Bali and Phuket tend to dominate the beach-break conversation in Singapore, but Montigo Resorts in Nongsa, Batam makes a strong case for the road (well, ferry) less travelled. It's a five-star, all-villa resort that's reachable in about 45 minutes from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, and every room type comes with its own private pool.
Getting there is refreshingly simple: a one-way ferry ticket costs around S$43 per person, landing at Nongsapura, with the resort just a 10-minute taxi ride away. Entry-level pricing starts at roughly S$146 a night for a Standard 1-Bedroom Villa sleeping two, which undercuts a lot of similar pool-villa stays in the region.
The accommodation scales up steeply for groups. A Hillside Deluxe 2-Bedroom Villa runs from about S$242 a night for four people, while the 4-Bedroom Premier sits north of S$1,100. At the top end, a 5-Bedroom Residence sleeps up to 10, with each bedroom functioning almost as its own villa, plus a huge shared living area and a pool big enough for a proper party, complete with semi-sheltered daybeds. Reviewers who stayed in the Premier 1-Bedroom Villa (from around S$185 a night) highlighted the king bed, two air-conditioning units, a separate tub and shower, dual sinks, and nightly turndown service.
There's enough on-site to fill a long weekend without leaving the property. Water sports include jet skiing (from about S$57), wakeboarding (from S$29) and paddleboarding (from S$18), all within a five-minute buggy ride of your villa — buggies are on call around the clock. On dry land, you've got daily 10am yoga, a three-hour guided hike, ATV riding and archery, while kids underfoot can be parked at the Tilo Kids Club for around S$11.
For recovery, the Montigo Wellness spa offers Thai massages and facials at roughly S$54 each, body scrubs, blow dries and manicures, with rooms for up to six people and sea views thrown in.
Food is handled by four restaurants plus a poolside bar: Warung Montigo for Indonesian (the sambal with keropok gets particular praise), Pantai for Chinese sharing plates like prawn bee hoon and black pepper beef, Hinotori for Japanese, and TADDS for Western. TIIGO Nongsa doubles as a beach club and cocktail spot, best timed for sunset. Breakfast mixes local and Western options.
For Singaporeans after a resort weekend that's barely further than a JB drive — or for regional travellers wanting a low-hassle luxury base — Montigo packs villa living, activities and dining into one spot. It suits couples after a quiet pool-and-spa reset just as well as families or friend groups who can split the cost of the bigger residences.
