TOURISM

Penyengat Island
and Grand Mosque of Sultan Riau

Penyengat is a historical small island located about 6 kilometres offshore from Tanjung Pinang, which was a religious, cultural & administrative centre of the region in the 19th century of the Riao-Johor sultanate. The old ruler's palace & royal tombs, among them the grave of the respected Raja Ali Haji, who also was an author of the first Malay Language grammar book.

The main attraction in Penyengat is the acoustically perfect yellow mosque, built in 1818, still standing tall and well-preserved. Its charm lies in a fairytale local belief that the mosque had been built with the egg whites lovingly presented by loyal subjects on the eve of the sultan's wedding.

Tepi Laut

Tepi laut (waterfront in English), is a very interesting place for recreation in the afternoon, especially for young people. Many hawkers sell variety of local delights at roadside. The air is so refreshing in which might make you want to rent a bike & cycling along the way at Tepi laut. Try Jagung Bakar covered with milk, Kacang Panggang, ice cream & many other foods offered by local hawkers.

Raja Haji Fisabillah Monument

Raja Haji Fisabilillah died during the battle of Malacca against the Dutch in 1784. A 28-metre tall Monument was erected in his memory as the national hero of Bintan Island. He was a famous Malayan king and had his palace (istana) on the island Penyengat.

Senggarang

The oldest temple in Riau archipelago can be found here. Locals believe Senggarang was the first home for Chinese immigrants a long time ago, who then spread throughout the other island of Riau archipelago. Temple complex including Chinese and Hinduist worshipping places. This includes a 40-armed statue and several animal deities. From there, you can walk to a stilt house village to visit its local market for nice local food. There are boats going from Tanjung Pinang piers to Senggarang frequently, haggle for price.