Loola Earth Excursion Trip (Part I)

I went on the Earth Excursion trip to Loola back in end-August. To satisfy my lust for travelling and to remain eco-friendly at the same time, I searched for trips to neighbouring countries. Loola, an eco-friendly resort in Bintan, immediately caught my interest when I found out that it offered mangrove tree planting. I always wanted to participate in tree planting but the price is ridiculous in Singapore ($300 for a tree, really NParks?).

The journey started from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, a modest ferry point with some provision shops and a food court.

We had free seating in the ferry and I was joined by a fellow Singaporean. The ferry trip took around 2 hours and a spacious bus picked us up in Batam for another hour-long journey to the resort.

I shared a sea chalet with 3 other girls. Although it was late when we arrived, I was entranced by the beauty of the night sky and could not resist photographing it.

However, I did not have to worry about not spending enough time with the stars. The sea chalet had a double bunk bed which leaned against the wall. I got the inner bed at the lower bunk, which was terribly stuffy and kept me awake. I shifted to the day bed outside the room and was greeted with the opposite problem - it was windy and cold. In the end, I spent most of the night admiring the scenery and watching fishermen waddling about the mudflats in the dark.

Loola sea chalet. I slept on the left side of the lower bunk.

Random shot of the toilet. The water from the shower drains straight into the sea.

I attempted to sleep on the small day bed.

Caught the sunrise too!

The consequence of staying up was I was too tired to take part in the morning activity - building a safe water garden. I gave it a miss to sleep in. The friendly staff provided me with an additional fan which I was so grateful for.

After an hour or so, I decided to take advantage of the free time to explore the resort and birdwatch.

The resort has a small supermarket and a food stall. I bought a banana burger because it sounded interesting. I found it sweet and filling.

After lunch, we had rock-climbing and flying fox activities. I tried the former and managed to get my unfit body three-quarters of the way up the easy wall. Good enough for me. I shifted my attention to the cute crabs on the beach while the others scaled the tougher walls.

The next item on the agenda was a tour of the eco-friendly features of the resort.

Mosquito traps using natural chemicals

Solar panels

Herbs grown using diverted wastewater from kitchens

The sun began to set as we approached the last leg of the tour.

As the brilliant colours of the sunset faded, our hungry group headed to dinner. The great thing about Loola is we were well-fed with vegan meals. After my tummy was satisfied, I went stargazing again and realised I could see the faint outline of the Milky Way with my naked eyes.

Some of us went on a short trip outside the resort to spot fireflies, a treat for us city folks.

It was a great way to end the first day. I looked forward to the second day even though we would have to wake up at 5am because we would get to plant mangroves!