Indonesia: Batam Trip - Where to go/visit?

[Ticklish8]

Hahahahahaha actually it is walking distance lah from Nagoya Hill.. Not that far. I stay Goodway Hotel, just next door to Sports Massage. Or you can stay at Harmony Hotel if you prefer the nite life near there.

 

Seafood, can go to the many shops selling seafood just outside Nagoya Hill, eat like the Indonesian hah... cheaper... Although I also like the Seafood @ HarbourBay area if Im staying at Novotel Batam

 

 

well actually u r right about Sports Massage. I like it better, except that its not at the Nogaya Mall. so its not that convienent. but those who dont mind, go for it.

 

[Ticklish8]

I think if you have an honest guide that don't bring you to expensive places like Golden Prawn, i think you like Batam for its good food, massage, liquor, night life and golf

 

 

well, batam not alot of things to do, the city center is only about the size of singapore's chinatown, i only go batam twice, both time book with travel agency, thus come with bowling, message etc to spend the time the go kart is not recommend as it is a lousy track even compared to M;sia one

 

[WTF]

Hello Brother,

I found a MB E240 V6 good car at below for you to take over, rest assured that you'll be driving around to see lot's of head turning

Thanks bro..........but I S'porean, not M'sian leh.....

[Maka]

Isabella is good but overprice.

 

Go to Sports Massage.

 

Can't download the price here. Some problem with MCF.

 

But 3 hours massage is Rupiah 285,000

 

Rate Rupiah now is 1 Sing = 7,400 rupiah.

 

So 3 hours massage $38.50

 

I usually and go and have 2 hours massage. 195,000 rupiah ($26.35).

 

From Batam Centre to Nagoya 50,000 rupiah. If use outside taxi around 40,000 rupiah. The problem why many kena over price is because many can't speak Bahasa Indonesia.... That all....

 

Same for isabella bro. Its priced in ruppiah if you speaks javaness and best part you get a can of beer if you bring 2 or 3 together.

 

You can rent a car there for 25 SGD a day. Deposit 100SGD. Than again its only worth it if you are staying in Nongsa and wants to go batam city. Else take cab, within batam central, the fair will not cross 50k ruppiah. If you know how to walk, you can take the inter-mall/hotel shuttle bus.

 

I used to frequent batam alot with my boat when the petrol charge is 75cents per litre which was in yr 2010. Now i venture Balai more as there are more chinese there. Hehe

Edited June 26, 2012 by Maka

[Maka]

well, batam not alot of things to do, the city center is only about the size of singapore's chinatown, i only go batam twice, both time book with travel agency, thus come with bowling, message etc to spend the time the go kart is not recommend as it is a lousy track even compared to M;sia one

 

For go kart, theres a new track near golden prawn. The charges are 50% of the one at water front, small problem is the track is tiny.

[Berncsp76]

Yo bros I am back!

 

Trip not bad la. Mostly spend time shopping/eating/massage...mostly stay in hotel and with my OC.

 

Isabella not bad but kinda expensive. about 790k couple rate for 3 hours body scrub/aroma massage/ear candling. My gosh when the masseuse show me my ear wax after the prosedure I was coz never done it before in my whole life. Think at least 1cm thick.

 

Makan was the usual street side stall, using my limited malay language, machiam chicken and duck talk. Heng still able to order and I had downloaded the english=malay translator app into my phone and put it in good use.

 

Bought lots of personal care products...super dirt cheap if they are indon produced. Bought at least 6 toothbrush each and many many other. Had to buy another luggage bag to bring all the barang back.

 

Extended my stay for another day staying in Harmoni Suite Hotel just opposite Nagoya City Shopping Mall. Breakfast was good and service good. Only hotel look a bit old but facilities are clean though.

 

Will be going back when my supplies of beauty products running out soon.

Edited July 1, 2012 by Berncsp76

[Berncsp76]

everywhere in batam accepts rupiah. haha ya, jus divide by 7 for ease of translating. anyw in 5 yrs times, indo wil remove the 000 liao.

