Pulau Joyo is a paradise for kids and we can provide nannies (at an additional cost) to look after them while you are enjoying a massage or other facilities. Extra beds and cots are available for children. Please contact our Reservation Team for more information on pricing for children and accompanying maids.

All houses are good for infants however we would suggest Java houses as they have less steps than other 4 driftwood palaces. We have 4 baby cot on island and baby chairs.

This depends on the composition of your group and how well they know each other! We have 6 big palaces, 1 Driftwood palace and 2 Balé houses, hence we can accommodate up to 18 adults in complete privacy with each of the couples in one palace. If you are willing to share the palaces, it’s not uncommon to see groups of up to 35 or even 45 adults with extra single beds set up in the existing palaces. A typical family group might be 7 families, 14 adults with kids and helpers.

Check In: After 2 pm (local time)
​Check Out: 12 pm (local time)

Early check-in and late check-out is subject to availability. Please contact our reservations team for more details. In the rare event that there is an overlap, we’ll allow two groups on the island for an hour or two, usually over lunch with different meal venues for each group.

The driftwood palaces have ceiling fans as well as smaller fans mounted inside of the mosquito netting of all of the four-poster beds. Additionally all the palaces are on stilts, well above the ground, and close to or on the beach and so take full advantage of the prevailing breezes. Our guests find this more than satisfactory and often use the blankets provided. We recommend that guests bring a long-sleeved shirt as the evenings can be refreshingly cool.

All 6 big palaces have their own en-suite bathroom. The Driftwood Palace and Balé Houses have attached bathrooms.

All villas actually do have proper doors.

Yes, you can. Guests can rent the island per individual villa or as a whole. Minimum stay for individual villa is 2 adults for 2 nights. As whole island the basic price per night applies to a minimum of 12 adults, even if you have less than 12. There are incremental charges for more than 12 people. Please view our rates to book the whole island.

Yes. All showers have hot water.

No.

Yes, we do have a wireless bluetooth speaker in each villa. The code is 0000.

Yes we do have small electric kettle and coffee tea in the villa as well as bottled water.

Joyo is ideal for relaxing: reading in a hammock, sun-bathing by the fresh-water pool, having a massage, kayaking around the island, walking on the beach or swimming in the sea. We do have a boules set, table tennis, as well as 4 kayaks on island. The numerous secluded beaches, jungle paths and unusual rock formations are often woven by parents into elaborate treasure hunts for kids which have been known to include the swimming pontoon and tree house. The more adventurous have been known to kayak, sail or even swim to neighbouring islands. We encourage guests to use the speedboats or launches to explore other island or even have a picnic on Pulau Binyoso a tiny deserted jewel that we own just for such trips. After dinner, relax with a coffee and a glass of wine around a beach bonfire or turn up the music to kick-start your fancy dress party!

No and nor do we have a banana boat or jet skis. Our guests overwhelmingly prefer the Joyo tranquillity as it is.

Yes we do.

Yes. We are more than happy to transport windsurfers however your limitation may by the public ferries (from Singapore to Bintan). We suggest you check with the ferry operators as to the feasibility of transporting bulky equipment.

The region is not known for its diving, and if your last diving trip was in Grand Cayman, Truk Lagoon or Palau, you will probably be disappointed. Joyo is not geared up for diving and the water can, at times, be a little murky. Having said that, there is a reasonable dive, at the top of the high tide, off the rocks at the northern-end of the island. The diving off Pulau Mapur is supposed to be quite good and you could certainly use Joyo as a base to reach Mapur and other island in the region. We can, and have, organised tanks before but you will have to supply your own weights and divemaster/buddy. If you are really keen and experienced we can set this up.

We discourage fishing from the island as we try and keep the fish for the snorkellers. You are however more than welcome to take one of the speedboats or the launch on a fishing expedition. The boat crew may be able to show you some good fishing spots off Joyo or neighbouring islands or rocky outcrops. The Indonesian fisherman often fish just off Joyo. We have a few rods, but Indonesian-style fishing usually involves dangling a line and hook off the back or side of a boat! If you’re a serious angler we suggest you bring your own rod and tackle.

• The island can be hired as a whole for (min. 12 adults) OR individual palace (min. 2 adults) for a minimum of 2 nights.
• A single group organizer will need to book, pay a deposit and act as the single point of contact for the entire group prior to arrival on the island.
• Sleeping arrangements with more than 30 adults are described as ‘cosy’ and groups bigger than this are rare.

