Bawah reserve

Across a cluster of six private islands in the Anambas Archipelago of the South China Sea, 120 kilometres from Batam and accessible only by seaplane, Bawah Reserve occupies one of the most geographically remote luxury resort positions in Southeast Asia, within an Indonesian maritime zone that sees very limited visitor traffic and whose reefs have consequently maintained a health and diversity rarely found in the more heavily visited Indonesian archipelagos. The resort’s 35 overwater and beach villas are distributed across two of the six islands, with the remaining islands maintained as uninhabited conservation areas for nesting seabirds, green and hawksbill turtles, and the reef sharks and rays that use the protected lagoon as a breeding ground. The turquoise shallow lagoon between the islands provides the resort’s most immediate visual and recreational focus.

Diving and snorkelling on the Anambas reefs — among the healthiest accessible in the South China Sea — kayaking through the mangrove channels, sailing between the island group in the resort’s fleet of traditional phinisi and modern sailing vessels, and fly fishing on the lagoon flats are the primary activities, with the marine naturalist team providing guided interpretation of the reef ecosystems that gives the underwater experience a scientific depth alongside its sensory pleasure. The restaurant’s menus draw on the seafood of the surrounding waters and the produce of Batam’s markets, with the seaplane connection to the mainland supplementing the island’s considerable fishing resources. The spa uses Indonesian botanical preparations and traditional massage techniques.

Bawah Reserve’s conservation governance includes an active marine research programme, turtle nesting protection protocols on the island beaches, and a commitment to the restoration of damaged reef areas through coral gardening programmes that use the reserve’s protected lagoon as a nursery.