Kelong: the Riau Islands sea platform

A kelong is an offshore platform built mainly of wood, found off Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Fishermen build it for fishing or fish farming, and larger ones can serve as homes ^[1]. In the Riau Islands the word also turns up on resort and dining pages, so it helps to know the original.

How is a kelong built?

Some are assembled without nails, with rattan binding the timbers together. Some decks have netted spaces hanging in the water, which keep caught fish alive until sale or cooking ^[2].

From a Bintan boat, you may see platforms with lights, nets and small huts, which are working fishing sites.

Where do visitors meet the word?

In three ways:

• As a fishing platform viewed from the water.
• As a resort product. Banyan Tree Bintan opened a floating Kelong Villa on 15 July 2019, about 250 metres offshore ^[3]. A short boat ride reaches it, and it pays tribute to the stilted platforms of local fishermen ^[3].
• As a seafood stop, where the name signals a sea setting.

Check which one your itinerary means, because the price and the logistics differ. Our guide to kelong and over-water stays covers the stays.

What should you check before you book?

• Is it a working platform, a resort villa or a restaurant?
• How does the boat transfer run, and what is the last return?
• What does the rate or menu quote include?
• Is the resort offer still current? The launch report may no longer match today’s rates ^[3].

For meals, our Bintan seafood and kelong dining checks and the Batam seafood price guide help you compare quotes.

How does it fit a short break?

A kelong experience suits a weekend from Johor or Singapore when you want a sea setting without long transfers. Place it on the first or last evening so the boat timing does not collide with your ferry.

The Bintan three-day resort plan shows where it can slot in, and the first-time guide to Bintan sets the scene.