Barelang Bridge

Barelang Bridge is a chain of six bridges of various types built in 1997 connecting the Barelang island group of Riau Archipelago. Over time, the bridge sites have grown more into a tourist attraction rather than just a transportation route.

The Barelang bridge is probably the only tourist attraction worthy of note in Batam. The bridge is free to use, but there is a small entrance charge to go to the lookout point, where you get a nice view out to sea and the islands beyond.

It was midday when we arrived at the ridge. That probably wasn’t a good time as it was rather warm at that time of day. Plus, the view would have been a lot more amazing in the evening sunset.

The other thing that we were not aware of was that there is no signal in the area. We were informed by the taxi driver when we arrived that we wouldn’t be able to call a cab to take us back to town. He volunteered to wait for us to take us back to town if we pay him the same price as he took us there, plus a small tip. We agreed readily to it as the alternative would be to be stuck in the area, and we never know how far we have to walk before we get a signal for our phone.

Some photos of the bridge and views from the bridge.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ BLOGGER ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you find my posts interesting. If you know of anyone who might appreciate them, do recommend the blog to them. Cheers!

If you are on Facebook, drop by and take a look at my Facebook Page - 👉 HERE

"Love Seafood" Restaurant

On our second evening in Batam, we went to ‘Love Seafood’ restaurant for dinner. This came highly recommended by someone from Singapore who had been there. So, of course, we had to go and try it for ourselves.

Apparently, they have been around since 2013. They have a branch very near to our hotel. But we didn’t know that, or rather, we didn’t know that it belonged to the same owner. Anyway, in the restaurant, there were tanks displaying the seafood where customers can have their pick for dinner.

We had six dishes, excluding rice. They were all good and prices were a third of those in Singapore. Someone in the group suggested that we should go back again. But unfortunately, that was our last night in Batam. However, I am sure the evening, and the restaurant will be mentioned to friends in Singapore, and should any of us go back to Batam, I am sure ‘Love Seafood’ will be one of the stops.

Drunken prawns

Fried Squid

Fried rice vermicelli

Stir fry spinach

Chilli crabs

Steamed pomfret

You can click on the picture for a better view.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ BLOGGER ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you find my posts interesting. If you know of anyone who might appreciate them, do recommend the blog to them. Cheers!

If you are on Facebook, drop by and take a look at my Facebook Page - 👉 HERE

Atlantis Beach Club

On our first evening in Batam, we ventured out to look for a restaurant recommended by a friend of a friend. Unfortunately, we arrived to find the place closed and deserted. It would seem the place was no more in operation. Our taxi driver recommended that we should try ‘Atlantis’, a beach club by the sea. And that’s where we went for dinner on the first night in Batam.

Atlantis beach club and the adjacent Deepsea beach club are two beach clubs that opened in June 2024. So, they are still quite new on the scene. ‘The beach clubs combine leisure with entertainment, offering activities ranging from sports to live music events.’ They are meant to position Batam as a burgeoning entertainment hub in the region: “A boost to the local tourism industry, combining sports, music, and entertainment to create a unique attraction that appeals to a broad audience. This initiative is expected to draw more visitors to the region and contribute to its economic and cultural vitality.”

The Deepsea beach club was a lot busier and more happening. But they had an entry charge which we were reluctant to pay. So, we ended up at the Atlantis beach club. They were rather quiet. There were only two other tables besides our table of seven.

The atmosphere was pleasant enough, and the food was okay. It would be better if there were more lighting so we can see what we ate. It was pricey, no doubt, but expected.

Fried Noodles

Fried rice

Chicken dish

A mix grilled seafood

After dinner at the Atlantis, we went to this open air food place called A2. The place reminded me of the Newton hawker center back home. They were very busy despite it being a weekday night. It seemed like all the tourists and half the locals in Batam were there. We had a few beers and some light snacks before going back to our hotel nearby.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ BLOGGER ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you find my posts interesting. If you know of anyone who might appreciate them, do recommend the blog to them. Cheers!

If you are on Facebook, drop by and take a look at my Facebook Page - 👉 HERE

Batam Island Trip

My friends and I spent three days and two nights in Batam Island last week. Batam is the largest city in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands. It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore, at a distance of 5.8km across the Singapore Strait. The Singapore Strait separates Singapore and Batam.

