Batam Info Thread

[Naka_Timo]

[QUOTE=Soi6;14063727]

Originally Posted by KonKam

Bro NT is correct. Its in Indon..not Malay. Kaca diri dulu is a common Indon phrase.

In Malay..kaca is glass..cermin is mirror. Most Indons equate Kaca to Cermin..

No need to dispute this. Me expert on this.

Go fight abt something else. I jus enjoy reading ok.

Bro, not I said one but I learn a new word.thanks

[Naka_Timo]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Even booking.com cost less for Formosa Hotel as compare to Kaha pricing...

Kaha pricing for Formosa Hotel is :

Weekday - 475k rupiah

Weekend - 525k rupiah

hmmm....as weekend price for all 3 hotels from booking.com are the same,it now become Kaha is becoming a little more expensive for Biz Hotel and Formosa Hotel. Only Da Vienna seems cheaper.

The booking.com pricing is inclusive of all taxes (Kaha too).

Hmm...going to other hotel room booking site to look see...

I saw this too. I usually use booking.com bcos can easily make changes and also just need a card to secure booking. No confirm payment.

[Trenz]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Wow! Now in asiatravel.com for formosa totally no room available left for CNY eve and 1st day.

try https://www.expedia.com.sg but price higher

[authenticanie]

SGD to Rupiah Exchange Rate :

[nescafeGold]

[QUOTE=Soi6;14063727]

Originally Posted by KonKam

Bro NT is correct. Its in Indon..not Malay. Kaca diri dulu is a common Indon phrase.

In Malay..kaca is glass..cermin is mirror. Most Indons equate Kaca to Cermin..

No need to dispute this. Me expert on this.

Go fight abt something else. I jus enjoy reading ok.

or if you wanna say it in local ways.. 'ngaca dulu..'

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by nono1973

My upcoming group trip on mid Jan 2016 if you happen to be interested (dont say i never jio u) :

https://sammy.services/showpost.p...ostcount=34264

My official group trip to Batam this Jan 2016 is now officially closed.

Do not PM me anymore. I wont reply to any further application after this post onward regarding my group trip. Respective bros who applied already has a slot number. If you didnt,then i am sorry. You may wish to read the link on the quoted post above to understand the reason/s.

Be online and watch your PM box in the next 1 to 2 days if you have received a slot number.

Cheers!

[TwinTowers]

Originally Posted by tiuminator

Bro, just give him benefit of doubt. Maybe tat bro is a local resident.

Fret not as I've have no beef with Soi6.

[lee_man_sg]

Bros,

I found a method to save some money on hotels, thing is you need to use an app from the hotel booking site and you get USD 25 discount if the booking amount is over USD 100, i just booked Jan 30 - Feb 2 Biz hotel for USD 83.
For 3 nights for a Std Room comes to 385K/Night all inclusive. i used expedia app. you can use travelocity, orbitz and hotwire apps too. Priceline shows without any promotion USD 83.50 for the same room in Biz.

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by iicycold

Everybody has their style of travelling in btm,u'll need to find one tat suits u.

Same goes for cheonging in Batam too. Everyone will eventually develope their own style and way of cheonging in Batam after knowing the basics. Some like it solo,some like it in group,some will prefer day trip,some can arrive batam after sun set...everyone will just need to find what best suits themselves and work towards how they can better enjoy themselves.

Originally Posted by iicycold

Tis would be interesting. Looking fwd to see it if u decide not to nato.

If u need any help,i'll chip in.

Thank you,i will let you know if help is needed.

Originally Posted by Black Page

But all depends on what is a "SYT". I think everyone has a different understanding of what girls could be "SYT" or not.

SYT is Sweet Young Thing. For the basic,she must be sweet,she must be young and most importantly,cannot be a "thing",hehehe...

"Thing" has many definition.

Originally Posted by iicycold

Everybody has their style of travelling in btm,u'll need to find one tat suits u.

Yes,the most suitable ways for oneself is the BEST way.

Originally Posted by iicycold

Tis would be interesting. Looking fwd to see it if u decide not to nato.

