurious, the bathroom space is quite clean and can be used for my personal version.

Even though there are not many luxury facilities, Menong friends don't need to worry, Trikora 1 Beach and Trikora 2 Beach still present views that are no less beautiful even though they look simple.

Trikora Beach has unique characteristics in the form of white sand and a beach decorated with large rocks, ready to pamper your eyes so you can't take your eyes off the clear blue-green sea water. Trikora Beach has long been used as a tourist destination by the local government. 

No need to worry about a mediocre budget, many stalls selling food and drinks along the beach. We can rent a small Saung for Rp. 50,000 for shelter and rest.

In this hut, we continued our conversation while enjoying one of my favorite snacks, otak-otak. Otak-otak, a typical Sumatran culinary dish made from sea fish or squid. The taste is different from the otak-otak that we tasted in Java, apparently because of the different sea fish as the basic ingredient.

For the record, during the pandemic and especially on weekdays, not many tourists visited Trikora 1 Beach so the beach was relatively quieter. Of course, we are freer to enjoy the atmosphere of the beach without being disturbed by other visitors.

It's just that Menong's friends should bring their own lunch from home to anticipate that at least food stalls are open.

Favorite Destinations

Not many people know this one destination. Being far from Indonesia's favorite destinations such as Kuta Beach, Bali or Raja Ampat, West Papua , makes Trikora Beach less popular. But all this does not reduce the charm of this beach which is still surrounded by villages.

Trikora Beach has a different view from other beaches. This beach has a unique character because at low tide it will turn into a muddy puddle. This beach is lined with coconut trees which are lined up combined with mangrove trees which add to the beauty and beauty of the beach.

Large stones are the hallmark of Trikora 1 beach which is often used as an instagramable photo spot by visitors. Not only that, many anglers take advantage of these large rocks as the best spots.

This beach has become a domestic and foreign tourist destination. A pile of large stones slightly out to sea resembles an island that Menong's friends can climb. Be careful not to slip while stepping.

I'm getting more and more excited to find the best spot. I also took the time to take selfies and enjoy the sea water gently touching my feet, looking for clams and hermit crabs among the crashing waves.

When Menong's friends visit Trikora 1 Beach, Bintan, don't forget sunglasses and a hat because the weather is very hot. There aren't many trash cans that we can find there, so don't forget to take home any trash that Menong's friends throw away. Love the beach, take care of the environment!