In September 2025, we launched our first Young Writers Residency, a program aimed at offering mentorship and travel opportunities to young creators from Asia, and supporting them in producing published work.
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It’s something close to our hearts as guidance and opportunity become harder to gain in an increasingly competitive (and shrinking) media landscape.
We’re a new publication, so we were surprised to receive more than 50 applications to the debut edition of the Residency. It’s encouraged us to continue the program – we’re getting ready to launch it in other locations next year, and hopefully expand it to include more participants each time in future.
The first residency – very generously supported by our partners, Cempedak Private Island – took place in Indonesia’s Bintan regency. Selected participant Yuni Tisna, who is from neighbouring Batam, stayed at Cempedak Island and toured Bintan city with the guidance of walking tour experts Bintan Bertutour.
Here, Yuni talks about her experience, and how it helped her learn that travel writing sometimes isn’t about the distance travelled, but about how even familiar places can help us see things anew.
What surprised you most about visiting somewhere so close to home?
Honestly, I was surprised by how “far away” it felt even though it’s just a short boat ride from home. I’m used to seeing Bintan as weekend getaways, but on this trip I discovered how much depth and character they actually have.
Cempedak felt peaceful and untouched, and Bintan showed a cultural side I never paid attention to. It reminded me that familiar places can still surprise you.
It also made me realise that sometimes the places closest to us hold the biggest surprises simply because we stop paying attention.
How has this residency shaped the way you think about travel writing or your own relationship with the places around you?
It made me realise that travel writing doesn’t always require distant destinations. Sometimes meaningful stories are waiting right next to you, you just need to look with fresh eyes.
This residency taught me to slow down, observe more deeply, and appreciate the emotional texture of familiar places. It also made me more conscious of how nature, culture, and people blend to form a narrative that’s uniquely ours.
For travellers wanting to experience the Riau Archipelago beyond the resort bubble, what’s one insider tip or lesser-known spot you’d recommend?
I think the cultural trips, like walking tours from Bintan Bertutour, are really worth it, especially if you want to understand the islands beyond the resorts. Try stopping by a local kopitiam too, the kind where everyone knows everyone.
And if you have time, wander through the smaller islands. They give you a real sense of local life and the natural side of the archipelago that most travellers completely miss.
To read Yuni’s story about her experience at Cempedak Island, go here.