 

ya i thk in the town shd hv massage joints but i stil thk w your wife/gf, hotel one wil b much better. mayb jus S$10-20 more but atmosphere much better and can massage side by side

 

 

Haha thanks bro. change some at shenton way prior before going. Indeed is much more worth it.

 

Went Isabella instead of hotel as BCC spa super ex. 60mins for 300k++ massage. :angry:

[Berncsp76]

No wonder you wifey gotta warn you lah.......prod you might be talking in your dreams too!!!

 

 

If TKR bros all go together without our OC will be

 

[laugh]

[Berncsp76]

u can try to go nagoya hill to taste several delicious nationwide indonesian food in a street inside mall.

 

for street hawker, maybe can go orchid park at batam centre, there got nice murtabak and

 

for massage, can try sport massage

 

 

yep went there to see see..but only tried the ayam bakso, ayam penyet and teh botol...

 

Din realise that the bakso (meat balls) are made of beef and chicken meat. My wife still joked that it taste like pork.

 

At the end still tried and not bad seh...but Buddha duno will be angry anot coz i 犯戒 already.

 

Sport massage wanted to try after we went Isabella but wifey complained pain here and there then din go Maybe next time la.

[Berncsp76]

If possible, avoid traveling to Batam till this issue is over:

 

http://www.crg-online.com/Page.aspx?Member...r=893022#893022

 

 

Nothing happen there leh....peaceful and quiet. Only got lots of taxi touts beeping their horns ask if wana taxi...

[Berncsp76]

Go nagoya isabella. Cheap and good massage. Can try the 4hr package from head to toe. But its the clean one ah... No special one hor.

 

After that can go bowling at waterfront or BCS for a movie or shopping or karaoke..

 

Practically nothing much to do in batam.. If you have a van there can go berelang bridge, nothing much to see though, just sea from heights thats about it. Theres a few seafood kelong on the 3 island from berelang bridge, island name is galang. Best go with a local whom speaks javaness else you get carrot chop high high.. Alternative stay at hotel make babies during the afternoon as its hot hot there.

 

Alternative to good seafood, forget about the golden prawn shisss.. Go to harbour bay ferry terminal, walk along the stretch where it leads you to the river (you will pass carefour). The seafood there is ala carte style like hawker. Great view of the sea from the raised up planks flooring like kelong style. You can choose from different shop (example go to shop A for fish, go to shop B for clams and shop c for crabs, so on and so ... remember to ask for the price first before order and make sure the waiter write correctly) Estimated cost is between 50 - 80 for table of 6 including beers fish, crab, clams and vege soup.

 

There are few nice pubs around. If you like to shake backside, go harmoni hotel lobby disco at night from 8pm onwards (here you can pick up cheweks if you want, dun be fooled if they tell you 1 shot 200SGD.. The market rate is 300SGD 1 whole day, however tg pinang and balai is whole lot cheaper - 150k - 250k ruppiah for 1 whole day 24hrs including free washing of clothes if you want), if you like simple american jazz can go to harris.

 

 

Wah bro next time must jio you along coz you are the expert man! [laugh]

[Berncsp76]

Sharing below with TS

Super Honest Man Itinerary :

Day 1;

07:00 Morning Call.

08:30 Breakfast at Hotel.

09:30 Assemble at Hotel Lobby.

09:40 Leave Hotel for Full Day Sightseeing Tours.

10:00 Arrival at Wet Market for 2 hrs. Free & Eazy Tour.

12:00 Lunch at Street Hawker Stalls.

13:00 Assemble at Street Corner.

13:15 Leave Street to Shopping Center for 1/2 Day Window Shopping.

13:30 Arrival at Shopping Ceter for 4 hrs. Free & Eazy Window Shopping.

17:30 Assemble at Shopping Center Information Counter.

17:40 Leave Shopping Center to return Hotel.

18:45 Dinner at Hotel.

