Riau Islands is aprovince of Indonesia. It comprises the principal group of theRiau Archipelagoalong with other island groups to the south, east and northeast. InIndonesian, Riau Islands and Riau Archipelago are synonymous and are distinguished by the word for province, "Provinsi".
Some of the Riau Islands are within eyesight of downtown Singapore, while others are hundreds of kilometers away from anything. Because of this, the province offers many different experiences to a traveller. The luxury resorts on the north coast ofBintanand the much seedier towns ofBatamare a short ferry ride from Singapore. Historic and ethnically-diverseTanjung Pinang, the capital and largest town on Bintan, is further away but still easy to reach.