If u need any help,i'll chip in.

I'm still waiting for your Batam trip FR via PM,hehehe...why? Dont tell me you never book girls,hehehe...

Originally Posted by iicycold

Tis mango does look tasty. U mean they sell tis kind of ripe green mango in btm too?

Yes they do,but i heard from my mum that there is a season for it for the best quality ones. She just bought back quite a bit from her recent trip to Jakarta,hence i knew about this mango is also available in Batam.

By the way,high fruit sugar content,hehehe...if you got diabetes dont over eat,hehehe...(spare some for me..lol)

Originally Posted by fishingman

agree with u. Nono guy is always like to exploraing & to bargain price dwn kind of ppl.

To be honest,i have not finish with Batam even after nearly 2 years of exploring. Bringing the price down is like a game to me today,hehehe...who likes to pay higher when they can pay lower? And of course,i am always aiming for my own definition of getting the best at the lowest price.

Its my perspective.

Originally Posted by fishingman

i comparaing price in btm other sea food shop,i tink ML sea food is considering not high price. But if i compare with bak chor mee store,definitely surely more high price ma. Not cheap,but definite no expensive. It may expensive to nono cause he no take sea food,sm more must bring newbies go try & pay his own share in sea food shp when he no take sea food.

Definitely cannot compare this way. If one wish to make comparison,they will need to compare between sea food versus sea food. Otherwise a meal in Sillypore will be considered much cheaper than in Batam,hehehe....try comparing Batam Sea Food meal against Batam Sea Food meal,the same sea food in terms of its taste ,ambiance and prices ,that way you will see a much clearer picture.

When i wish to compare an apple,i hope to compare the apple from the same tree. I prefer to go to non-sea food places more than sea food places. One simple reason,becos i cant eat them. But when i have a group trip,i cannot say i 1 person dont eat sea food,then dont bring the rest of my other friends to eat ,right? Not fair to the rest. But i still have to foot the same share of sea food prices. This part,all who joined me before will know.

To me,fish is just fish...crab is just crab...same goes for prawns whether they are drunken of not,nearly all of them were the same to me regardless their grade (even if the chef sprinkle 999.9 gold powder into it),hehehe...i do appreciate one who buys me an 16k chicken rice meal better than one who buys me a 300k sea food meal.

Talking about expensive meals here's an old Chinese story to share...

2 super ultra rich men walked into the city most expensive restaurant coincidentally and as they were both ultra rich and PROUD,they were popularly known in the city to always trying to out-rich one another in all ways possible,so smart boy working in the restaurant came out with an idea,telling them to each order their definition of the MOST EXPENSIVE meal for each other and to fill up a single table...and the most expensive meal on the table will be the winner.

Rich Man A ordered the popular 满汉全席 (Manchu Han Imperial Feast) using all of the best known ingredients available in the city :

Rich Man B order many of one dish below to filled up the whole dining table :

八仙过海 - 豆腐雕刻
(8 Immortals crossing the Sea - Tofu Carving)

Now,make a guess which dish is the more expensive one,hehehe...

Anyway ,rich man B won the game becos he ordered an authentic dish that took a way much longer time and work for the master chef to be put on the dining table than rich man A. And it actually cost more to make many of one single such dish to fill up the whole table.

As always,there is a lesson or 2 to learn from every story. If Rich Man A and Rich Man B is going to treat you to a meal of their picking above as :

1. Rich Man A meal (Manchu Han Imperial Feast)

2. Rich Man B meal (8 Immortals crossing the Sea - Tofu Carving)

Given only 2 choices,which meal will you pick?

A picky food person may likely pick Rich Man B's meal.

A normal person will usually pick Rich Man A meal with lesser regards for the price.

What i learn from this story is regardless how expensive or cheap a meal works out to be,the meal that suits a person is the better meal. Same for girls in Batam too,hehehe...recent FR in the beginning of the year 2016 taught me,one can pay up to 2 million to 3 million rupiah or more...but what one ultimately get can become a thorn in their flesh. It doesnt happen only in Batam,it can happen anywhere in the world too.

