The nice thing about Batam is that it is only a 35-minute ferry ride from Singapore. For anyone looking for a quick weekend getaway but absolutely feel the need to leave Singapore, Batam offers an escape that doesn’t involve flying off from Changi.

A friend from college invited me to join her one weekend in Batam. There are lots of Groupon offers for Batam which can go as cheap as below SGD 50.00 (approx. PHP 1,675.00) including transfers and one night stay. We decided to book directly with the resort since they were offering a spa package.

The package was SGD 114.00 (approx. PHP 3,819.00) per pax which includes roundtrip ferry transfer from Tanah Merah Sea Terminal (Singapore side) to Nongsa Port (Indonesia side), two days and one night accommodation at Batam View Resort and Hotel, buffet breakfast, and a 60 minute massage at the resort spa.

Sadly the weekend that we went there was a terrible monsoon. I had never experienced that amount of rainfall in Singapore in my ten months so far living in the island city. Georgraphically, Batam is closer to the Malay peninsula (and Singapore) than it is to Indonesia. So I was expecting the weather to be bad.

On the bright side, I always enjoy “gaining an extra hour” when traveling to a nearby Asian country. Batam follows (GMT +7) so that meant subtracting one hour from Singapore’s local time.

The ferry ride was smooth despite the bad weather. This was my first time to take a ferry from Singapore. You could see all the huge tankers in the distance. It’s quite a sight. The ferry ride took less than an hour. We arrived at Nongsa Port which was one of several ports on Batam island.

This was my first visit to Indonesia (although I think this is hardly Indonesia compared to visiting the ancient temples of Borobudur or riding an ojek across the chaotic streets of Jakarta). Nevertheless the feeling was exciting since this was my first time to set foot in the largest and most populated country of Southeast Asia.

We were greeted by the resort staff before reaching the immigration kiosk. A man took our passports and said it was part of our package that he will assist in processing for the stamps. Filipinos do not need to pay for a visa as they are issued a 30-day visa automatically. I had to pay USD 10.00 (approx. PHP 400.00) for a visa-on-arrival (VOA) since I am carrying a different passport. A standard VOA issued here gives a tourist 7 days stay.

For a weekend the port was surprisingly quiet. We made our way to the resort shuttle which was a large yellow bus. The bus left after five minutes and we were the only ones on it. The resort was less than ten minutes away down rural roads. This was the quiet part of Batam island.

From the outside the resort looked like an old hospital. But once we stepped inside it felt like walking back in time. The lobby was clean and grand, in a yesteryear way. Like maybe it hosted the delegates to Miss Universe 1973. I loved it because it was quiet and it was exactly what we needed. There was a large money tree (?) in the middle that looked like it was just installed for the upcoming Chinese New Year.

We were early so check-in wasn’t possible yet. We didn’t bring luggage so it was okay. The once-daily shuttle to Batam city proper was leaving in a hour and we decided to go for it. For IDR 37,000 (approx. PHP 154.00), a roundtrip shuttle will take you on a 45-minute ride to Nagoya Hill mall in downtown Batam.

Honestly, there was nothing really impressive about Nagoya Hill mall. It’s like Harrison Plaza with  an extremely tall ceiling. But I enjoyed that airy ambiance. Add to that, the CONTINUOUS RAIN. The highlight here was doing groceries in an Indonesian hypermarket. Seeing our resulting receipt: a whopping IDR 116,000 which made my heart stop. But after checking my Currency converter app it was only SGD 15.00 or PHP 484.00. The total price would just pay for a six-pack of beer in Singapore. We managed to buy chips, water, and sweets too.

We had lunch at a place called Warung Cobain just upstairs. We wanted to get into the “feel” of Batam so we took off our shoes and ate at the elevated wooden platform. The menu was on the wall and the waiters spoke little English. Or maybe they spoke English but didn’t feeling like speaking English with us lol.

I went for the local variant of chicken barbecue. We also ordered satay. Unfortunately this wasn’t your street food satay straight off the grill. It looked like microwaved satay and I didn’t like to sauce. Best satay so far I had was in Kuala Lumpur. I look forward to trying the stay in Jakarta soon.

I also tried the teh botol since I was intrigued by the rather vintage looking display at the refridgerator. I google’d it on the spot and discovered that teh botol is a popular Indonesian soda pop. It has a very sweet taste to it. Like a diet version of RC Cola diluted with a little bit of Sprite.

The shuttle back to the resort would come around at 2:00 PM (which overall, gave us about 2 hours to spend at Nagoya Hill mall). With 30 minutes to spare we spent time eating J.Co donuts and sipping hot chocolate. Again, the cold weather outside made the moment perfect.

We checked into our rooms. My college friend and her companion got the room facing the sea. We got the room facing the swimming pool. Both views are still lovely. The rooms are large and well-kept. Our room had a problem with the water heater and the man at the reception said keep the water on for 30 minutes. What!

Later, we went up for our 60 minute massage. I took the Indonesian massage which was a bit rough, but exactly what I needed given the career stress. Memorable was the ginger tea they served later. I didn’t like it!

Our problem at this point was that we didn’t really plan our dinner. Batam View Resort and Hotel is located far from restaurants and night life. Your only options really are to eat at the hotel restaurant or eat at the sole seafood restaurant next to the hotel. We saw the seafood restaurant and despite the awesome wind and the clash of waves, it looked sad.

Tip for those on a budget who are staying at this charming old resort… buy dinner from town (during the shuttle excursion at lunch time) and have a picnic at night.

We ended up paying for the dinner buffet at IDR 188,000 each (approx. SGD 25.00 or PHP 785.00). Grossly overpriced for a dinner in Batam but there aren’t any other choices here. To be truthful, the buffet staff were warm and accommodating but they also looked surprised someone was actually eating at their buffet. Lol. The place was practically empty. Choices at the buffet were limited to vegetables, beef stew, soup, desserts, etc. The highlight was the slices of turkey which were cut in front of you. I managed to convince my college friend to join us (she was reluctant at first). Honestly, no. The buffet isn’t worth it. It’s just hard to say that since the staff here are so nice and accommodating. Always smiling. Just do something about the food!

Perhaps part of the whopping price tag for the buffet was experiencing the ambiance. Here were four people enjoying a real weekend escape from the ultra busy lifestyle of nearby Singapore. There was a Chinese music playlist (Chinese New Year is around the corner) clashing with echoes of the live band coming from the lobby. The restaurant lighting was dim, but perfect.

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The next morning it was still raining. Looks like there wouldn’t be any amount of real sunshine during this trip to Batam. We visited the beach and there was a company event there. They were singing karaoke and we couldn’t understand a single word. But it was enchanting. (I really sound like I’m describing a vacation in Paris!)

I enjoyed the swimming pool even if it was raining. We were there so i-enjoy na lang di ba.

Back in the hotel room was a good movie so we took time to watch. No other itinerary but to just RELAX.

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That sums up my quick weekend vacation to Batam. The highlight for me was what the resort offered: peace and quiet. It’s not located in the city. So for people looking for a Batam trip which includes BATAM THE CITY, go and stay somewhere else.