The ferry ride takes about forty to fifty minutes depending on which ferry terminal you arrive at. There are quite a few ferry terminals over in Batam.

Batam doesn’t have much to offer in terms of tourist attractions. Most tourists, a big number of them from Singapore and Malaysia go there for ‘rest and relaxation’. The Indonesian currency is low, so Batam is a hot-spot for tourists who want to shop, or go to a spa for massage, and to eat, and drink. Unfortunately, none of these are of interest to me. I went along for the company and to see first hand what the place was like because most of my friends have been to Batam.

So, I didn’t have any expectations, and therefore, I was not disappointed. However, something I ate on my first day didn’t agree with me and I had to put up with the discomfort in my belly, for the duration of my visit. That was not pleasant. It further put a dampener on the trip.

There are quite a few mega malls in Batam. One could literally ‘shop till you drop’. There are also plenty of restaurants, and eateries. Spas and massage parlours are prominently featured everywhere you turn your head.

Traffic is quite bad in Batam – many cars and motorcycles. They weave in and out of the traffic with nary a care. There are hardly any traffic lights. There is a pedestrian crossing, but no cars will slow down for you to cross the road. You just walk quickly across the road and hope that you make it to the other side before some vehicle knocks you down. Side streets are narrow, uneven and not too clean.

I saw many young people. Quite a difference from the aging population here. But surprisingly, they are not very proficient in English even at the shops and restaurants, where there are many tourists.

My take-away from the trip: Batam is a nice place to get away to for the weekend or for a couple of days, when you want to pamper yourself with some shopping, spa treatment or dining. It’s affordable and convenient. And that is all Batam has to offer. Basically, you go there to eat, drink, shop, enjoy a spa treatment – these don’t have to be in that order – and then repeat until you are ready to go home.

All in all, this wasn’t the best of my trips, but it was something different for a couple of days. Some photos of the place: The ferry that took us to Batam.

One of the ferry terminals in Batam.

We stayed at the Aston Inn Gideon Hotel.

View from my hotel room.

Streets of Batam.

Malls and mega malls.

When you are too tired to shop you find a nice place to relax and enjoy a nice pastry and cup of coffee.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ BLOGGER ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you find my posts interesting. If you know of anyone who might appreciate them, do recommend the blog to them. Cheers!

If you are on Facebook, drop by and take a look at my Facebook Page - 👉 HERE

Batam Island

I am going to Batam Island tomorrow with my group of friends, (six of us), for a three days two nights holiday. Some in the group had been to Batam before, many years ago. This is my first trip. Looking forward to seeing what Batam is like. We are taking the 9.10am ferry. It will be one of the following ferries.

👉 Source A bit of background on Batam.

Batam, officially the City of Batam, is the largest city in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands. It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore, at a minimum distance of 5.8km across the Singapore Strait. The Singapore Strait separates Singapore and Batam.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ BLOGGER ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you find my posts interesting. If you know of anyone who might appreciate them, do recommend the blog to them. Cheers!

If you are on Facebook, drop by and take a look at my Facebook Page - 👉 HERE

Ipoh Food

There is not a lot of difference between the food in Ipoh and the food in Singapore. We intended to try all the foods that were recommended by friends, but because there is no serious foodie in the group, we just went along and ate when we were hungry. Besides, sometimes our meal hours were a bit off because of traveling. During such instances, we usually went to the first food place that looked clean and decent.

However, we did get to try their famous Ipoh white coffee. Their bean curd dessert, their famous bean sprouts and chicken rice, and Ipoh noodles.

One thing I find similar – where food is concerned, between Ipoh and Singapore is, food is easily available. There are plenty of coffee shops, and restaurants all within walking distances.

Famous Ipoh white coffee.

Popular bean curd dessert.

Famous bean sprouts and chicken. Nothing special about the chicken but the bean sprouts were nice – short, fat and crunchy.

Barbecue belly pork. A bit too sweet for me.

Street stalls selling local food in the evening. They are always busy. One will never go hungry in Ipoh.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ BLOGGER ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you for stopping by. Follow me if you find my posts interesting. If you know of anyone who might appreciate them, do recommended the blog to them. Cheers!

If you are on Facebook, drop by and take a look at my Facebook Page - 👉 HERE