20:30 Return Hotel Room to watch EURO 2012 repeat telecast.

23:59 Lights-Off and Kissing each other for Good Night.

Day 2 Until to Day of Departure are as above schedules, subject to boring status for last minutes changes.

 

 

haha bro think my itenarary almost similar of what you type. But is ok for me lah, since not really familar with the place. Before I went thought it will be something like Tanjung Pinang...

[Berncsp76]

Batam or Bintan never cheap for Sinkies, the way , we walk, talk and eat macham King & Queen, so they will kill us softly . . . wake up blur like sotong yet kenna grill till well-done, still damn blur, dun know what happened.

 

Spa, massage and ' raba raba ' session all the same, they know how to ' kotok ' till your pant drop on yr knee.

 

Wan cheap & good, dun go Batam / Bintan . . . Go Koh Samui. or ChiangMai.

 

If you can speak simple thai, a place can hire thai galfren, who can cook, wash, and take care of your well-being 2300 hrs a day, better than your wife can do.

 

Thy work harder, stronger and more gentle on your little one, only need to tips them well, the rest is history . . . she will shack you dead tired ! Tmr all over again and again, what one need is really more oysters, lobsters and Dom, caviers, prawns and fresh grill fish, down wif wine to replenish the souls . . .

 

 

yep slight agree. certain things are on par or more ex than SG...coz the proximity is so near. One need to know how to avoid them.

 

Example is the A2 foodcourt outside the BCC hotel/BCS shopping. pricing almost same or ex than SG. Whole place renovated like our foodcourt. Walk around and hear many chinese speaking singlish/english will know is all SGreans liao.

 

I then walk out to those streetside stalls to tabao instead. cheap and good.

[Berncsp76]

Isabella is Good...

i tried the 3 hours one... and totally felt good after that with my wifey...

 

but the problem lies with the bed they have...

they dun have those that you can put your face into when you lie face down...

and i change my neck left and right until buay tahan....

 

but the massge standard is damn good...

 

The holiday inn one (dunno wat tea spa) oso lose...

and Harris one only win in atmosphere...

 

 

haha bro they have the bed already. Both of us were led to a couple room on the 3rd floor and they have the bed you mentioned.

 

Masseuse was good and correct strength as I am rather big sized. At the end tipped her 40k.

[Berncsp76]

Kek Lapis....

 

Layers Kek Lapis... sold @ Nagoya or even Batam Centre (top floor)

 

 

Yep we bought this brand too at Nagoya Hill there. Whole piece only $18sgd. top up $3 for butter flavour. Taste heavenly!

[Berncsp76]

Go to ESKA. This one is on the same row of Isabella. its on the other side of the shophouse, nearer to Morning Bakery coffee cafe. Green colour shop.

 

Its as big as or bigger than Isabella. I just tried last week. Thai massage, only S$20 for full 2 hours. Other massages also around the same price. Aromatheraphy massage with oil cost $24 for full 2 hours.

 

They got hair spa, manicure, pedicure package for gals too.

 

 

Saw this one but wife say go next time so din go. If not sure try this one.

[Berncsp76]

I been to Batam every 3 month for massage for the last 10 years. Have tried almost all the massage there....

 

Eska, Isabella....Frankly i think Sports Massage is the better one....Frankly most of the massage there is better than the one in Singapore... (but of course my favorite is still Thai)....

 

Here is a simple guide to know whether you have a good massage. The trick is once you finish your massage, your body shouldn't felt any pain at all...

 

 

wow bro every 3 month arh? clean or one?

 

Wonder if buy a house there to stay cheap anot.

[Berncsp76]

well, batam not alot of things to do, the city center is only about the size of singapore's chinatown, i only go batam twice, both time book with travel agency, thus come with bowling, message etc to spend the time the go kart is not recommend as it is a lousy track even compared to M;sia one

 

 

I book via Agoda as saw those deal types not so good. timing wise so rush.

 

Next time probably stay at those beach resorts. But seems the reviews are not as good.