We book the Batam Harbour Hotel & Spa as it is a stone's
throw away from the Harbour Bay ferry terminal. We choose this ferry terminal
due to its better reviews compared to the other ferry terminals in Batam. True
enough, it is a breeze going through the immigration custom and the queue is
orderly and not too crowded.
After checking into the low-rise boutique hotel which
comprises three floors and a roof-top spa garden, we take a leisurely walk to
the nearby Harbour Bay Mall for lunch. To our disappointment, the mall is like
a ghost town with only a few shops open and hardly any shoppers. Thankfully we
manage to find a small eatery within the mall that sells ayam penyet, black
soya chicken and other simple local fare. The portion is rather small but the
food is delicious and for less than S$2, one cannot complain.
Shopping Therapy
After lunch, the hotel's free shuttle bring us to Nagoya
Hill Mall for some shopping. It is quite a nice shopping experience with lots
of shops, cafes, restaurants and a mega supermarket. Shoppers will be spoilt
for choice for places to eat and things to buy, especially clothes, toys, shoes
and bags. Beware that the 'branded' handbags are probably not authentic for
that kind of price. There are also money changers inside the mall should you
run out of rupiah for shopping.
BCS Mall is another shopping centre in Batam but looks and
feels older than Nagoya Hill Mall. Like the latter, there are lots of things
to see, shop and eat. You can find all kinds of electronics stuff in the entire
basement. There is a big supermarket on the ground floor and there is no lack
of eateries selling cheap and delicious local foods. You can also find fashion
clothes, shoes, handbags here that are cheaper than in Nagoya Hill Mall but don't
expect high quality stuff. Unlike Singapore, smoking is allowed in Batam malls,
so it can mar the shopping experience for non-smokers and those with babies and
kids.
Food servings in Batam are rather small but prices are cheap. One can get a fish-and-chips meal or ayam penyet for less than S$2. It
is sufficient for kids and small eaters but may not be filling for those
with big appetites.
Don't leave Batam without buying their famous layer cake or
kueh lapis. There are several stores selling different varieties of layer cakes,
from the classic original to pandan, chocolate, and many other flavours some of
which you have to pre-order in advance. They usually have samples for you to
try, so choose the ones that best suit your tastebuds. After several sampling,
we buy a box of chocolate kueh lapis for 150,000 rupiah (around S$15) from
LaMoist, a well-known brand with several chains in the other malls and even at
the ferry terminal.
High-end Shopping
 |
| Grand Batam Mall |
If cheap stuff is not your cup of tea and quality matters to
you, then the spanking new Grand Batam Mall will appeal to you. Unlike the
other two older malls in Batam, this one is brightly lit, huge and spacious
with several well-known brands like Uniqlo, Payless ShoeSource and H&M
(which is yet to open when we were there).
Shopping is an entirely different experience here as it is
more hip and upmarket but prices are also higher than in the other malls.
However, you can be assured you get quality and authentic stuff. Another plus
factor is there are benches and seats available for tired legs after a
shopping spree, unlike the other malls where you can hardly find a place to
rest tired legs unless you go to a cafe or eatery.
Spa Treats
Besides cheap food and shopping, Batam is also where you can
get decent massages and spa treatments at much lower prices than in Singapore.
I have a rather good massage at the hotel's Alamanda Spa for less than S$20,
and my masseuse is skillful
and attentive.
 |
| Spa garden |
I also love the serene ambience at the rooftop spa garden, which is adorned with little mushroom figurines and a mini fountain. It makes the whole spa
experience so much more relaxing.
Overall, it's a good short getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. We will definitely be back for the massage and shopping, not least of all the yummy kueh lapis. But we will choose to stay in another hotel, perhaps the upcoming Marriott Hotel that is still being built.
About Batam Harbour Hotel & Spa
This is a small boutique hotel with only three floors and a
rooftop spa garden. It also houses a small cafe which serves daily breakfast
and in-house meals. The complimentary breakfast is a bonus, but there should be
some varieties instead of serving the same fare every day.
The pros of this hotel:
- It's within walking distance from the ferry terminal,
so you can save on taxi fare.
Free shuttle is provided to and from three shopping malls
based on specified timings.
-
The room is very clean and spacious, with comfortable bed
and equipped with a mini fridge, safe, cupboard to hang your clothes and
bottled water. There are also many cable TV channels available.
The staff service is good, they are very helpful and most of
them can speak fluent English and Mandarin.
Their in-house spa massage is a
must-try. The prices are lower than those in the malls and it's also very convenient for
guests to take a lift to the third floor or rooftop garden for their
massage and spa treats.
The cons:
Some of the rooms (the deluxe ones) are on the ground
floor, sharing the same space as the reception lobby and the cafe. It can get
quite noisy as the room is not soundproof and you can hear people talking and
walking past, even late at night.
It is not a non-smoking hotel so even if you book a
non-smoking room, you can still smell some cigarette smoke through the air-con vents. Definitely a turn off for non-smokers and young children.
There is fogging on certain days around the hotel
outside, and the pungent chemical smell does seep into the room even though the windows
are closed. What's worse, the fogging smoke in the room triggers the screeching
smoke alarm in the early morning and wakes us up from our sleep. The hotel
management should do something about this if they want to keep their customers coming back.
