Earlier in 2015, we decided to go on a short getaway trip to celebrate our second anniversary. :)
After much deliberation, we decided on Batam as it is just a 45-minute ferry ride away from Harbourfront Ferry Terminal. Also, when compared to other destinations such as Phuket or Bali, it is more accessible and economical (the ferry ride that is).
Batam is an Indonesian island that has always remain one of the top regional getaway destinations for Singaporeans; there are golf courses, spa resorts, shopping malls, water sports, and fresh seafood.
In this instance, our resort provides free land transfer service from Sekupang Terminal, so we followed the instructions given on the booking confirmation email to book our return ferry tickets (~SGD50 depending on ferry operator).
The skies were not looking positive when we embark on the journey, but it makes for good photos (my own personal skewed opinion) and cool weather.
Cruising past The Sails:
One interesting point to note is that one is expected to remain silent while you are lined up before the immigration counter. I remembered the last time I was there, the security officer was walking around reminding visitors to remain silent. The reason I was given was so that visitors may be able to hear instructions from the counters (if any). I found a Straits Times article on this interesting rule as well.
Well, no matter what the rules are, I always believe that when you are in a foreign land, the minimal respect you can provide is to follow their rules and way of life.
Once past the customs, we spotted the driver holding a sign that said 'Tempat Senang' and we got up the mini bus. There was another Singaporean couple with us.
Tempat Senang is an award-winning boutique resort in the island. Featuring 14 different suite themes, the resort has received the Certificate of Excellence from 2010 to 2014. Just a thing to note, children under 15 are not allowed in the resort.
You can make a taxi booking to get to anywhere in Batam through the reception counter. We booked our taxi to Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall (SGD22 for three-hour booking) through the resort.
We booked the Timor room, which is a deluxe room furnished with traditional Timorese carvings on beautifully aged wood. It comes with a queen-sized bed, mini fridge, jacuzzi tub, and is fully air-conditioned. There is a DVD player in the room and guests can borrow DVDs from the lobby to watch in the comfort of your suite.
At IDR 2,590,000 per pax for a night's stay, it includes return land transfer, breakfast, and a three-hour spa session (choice of 3 one-hour different treatments). Top-up for a deluxe room cost an additional IDR 550,000 per night.
For a deluxe suite, this room was smaller than what I have expected, but the warm lighting made the place cosy enough.
The man added the celebrations package on top of the deluxe room upgrade, which is another IDR650,000+ for a bottle of sparkling wine, cake, and petals (petals on bed as shown in image above).
I thought it was too wasteful to discard the petals, so i gathered them up and place them in a basket.
We found a black forest cake from Holland Bakery laid on the table, but it was rather wasteful because it was way too big for us to finish:
Chilled sparkling wine:
Spa and restaurant menus are included in the room as well. If you do not feel like leaving the resort for dinner, you can place dinner orders with the restaurant during the day.
You can also decide which spa treatments to go for, as long as you inform them by breakfast-hour on the same morning. You can take a look at their spa menu here.
The bathroom is spacious, but because of the forested area outside, bugs tend to get attracted by the lamp and find themselves trapped in the bathroom.
The bathroom comes with an extensive range of Tempat Senang house-brand toiletries, from the usual shampoo/ conditioner/ shower cream, to lotion/ hair tonic/ facial mist etc. Do spend some time to try the wide range of products, as some of them are really interesting.
And of course, you can buy all these products at the reception area:
There is a small lounge area right outside the rooms:
We took a peek into the China room, where resort service staff were cleaning. I am pleasantly surprised to see them dust the wooden bed frame, as it showed how meticulous they are.
The China room is smaller than other rooms as it is for single travellers. If you are travelling alone, you can take up this room to avoid paying double occupancy rates.
There are thick curtains in the suite which provide privacy from other guests relaxing at the common pool area. If you draw aside the curtains, this is the view you get from the room.
This is the restaurant area, where you will enjoy your meals or a game of pool.
Before you decide on your spa treatments, try the samples at the restaurant:
If you get hungry in the middle of the night, there is an array of snacks and drinks available at the reception area. Simply drop your cash into the jar or fill in the form so that they can include it in when you check-out.
We placed a dinner order after we have settled down in the room and scrutinised the menu. We decided on the Nasi Campur (IDR 490,000), which is recommended for two pax. You can take a look at their menu here.
Lime Juice:
Nasi Campur, which was absolutely delicious!
We couldn't finish the food though we tried our very best.
For breakfast, we were served a fruits platter as the appetiser:
I chose poached eggs, which I felt had a dose too much vinegar.
The man chose omelette, which tasted better but wasn't extraordinary.
The potato terrine was pretty good though.
We were led to this wooden hut for our spa session, which can accommodate two pax:
I managed to snap this quick photo before changing up for the sessions. There is a toilet right inside the hut, so it is really convenient:
After the stay we went to Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall, and it coincided with Lunar New Year preparations:
The mall was livened up with the Lion Dance routine for prosperity:
You can find traditional snacks and dried goods here at the food street, from dried shrimps to Kueh Lapis:
I was attracted to this rainbow kueh lapis, but it looked better than it tasted. The original signature kueh lapis was much better.
Food sampling:
I bought their honeycomb cake in the end.
Found an interesting shop in the mall.
If you want to walk the red carpet with glam, this is the shop for you!
I have this indescribable love for supermarkets. When I am overseas, I always try to visit their supermarkets as that is where you can get everything local, be it foodstuff or necessities.
We took the taxi back to the resort to collect our luggage. We then took the mini bus back to Sekupang Ferry Terminal.
Guess what we spotted at the terminal:
If you need to do some last minute purchase, there are some snacks stores in the terminal.
All in all, we spent about 700 - 800SGD for this 2D1N trip:
Room Stay: IDR 2,590,000 * 2 pax
Room Upgrade: IDR 550,000
Cake set: IDR 650,000
Dinner: IDR 490,000
Total Resort Expenses: IDR 6,870,000 = ~SGD 700
Taxi to Nagoya Hill: SGD 22
Return Ferry: SGD 48 * 2 pax
Total Trip Expenses: Approximately SGD 818, excluding other shopping expenses
We enjoyed this getaway a lot, but we felt that it was too overpriced for a 2D1N trip.
If it is for a special occasion, perhaps you may wish to consider either their special suite rooms (Bottle cottage or tree house) or try other spa resorts in Port Dickson or Bintan.
We are looking for a spa resort for our next getaway! If you have any recommendations or you know of any great resorts near Singapore, do comment or drop us an email!
