Luxury beach getaway with a worthwhile cause
Indonesia’s Telunas Beach Resort is on a mission to make a difference for local communities and the environment.
Ordering a cocktail in a resort on Batam Island, Indonesia, was the most natural thing. After all, it cost only SGD$10 (about USD$7) – as a Singaporean, it was cheap by my local standards.
Until I chatted with the enthusiastic young waiter who brought the cocktail, and discovered that he earned less than USD$7 a day. It was a shock to realise that my alcoholic indulgence cost more than what he earned each day.
I never forgot the incident. It didn’t stop me from visiting beach resorts, but it constantly reminded me of the realities of income and wealth gaps around Asia.
To be sure, there’s nothing wrong with spending one’s hard-earned money on luxuries.
But what if a significant portion of it went to improving the livelihoods of those serving us? What if their lives could be transformed through our spending? Surely it would make our spending more meaningful, and give greater satisfaction to any holiday.
It was exactly this satisfaction that I felt at Telunas Beach Resort.
Introducing Telunas
If you’ve never heard of Telunas, you might want to consider it seriously, because the exclusive resort really has a lot to offer.
Sitting on Sugi island around 50km from Singapore (an hour’s ferry ride from Sekupang in Batam), it has just 18 bungalows and rooms – all overwater – and its own beach. A sister resort on Telunas Private Island nearby is even more exclusive, boasting 15 overwater and 5 hilltop villas, a pool and a spa.
Unblocked, expansive views of the sea.
Unblocked, expansive views of the sea.
What makes it really special is the delicious feeling of isolation. There is no shopping mall nearby, with just one dining room, serving a simple but delicious selection of local delights each day though staff would be more than happy to rustle up a special meal for the kids. There is also no wi-fi (you can use mobile data if you really need to get online).
It's a place designed to help you digitally disconnect and rest.
Each of the overwater bungalows on Telunas Beach Resort is a standalone affair, making for a very private stay, with only the sound of the sea the only accompaniment each evening.
Each of the overwater bungalows on Telunas Beach Resort is a standalone affair, making for a very private stay, with only the sound of the sea the only accompaniment each evening.
There are some fun things to do like kayaking, stand-up paddling and beach volleyball, but the intention is for you to just unwind. To spend the day lounging about taking in the sea breeze, or enjoying your book while laying on your hammock, or feeling the sand under your feet as you wade in the sea.
Total Bliss.
Adding to the charm is the rustic build of the eco-friendly resort. Most of it is built from local hardwood, it’s big on recyclables, and power-hungry facilities are kept to a minimum. That means no air-con in any of the rooms, but the constant sea breeze keeps you cool all the time.
The family-friendly overwater bungalows at Telunas Beach Resort have enough room for the family.
The family-friendly overwater bungalows at Telunas Beach Resort have enough room for the family.
Solar power accounts for some 60 per cent of the private island’s power needs, and the resort is also into turtle conservation and mangrove planting.
The eco-friendly resort is big on energy conservation and the use of recyclables.
The eco-friendly resort is big on energy conservation and the use of recyclables.
Yet, beneath the surface of this jewel in the Riau islands, I can sense something truly different.
The majority of the staff – about 60 per cent – come from nearby villages, and are quick to tell of how their lives have been changed by Telunas.
Making a real difference
A visit to the village of Sugie, about 8km down the coast, confirms the feeling. As Idaman Laoli, a director of Telunas Beach Resort and the managing director of Telunas Foundation, takes me down a track, he points to each of the homes.
Some are newly-built and made of concrete instead of wood. “One of our staff lives here,” he says. “A former employee built that house. About 50 per cent of our local staff come from Sugie.”
Life is slow and simple in Sugie village on Sugi island, though many villagers are seeking to improve their lives.
Life is slow and simple in Sugie village on Sugi island, though many villagers are seeking to improve their lives.
While Telunas could have just hired skilled workers from afar, it has instead made it a point to hire as many locals as possible, even if this requires many hours of training and counselling – something a relatively small business can ill-afford.
And that’s what sets Telunas apart.
Instead of the “usual” corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes like funding charities, building facilities, and starting publicity-friendly initiatives, Telunas spends an inordinate amount of time and manpower on less-visible programmes like family and life counselling, skills training, and individual empowerment – what Idaman calls “holistic community development”.
Among other things, Telunas Foundation sends staff to nearby villages to teach English, counsel couples facing marriage issues, and teach families how to manage their money. It also hands out university scholarships and takes on interns.
Staff from Telunas Foundation are sent to nearby villages like Sugie to teach English, as part of Telunas’ mission to make an impact on the communities around it.
