Blogs from Batam, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia, Asia - page 2

Yes, everything is cheap in Batam compared to other cities in Indonesia. A quick comparison, you pay IDR 5000 in Medan for parking in a shopping mall, but in Batam you only spend IDR 1000 for parking in a major shopping mall. That's 5 times cheaper. This was not the first time I went Batam, but there are so much places to visit and so many cheap things that I would love to come back anytime soon. This is a 2-day 1-night trip. We booked the hotel online coz it's cheaper to do so rather than booking on the spot. We also rented a car for 1day and booked our ferry ticket a few days before departure. Saturday morning, our group of 5 people gathered and had breakfast at Food Republic, Vivocity. The ferry we took ... read more

Hey everybody! Thanks for all who read my blog! I hope it wasn't too long. I was having some trouble last week adjusting to the island and I went through pretty serious culture shock. But who can blame me!? A naive young american flies all the way across the world and plants herself in the most unique culture where nothing is the same and everything is like one big giant puzzle I can't crack. With that week behind me I am happy to say that things are going a lot smoother and I am finding myself really happy to be here once I got used to everything. I had a really good weekend and have a whole different outlook on the island now. This weekend our boss took us out for lunch on Saturday because we ... read more

Saturday, 13th March 2010 A quiet 2 Day 1 Night weekend breakaway on the eastern shore of Batam Island, the url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297717-d447157-r58529912-Batam_View_Beach_Resort-Batam_Riau.htmlBatam View Resort may be aging gracefully. But it provided an ideal avenue to spend quality time with friends and getaway from the city life. About 35 minutes from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, we arrived at the resort sometime after 11am on Saturday. Our superior room was a mixed bag. While it was facing the carpark directly, the corner of the balcony offered breath taking view of the Batam Straits =) Throughout our stay, we took all our meals at the resort restaurant (that's 2 lunches, 1 complimentary breakfast and 1 dinner) as we were too lazy to join in the local shopping spree. Instead, we spent 3 hours whiling our time going through ... read more

Jakartasta tulimme Batamin saarelle 5 tuntia myöhässä olleella AirAsia-lennolla. Matkatavarat olivat kyllä ehtineet perille ennen meitä! Kun tavarat olivat löytyneet lentoyhtiön toimiston takahuoneesta, 12 hengen retkueemme hyppäsi Amazing Race -tyyliin kolmeen taksiin, joilla huristeltiin Nongsapuran satamaan. Sieltä pääsimmekin sitten viimetingassa illan viimeiseen eli klo 18.30 lähteneeseen pikalaivaan kohti Singaporea. Onneksi Singaporen ystävämme Rahman ja Nadia olivat valistaneet meitä näistä aikatauluista... Ikakin poistui näin kotimaastaan. (Eikä hänen tarvinnut edes maksaa ns. fiskaalimaksua, joka esim. Jakartasta ulkomaille lähdettäessä olisi ollut miljoona rupiaa!) Kaiken kaikkiaan meillä oli Batamilla niin kiire, että valokuvaamiseen ei jäänyt juuri aikaa... ... read more

"Batam, is a very holey city", we were told on arrival into Indonesia with our good friend Tony. "Every road is covered in holes! hahaha" Tony exclaimed right afterwards. We took the ferry from Singapore straight to Batam spur of the moment for a weekend getaway. We wanted a taste of third world country before Thailand, and before we knew it, we were right in the middle of it. Once we exited the Batam Harbourfront, culture shock hit us with a strong force. We drove through the streets towards Batam Centre with Tony to translate for our taxi driver. As we gazed from inside our protected vessel we witnessed Indonesian life before our eyes. Roadside vendors infested the streets along with mopeds and dirt bikes. Families of 5 were packed onto tiny suzuki bikes while speeding ... read more