2D1N Batam M-One Hotel

10 June 2013

Craving for a getaway, we browsed GroupOn and stumbled upon the value-for-money deal: http://www.groupon.sg/deals/travel-deals/Cebu-Air-Travel-Tours/716893490

 

A 45-min ferry ride from Harbourfront landed us in Sekupang terminal where we were picked up our guide.

 

 

We had a stopover at KTM resort where the majestic Kwan Im Goddess statue was located. In the clear weather, we could spot Marina Bay Sands from our location.

 

 

We were then shuttled to a series of shops: chocolates, kueh lapis, polo ralph lauren, and a dry market which sold the exotic Kopi Luwak.

 

Along the way, our entertaining tour guide Ah Gun shared with us some fun facts:

  • In Batam, the petrol is extremely cheap; much cheaper than drinking water. So cost-conscious visitors can consider drinking petrol to save money.
  • The max. rider capacity for motorcycles in Batam is five! Normally the police will let it slip knowing that the people can’t afford better rides.
  • The cost of education is high because parents send their children for extra English/ Mandarin classes to make up for their paltry few hours of language lessons a month. Wealthier citizens would just send their children to Singapore or Australia for education.
  • When buying/ building houses, the people need to pay annual taxes to the government; but since the penalty fee for not doing so is only slightly higher than the tax, most people will “forget” to pay their taxes until the time for renewal.
  • The locals earn less than S$300 a month so they are not exactly motivated in their work. Hence, visitors need to be tolerant of their lackadaisical service.

     

    Next stop was the Kuda Lumping Cultural Show which features extreme feats including eating glass and burning charcoal.

     

     

    Lunch was a sumptuous buffet spread of Indonesian dishes which included my childhood favourite - gado gado!

     

    After lunch was more shopping at a factory outlet which boasts of luxury items that looked suspiciously like imitations. We bailed for coffee at the nearby coffee shop instead. When paying for the orders, I was told that my old indonesian notes were no longer in use! So if you have some ruppiah stashed away from a trip few years back, it is probably worth nothing now.

     

     

    Next was my maiden full body massage experience. Sadly, I did not enjoy it as much as the missus. My sensations fluctuated between pain and ticklish. At times, it felt like I was going through another of my physiotherapy sessions with dimmed lights and calming gamelan music.

     

    Our last stop was Batam City Square mall which has a number of cafes and shops openly displaying their trove of pirated DVDs.

     

     

    We scanned for dinner options and settled on fastfood takeaway from Best Fried Chicken (BFC), which bears an uncanny resemblance to KFC. The nasi goreng was really good although the chicken was a little too dry.

     

    Our lodge for the night was M-One Hotel.

     

     

    Bearing in mind that it is a budget hotel, we were rather pleased with the standards of accommodation. There was free wifi and a TV with many channels which entertained us for the rest of the night.

     

    Famous for its karaoke lounges, the thumping music got pretty loud at night. Thankfully our guide helped us request for a room further away from the ruckus.

     

    The next day was free and easy so we took a stroll by the riverfront and lazed at a cafe while waiting for our coach back to the ferry terminal.

     

     

    Travel Tips

     

    [Ferry] Ferry to Batam is free seating. Take the window seat to the left of vessel for views of Sentosa, St John Island, MBS and flyer skyline. Window seat to the right for views of Reflections at Keppel Bay, Bukom, Semakau, Sebarok islands. Opposite directions apply for return trip.

     

    [Porter] Porters at the ferry terminal will offer to carry your bags/ luggage but they expect to be paid ($1 per item). So insist on carrying your own bags if you do not want to pay.

     

    [M1 Hotel] M1 Hotel is popular for its clubbing activities so expect loud thumping music through the night. Avoid staying on weekends &/ or request for a room far away from the karaoke lounge.

     

    [M1 Hotel] A S$50 deposit is requested by the hotel upon check-in so do prepare for that. The deposit is returned upon checkout.

     

    [Drinking Water] Tap water is not potable in Batam. There is no gym in the hotel where you can fetch water so do purchase extra bottled water from the supermarket if needed.

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