Staff from Telunas Foundation are sent to nearby villages like Sugie to teach English, as part of Telunas’ mission to make an impact on the communities around it.
It also runs camps for international schools, largely from Singapore, where students learn life skills and help villages by building sports facilities, repairing homes and schools, and setting up computer labs.
These camps help instil the values of self and mutual help – something that has driven Telunas since it was founded in 2004. While it is run as a for-profit business, it is determined to make a positive, long-term impact on the lives of its staff and communities around it.
This was the mission the original founders of Telunas wanted to pursue, right from the very beginning. They wanted to find a business they could run that would help the local communities in a sustainable manner, while still remaining profitable.
“They concluded that tourism was the best way,” recalls Idaman. “A business like a resort could penetrate remote villages, employ villagers, involve and give to whole communities, and develop the areas around it. Instead of taking resources like some other businesses did, it could give to the community.”
This is why Idaman and his team have spent countless hours persuading staff, suppliers, partners, and villagers to send their kids to school, showing families the value of saving money, and helping people figure out their purpose in life.
Community financial management classes run by Telunas have helped many staff, their families, and fellow villagers learn how to save and manage their money.
Community financial management classes run by Telunas have helped many staff, their families, and fellow villagers learn how to save and manage their money.
Better lives, better values
April Ritonga
At Selat Binga village on the other side of Sugi island, April Ritonga humbly tells us his story – a story of Telunas’ success. A former fisherman who struggled to earn USD$40 a month, April joined the resort as a beach cleaner. Then he became a boat driver, supervisor, and eventually, a site supervisor. He also received a university scholarship from Telunas.
Yet, his biggest gain from his 16 years at Telunas is learning to manage money. “My way of thinking has changed,” says the 41-year-old. “Before, I never thought of saving money. But I learnt to think about needs versus wants.”
April left Telunas in 2021 to pursue his dream of becoming a farmer, and today, he owns some 5 hectares of land. His crops bring him about USD$150 a month.
Now a fervent believer in education, April sets aside money for his kids’ education every month. Will he send all three kids to school?
“Must,” he replies simply.
April and his family.
April and his family.
Syamsuri
Over at Sugie village, Syamsuri, a strapping man, gets emotional when asked about Telunas’ impact on his life. A longtime supplier of wood, he has benefited greatly from the resort’s orders of local hardwoods like meranti, and has been able to build three houses for his family, and buy several motorbikes.
Yet, what has touched him even more are the values Telunas has shown in its dealings with him over the past 18 years. “Telunas always pays right away, or sometimes in advance,” he says. “Some other buyers take longer to pay, or don’t pay fully.”
Also, he adds, “I could see that all ranks of workers at Telunas were treated equally.”
“It shows me how I should treat others.”
Syamsuri and his family supplement their income by collecting and selling seaweed, which is used to make medicine and snacks.
Syamsuri and his family supplement their income by collecting and selling seaweed, which is used to make medicine and snacks.
Lilis
Working at Telunas has indeed changed the perspective of Lilis, a Telunas scholarship recipient who is currently interning at the resort. The internship gives her work experience, which will hopefully help her to find a job more easily in the future.
The maths graduate who aspired to be a teacher had thought that Telunas would send her to teach maths in nearby schools during her internship, but she ended up as a cost controller in the resort’s kitchen.
“At first I grumbled a lot,” she admits. “But later, I realised that the experience can be good for me, and changed my attitude.”
“Now I see my job as part of a big picture.”
That big picture, says Idaman, is the impact that Telunas hopes to make on more people in the future. “Our dream,” he says, “is to build dozens of resorts around Indonesia that help the communities.”
It's a great dream, one which I’m inspired to support.
Would I go back to Telunas Beach Resort?
Yes.
Not just because it’s a great beach getaway, but also because I know where my money is going – to change lives in a very real, practical and sustainable way.
Writer & Photographer
Leslie Koh
Additional Photos by Telunas
THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE
Book a stay at Telunas Beach Resort, for a real getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life, knowing that you’ll be supporting the resort’s passionate effort to transform the lives of communities around it.
The resort hosts a range of programmes to help its staff and villagers in the area. Apart from hiring and training them as staff, it gives out university scholarships and internships, and runs family counselling and money management programmes. It also dedicates time and efforts to mangrove planting and turtle conservation.
You can support this meaningful goal by staying there or even donating directly to its causes.
A two-night stay for two adults will cost from about USD$520 at the Beach Resort, and from USD$1,000 at the Private Island. Prices include full board and lodging, and local ferry transfers from Sekupang, Batam. You’ll need to buy your ferry tickets from Singapore to Sekupang separately (about USD$110 return for two).
TRAVELLER'S NOTES
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