No. The only way to secure the island is with a deposit. We run on a first come first served system. If we’re convinced that your cheque is literally in the mail or that you are heading down to the bank to make a transfer of funds within the next 48 hours, we will hold the island for you until we receive your deposit.

Even our regular guests are required to put down deposits. At our discretion, we will sometimes record ‘expressions of interest’ particularly for bookings 6 to 12 months out. In effect you will then have a ‘non-binding, first right of refusal’ over the island and we may be able to email you when we receive another request for your particular weekend or dates. Please note that this system is neither perfect nor guaranteed and you are still encouraged to send your deposit as soon as you can.

No. We require a single deposit cheque or transfer of funds (which may obviously come from someone other than the Group Organizer).

The website is updated regularly.

Yes. We limit to 3 credit cards to be used in one trip.

No.

The power is 240 volts from UK/Singapore 3-prong power sockets.

Most of our food is bought fresh in Bintan and taken out to Joyo on the morning of your trip. To plan menus and organize the land and launch transport we ideally need to know the size of your group and your ferry time(s) a week before your trip. Small changes to the number of guests closer to your date of departure are fine. In this case, if she is planning on being on the same ferry as the rest of you, you can let us know on the Friday. If she needs an extra transfer (because she is on a different ferry to everyone else), you will have to let us know on the Thursday at the latest as it takes time to reorganize our land and launch schedules. If she is vacillating between a late Friday and early Saturday ferry, you can sort this out on Friday on the island.

We don’t sell anything on the island. We don’t stock tobacco products, so you may want to buy your own. We have plenty of alcohol on the island. We charge S$15 corkage per bottle if you bring your own wine and S$25 for spirits.

Yes. We do have micropohones and are able to set up karaoke for you.

We provide towels and there should be liquid soap/shower gel in the bathrooms, but we recommend you bring your own toiletries.

Absolutely! We are set up for children (of all ages!) and have them on the island all the time. We have cots and high-chairs as well as spare beds for the bigger ones and children’s life jackets.

Our cooks are used to producing less spicy (or even non-spicy) food for children. Some families seat the kids separately. Others organise an earlier sitting for the kids.

Yes.

Four. They come complete with mosquito nets.

We have a number of female staff who will volunteer to baby-sit. We charge S$10 per child per hour which goes directly to the babysitter. You are also welcome to bring your maid. We charge $150++ per night for maids.

Infants (less than 3 years old) are free of charge. Children (3 to 12 years old) attract the children’s rate and anyone older than 12 is charged as an adult.

Joyo is in Indonesia about 60 miles from Singapore.

Local time is GMT+7 (an hour behind Singapore).

The journey time (from Singapore) is about 3 hours via BBT ferry terminal.

One of our English-speaking “Meet & Greet” staff members or our reliable driver will meet you at the entrance of the ferry terminal. That is the designated pickup point as we are not allowed to go further in. Please look for Joyo Island sign.

Absolutely. Naturally common-sense suggests that parents supervise their kids, that no one should swim after having consumed alcohol and that swimming at night is not advisable. If in any doubt, have your friends (or our staff) follow you in the kayaks or a speedboat. Stone Fish are found all the way from Australia up to the South-China Sea. We suggest you do not step on the coral or rocks and stick to walking on the sand to get to open sea. At certain times of the year there are jelly fish. The seasons are short and we have jelly fish ‘wipes’ in our first-aid kit. We have never had a serious injury from the jelly fish. We recommend that you always use reef-shoes to walk on the reef.

​The weather is the same as in Singapore but remember you will be ‘on the beach’ ie outside. The ‘winter’ months can be pleasantly cool after dark.

Anytime is great! Being 30 miles north of the equator means that the weather doesn’t change that much throughout the year. The winter monsoon, very mild at our latitude, blows from the north. It starts mid December and lasts until early February. The summer monsoon, very gentle and from the south, starts in April/May.

There is no malaria on the island. We are fortunately also free of sand flies. There are a few non-malarial mosquitoes, but we provide mosquito coils and insect spray in the driftwood palaces as well as mosquito nets. We also regularly ‘fog’ to keep the mosquito population under control. We do however suggest that you bring your own preferred brand of insect repellent.