Vanya Vetto

Batam & Bintan Vanya Vetto

Batam and Bintan can't make up it's mind if it wants to be a cheap Singapore or Bali's ugly sister. The island itself has all the potential to be a leading resort. But the fact that it was first and foremost a haven for pirates who raided ships on the Strait of Malacca. That reputation still lingers like a bad smell. The island to this day still has that infamous label as a place to acquire illegal ivory and fake jade, reports the author, on a lightening tour of the two islands.