Travelers from Singapore will soon have a new vacation option — one that doesn’t require a flight.
A new Indonesian private island, named ONE°15 Marina Nirup Island, opened in July nine miles south of Singapore.
The launch — the first of two phases — included the opening of a restaurant and bar, ferry terminal and marina that can hold 44 yachts up to 150 feet long. Immigration and customs services are also available, though currently by appointment only.
Nirup Island is accessible only via private boat, according to a company representative, but that will change upon completion of the second phase of development in 2024.
A luxury hotel in the works
Ferry services are set to coincide with the opening of a Westin Hotels & Resorts property, currently scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a company representative.
The hotel will have 94 rooms and 52 villas, according to the representative.
Another development, The Riahi Residences, is scheduled to open during the second phase of the island’s opening, with two- and three-bedroom villas — some beachside, some overwater — according to the company’s website.
Fifty villas will be for sale, while an additional 30 will be managed by the island’s Westin hotel, according to the representative.
Westin Hotels & Resorts currently operates 12 hotels in Southeast Asia, including one in Singapore and the Philippines.
A leisure and business retreat
Nirup Island is owned by PT. Tritunas Sinar Benua, an Indonesian real estate developer, and is managed by the marina operator SUTL Enterprise.
Arthur Tay, CEO of SUTL Enterprise, said the opening of the marina will ease demand for yachting berths in Singapore.
“Our aspiration was to curate an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind luxury destination for boaters and travelers,” he told CNBC Travel. “The island also hopes to entice our ever-growing business traveler demographic … as a destination for corporate retreats and MICE events.”
Other options in the Riau Islands
ONE°15 Marina Nirup Island is part of Indonesia’s Riau Islands, a province in the South China Sea where several private island hotels have been developed over the past two decades.
One of them is Bawah Reserve, an island resort opened in 2017. Bawah Reserve sits nearly 185 miles northeast of Singapore and is accessible by ferry, followed by seaplane. The resort includes six islands and 36 bungalows and suites, according to its website.
Nikoi Private Island opened in 2007, and is around 53 miles from Singapore. In 2017, the owners opened a second private island, Cempedak, that welcomes guests aged 16 or older.
The Telunas brand operates two hotels in the Riau Islands, including Telunas Private Island Resort. Opened in 2004, the resort has overwater villas that come with balconies and children’s lofts.
Of these resorts, Nirup Island is the closest to Singapore.
“My vision has always been to create a beautiful necklace of pearls, adorning the coastlines of this region, with each pearl representing a unique ONE°15 Marina,” said Tay.