Bintan Sand Dunes & Blue Lakes Tour with Lunch

A crater lake filled by rainwater sits next to golden sand dunes that used to be a mine.

This tour visits Gurun Pasir Busung, the sand dunes and blue lake in Bintan that formed on an abandoned mining site. You're picked up from your hotel or the ferry terminal, driven to the dunes, walk and photograph the landscape alongside the crater lake, eat a set seafood lunch at a local kelong restaurant, stop at a souvenir shop, and return. The guide speaks English or Chinese, and the trip runs four to five hours with all transport, entry and food included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Bintan Sand Dunes and Blue Lakes Tour

• Pick up from hotel or ferry terminal
• Visit Bintan Sand Dunes and Blue Lakes
• Have seafood lunch at local kelong restaurant
• Visit local souvenir and handicraft shop
• Return to hotel or ferry terminal

The experience

What makes Gurun Pasir Busung unusual is how it got here. The site was mined for years, then abandoned. Rainwater gradually filled the crater left behind, creating a crystal-clear blue lake that sits in the middle of a landscape that looks like the Arabian desert: golden sand, white sky, the kind of contrast that photographs well. The dunes themselves are far enough from the resort area that most visitors need a guide and transport to reach them, which is what this tour handles.

The day starts with pickup from your hotel or Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal. You're driven to the sand dunes and blue lake, where you walk around, take photographs and spend time at both sites. Lunch is a set menu of seafood at a local kelong restaurant: a traditional wooden structure built over the water. After eating, the tour stops at a local souvenir and handicraft shop before returning you to your hotel or the ferry terminal. The guide travels with you the whole time and explains what you're seeing. Bottled water is included throughout.

What’s included

• Hotel or ferry terminal pickup and return.
• fully air-conditioned transport.
• admission to the sand dunes and blue lake.
• a guide who speaks English or Chinese and explains the sites.
• bottled mineral water.
• a set-menu seafood lunch at a local kelong restaurant.
• and a stop at a local souvenir and handicraft shop.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day17 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 16:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (13 to 80 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 23 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Bintan Trans Pratama

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want a guide handling the drive to the remote sand dunes and crater lake. The route takes time and requires local knowledge to navigate efficiently.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

What exactly is the blue lake at Gurun Pasir Busung?

The blue lake is a crater that was left behind when the mining site was abandoned. Over time, rainwater filled it, creating a clear blue body of water in the middle of the sand dunes: what the operator calls a "post-apocalyptic oasis" because it sits in a landscape that resembles a desert.

How far is Gurun Pasir Busung from the main resort area in Bintan?

The sand dunes and lake are located quite far from the city and resort area, which is why the tour includes transport and a guide rather than being a place you'd visit on your own.

What kind of lunch is served on this tour?

Lunch is a set menu of seafood served at a local kelong restaurant, a traditional wooden structure built over the water.