Helloo there,
welcome to the guide from my first ever BATAM trip!
Here’s a nice picture of the resort i stayed at,
Which is why you guys should consider this place as a weekend getaway option.
Here’s a nice picture of the resort i stayed at,
Which is why you guys should consider this place as a weekend getaway option.
Decided to get of the country to celebrate AT’s birthday
since we both needed a break badly.
(Not going overseas for xmas this year cause of aaron ahah)
So… as a first timer to BATAM,
I’ve researched for days to decide where to stay at,
where to go for massage(YES MASSAGE AND SPA MUST HAVE) and
where to have seafood dinner near my hotel.
Those who have been there before advised me to decide between
1.Shopping area
2.Beach/Resort area
(cause the hotels are at located in very different areas.)
And travelling takes roughly 30 minutes to get to either area.
Finally, we’ve decided on
TURI BEACH RESORT
for our 1 night staycation
I understand that MONTIGO resort is really popular.
But honestly, it’s is rather expensive for a one night stay?
(I’ll rather take my hols to bangkok/hongkong)
And Turi Beach Resort sort of won 2014’s best resort award,
(Actually, no i don’t care about the awards ahahha,
the resort room simply look nice and comfy enough)
Just look at this picture of the resort’s surrounding (Taken from web)
How bad can this be seriously?
I think it’s even more awesome than MONTIGO…
Cause Turi Beach Resort has all kind of watersports as well.
We took a Batamfast ferry
from the Tanah Merah Terminal to the Nongsapura Terminal in Batam
(Nongsapura is the nearest terminal to Turi Beach, Montigo, etc)
Tickets cost us $90+ SGD for 2 pax.
Cause i can’t find those groupon deals that goes to Nongsapura.
BATAMFAST is the only ride to Nongsapura ferry Terminal.
Sindo ferry and Majestic ferry are all towards Batam center terminal.
I would personally advise you to save time on travelling as much as possible
cause it’s really very inaccessible in Batam.
The ferry took about 35-45minutes from SG to Batam.
Take note that the time difference is 1hour.
So we took the 2:20pm ferry in SG time and then when you reach,
it’s roughly 2plus Batam time.
Had land transfer from the ferry terminal to the resort itself.
So glad that I’m already in love with this place the moment i saw
the structures, the ambience and surrounding views.
When we start to walk towards our hotel room,
Everywhere is black and white, and wooden.
The place is just really pretty…
(Maybe i wasn’t expecting much at first due to the haze season
The resort area really look exactly like the picture below)
Another plus point for our fellow Singaporeans,
this place is an Instagram Heaven!
Not kidding… every angle, every corner is so instagramable and looks so good.
Unfortunately i’m here to enjoy and didn’t take much #OOTD
But here, let me brief you through all the OOTD Spots.
(which i would have taken an OOTD but i was with anson so….
he’s damn lazy to take photos ahahha)
# Instagram alert
When on your way to your hotel room
We booked a Premier room in the Tirta Wing (the newer wing unlike riani wing).
But we got upgraded to a Beachfront Premier Room
as subjected to availability.
This is WHY you need to book from their website, in order to receive this kind of free upgrades and services which you might not be entitled to if booked via any other external booking sites.
It cost roughly SGD 146 per night (After all those taxes)
With this pricing, the room’s definitely better than what you can find in SG.
What’s more, it’s near the sea!
# Instagram alert
# Instagram alert
in front of our beachfront room
# Instagram alert
The swimming pool itself/ from the side
Everywhere’s so pretty right!
#Instagram alert
The view outside our apartment
And there, this is our room, room 106.
The view outside our apartment
And there, this is our room, room 106.
#Instagram alert
The view standing from our beachfront’s platform.
Inside the room, it’s so cozy!
The room is really pretty,
but we sort of took a nap before doing anything else hahahahahah
Therefore, when we woke up, it’s already 6plus 7 hehe.
Didn’t adjust any lighting, dim and cozy exactly it is!
# Instagram alert
(This lighting’s edited)
So, if you stay at Turi Beach Resort..
We’ll recommend you to go to
Rezeki Seafood
It’s roughly 10-15minutes from Turi Beach(really near)
Since it’s really dark, inaccessible unlike Nagoya area,
Remember to ask the cabby to wait for you.
Pay them for a 2 way trip.
If not, i’ve got no idea how you’re gonna grab a cab
Their cab don’t have any Taxi sign,
i guess the restaurant will have to help you get one instead?
Here, really cheap and fresh seafood!
Food ordered:
1 chilli crab (the crab is kind of different from SG’s)
1 black pepper crayfish (MUST! I prefer this to the crab)
1 Gong gong
1 Gang Gong
And 1 fried rice
Plus drinks…
Total cost: 400.000 IDR
Cause we bargained from 450,000 IDR HAHA
Therefore, money spent is roughly 40bucks SGD?
OMG i want to eat seafood everyday man.
So cheap!
After which, we cabbed back to hotel room to continue with celebration!
Under my booking, there is a complimentary birthday cake.
Some other random pictures of the rest of the trip..
Oh yea, i forgot to mentioned
They did a pretty setup of the Happy birthday deco with petals hehe
The next morning.
Woke up for breakfast, which will not be available after 1030am
The only thing i’m upset about this place is that
i woke up with mosquito bites on my eyelid and arms:(
But i can only blame my sweet blood type..
#Instagram alert
A pity no one’s around that area to help us take pics…
#Instagram alert
Here, the famous bridge you see on insta and tv all the time.
Rmb to take lots of good pics if you ever go to Turi!
#Instagram alert
Part of the Riana Wing
#Instagram alert
So, here’s the trick, we bought an open ticket back to SG
So we can choose whether to go straight back from the resort to Nongsapura Terminal
or head to Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre and then
return to SG from Batam Centre terminal.
We went to the famous Spa Secret opposite Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall.
It’s just across the street,
so don’t end up being tricked to take a Taxi from Nagoya Hill.
They have really reasonable pricing for massage, spas and baths.
You may check the pricing here:
For ladies, plus point cause ya got to do your nails and hair as well.
We both did the Hot Stone Massage only.
This cost us Rp. 420,000 / 2 hours
It’s worth it for 2 hours of massage!
After which,
we head to Batam Centre Terminal,
It’s prolly 20mins-45mins ride from the mall to there terminal
So don’t be late for your ferry!
And for our open ticket,
we had to top up $2 each to return from Batam centre instead of Nongsapura
Lastly, from Batam Centre to SG,
it’ll arrive at Harbourfront Terminal instead of Tanah Merah
The total spending for the trip: Approx. $400-$450 for 2 pax.
Inclusive of resort, ferry, massage, eats, taxi fares, simply everything!
I should just go to BKK in future seriously ahaha
But o well, never go, never know!
Overall, It’s not too bad..
It’s near SG and ya know..i don’t have to take an airplane to get here.
Hope you guys find the guide slightly useful ahaha
IF you don’t wanna spend so much for Batam,
just stay at a normal hotel, not a resort.
Or purchase a groupon deal.
Or… go for a one-day trip, have some massage/seafood and then head back sg!
Jeslynexsoh 