2D1N Getaway To The City of Batam

Batam is an island located 20km from Singapore’s south coast and only 1 hour away by ferry. It is the third largest city in the Sumatra region after Medan and Palembang. Batam is the ideal choice should you want to go for a short getaway from Singapore without having to go through long immigration queues like the Malaysia checkpoints which could drag for hours and hours.

The Ferry Terminals

There are 5 ferry terminals in Batam namely, Harbour Bay, Batam Centre, Nongsa Pura, Sekupang and Waterfront City (Teluk Senimba). These are visa-free and visa-on-arrival ports of entry.

These are the ferry operators that operate from Harbourfront Ferry Terminal:

SINDO Ferry S$49 (all-in price for return tickets on weekends)
Batam Fast
Horizon
Indofalcon
Majestic Fast Ferry

These are the ferry operators that operate from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal:

Batam Fast

For the shopholic and the spa addicts

Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal is the nearest ferry terminal to the town of Nagoya. Nagoya is where all would go to for shopping and spas. From Harbour Bay Terminal, it is only a 5 min taxi ride (IDR20,000) to Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall, the largest shopping mall in Batam.

For those who prefer Zen and Tranquility

Waterfront Ferry Terminal serves as the perfect terminal for tourists who are staying at Holiday Inn or Harris. Both resorts are only 5-min away and provides complimentary pick up and return service for their guests.

The Holiday Inn Experience

You can do a full day in Batam or stay for the weekend. In this article, I’m sharing my experiences for a 2D1N weekend getaway.

Since I’m going with my family, we have decided on Holiday Inn Resort which is isolated far from the shopping areas of Nagoya. We opt for tranquility this time round. Holiday Inn has some really good reviews for its Tea Tree Spa. We booked the 2-bedroom suite (SGD150/night) and it was spacious and clean. The pillows are clean, soft and we had a good night’s sleep. Yes, it may smell stuffy when you first enter the room, but just open all the windows for 20 mins to let the air in, and all is good. What I like most are the employees. All the Holiday Inn employees that I’ve come across are friendly, helpful and responsive.

Complimentary shuttle bus to/fro the Waterfront Ferry Terminal will be provided upon pre-arrangement with the hotel. Yes, it is very far from Nagoya and everywhere else, but they do provide car rentals at reasonable rates, as well as shuttles buses to Nagoya for shopping.

Car rental charges provided by Holiday Inn

Another plus point is the Tea Tree Spa. Excellent customer service, wonderful massage, and the masseuse is extremely professional. Not forgetting, spa packages are reasonably priced.

Pretty much reminds you of Bali, doesn’t it?

The Itinerary

Day 1

We decided not to waste any time and went straight for the car rental service provided by Holiday Inn. We rented the car for 5 hours, which was more than enough time for Day 1.

And of course, food comes first so we decided to try some seafood. Naturally, all drivers would recommend Golden Prawn 933. No doubt the food is nice, but it comes with a hefty price, which part of it goes to the the driver’s commission.

Alternatively, you can hold on that hunger a bit more and head to Batam’s iconic Barelang Bridge.

Barelang Seafood Restaurant. Don’t be deceived by its run-down exteriors. Wait till you see the inside.

Price is based on 4 pax. We didn’t even take any photos of the food because we were like starving Tasmanian Devils ready to devour the food! However, we did take a photo of the receipt. Seafood is fresh, delicious and CHEAP! SGD40 for 4 pax

Verdict:

The ‘kelong’ beside the restaurant has a clear vantage point of the Barelang Bridge

The seafood are cooked fresh and you can catch it yourself!

After satisfying our tummy, we head up to the Barelang Bridge to see the side stalls along the bridge. You’ll be spoilt for choice as there are ALOT of stalls selling grilled corns. but let me tell you one thing. ALL OF THEM sell really TASTY grilled corns. Just pick any!

Next, we went to Nagoya. Fuh! And it’s still Day 1!

cropped-untitled-3 — Photo Credit: Nagoya Hill Mall

Nagoya Hill Mall is the largest mall in Batam. The next best mall is the DC or Diamond City Mall. For Singaporeans who are missing and craving for A&W, fret not. There’s a two-storey B&W at Nagoya. Root beer float, anyone?

That sums up Day 1. Day two, is all about the Spa.

Tea Tree Spa

Holiday Inn’s Tea Tree Spa are pretty much the reason WHY people chose to stay at Holiday Inn.

Opening hours: Everyday, 9am – 11pm

Tea Tree’s reputation is the result of excellent customer service of its service staff and masseuse. Plus, it has a wide range of spa treatments from facial, feet to therapeutic body massages. We didn’t make a booking prior to arriving so decided to just walk-in and give it a shot. Lucky for us, there’s a slot and in just 10 minutes, we were transported to Eden. =) Highly recommended!

That sums up our 2D1N retreat to Batam. Short, simple and relaxing. I’m sure there’s more to Batam than what I’ve just wrote here. Stay tune!