I shall name this story the Rich Man's meal competition.

2nd lesson i learned from the Rich Man's meal competition :

Rich man B's toufu carving meal took lots of skillful manpower and time to make. It is the amount of manpower effort and time to make the meal for Rich man B that makes it cost more than Rich man A's grandest meal. If i walk into a restaurant or eateries,i observe...am i "eating" its ambience or am i eating their food. I observe again,am i "eating" the chef's time and effort or am in eating their food.

Reminds me,Sillypore Zoological Garden's chicken rice at a non-air con place outside its premises cost S$17.00 (thats more than 5 years ago,it probably cost more today). Highest priced chicken rice in most Sillypore air-conditioned food court probably cost about a maximum of S$5. Sillypore Zoological Garden's chicken rice taste better? Hehehe...think.

Finally,i must say Rich Man's B's Tofu Carving meal is definitely a much healthier meal than Rich Man A's Manchu Han Imperial Feast.

Originally Posted by fishingman

Like tat i tink he lost money sm more.

Tell uncle a small secret,bros in this forum has ever invited me to guide them personally in Batam with every expense covered,but i need to turn them all down.(i still point to them a direction tho) Like i say before,i am not a guide and dont qualify as one. I can barely speak Bahasa,later go there xia suay man (meaning showing disgrace),hehehe...

And when my aim is to go to Batam to have a good time. If going to Batam is becoming like an obliged "job",where will be my enjoyment then? It will defeat my original purpose all these time for trying to get the BEST in Batam for least.

I did a calculation before,base on my own guide if i want to be guide,there is no way i would be able make the same money i am making in my current full time job. And lets say if i work as tour guide part time,i still dont find how the money i earn can cover my 1 trip expenses. And eventfully if i do, what's the ultimate margin? I will be much better off buying cheap stuffs in Batam,bring back to Sillypore to sell high since in my line of job ,i already have a queue of constant willing buyers. Like i say before,i may be stingy,but i dont greed over small trifle things..hehehe...just like i dont like to partake in any argument or debate whereby the prize for winning is nothing. Reminds me of small head over big head when dealing with Batam massage girls now,hehehe...i believe i have spoken enough.

Live and let live.

*3 more days to go to Batam,hehehe...

[akabula]

Need some advice. I'm planning a trip to Batam but staying at Turi Beach resort at Nongsa. Can anyone recommend what I can do for some fun ? Is town too far away ? Where to go when in town ? Thanks !

[vaxvms]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Mind if i ask what is KITAS? How to apply for it? or get them?

Thank you.



Anyone who walks in to Kaha should be getting almost the same price.(most time,i stayed in 2 star or 3 star hotels) I have asked some local friends,citizen of Batam aka Indonesia. For most hotels,its all about same price. However, I tends to like to ask for free gifts at times in Kaha,not going to name the type of free gift here as they are just monument stuffs.

Note : One should NOT take a 30k+ rupiah taxi to go to Kaha just to save 30k+ rupiah,it dont make sense.

KITAS is a ID card. cannot apply unless u like my frd give up SG citizenship and become a indon
local work permit also able to get local rate
this is experience from JKT/surabaya/semarang
batam guess hotel not as expensive therefore saving not much

hope to join u 1 day as newbie in batam
my last batam i think is ages back....

[vaxvms]

Originally Posted by akabula

Need some advice. I'm planning a trip to Batam but staying at Turi Beach resort at Nongsa. Can anyone recommend what I can do for some fun ? Is town too far away ? Where to go when in town ? Thanks !

nongsa very far. more for family activities or go with mistress

[S.B.Y.1]

Mas vaxvms

APA Khabar now enjoying Batam scene.

[nono1973]

Amir Prata @ Teban Center

Pujasera Tiban Centre, Jl. Gajah Mada, Sekupang,
Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29424, Indonesia
Tel : +62 853-5523-4000

[longlong135]

Originally Posted by nono1973

... I shall name this story the Rich Man's meal competition ...

I have lesson 3... hee hee hee... Combining your monkey god story with this...

Number 3: The richer you are or higher your social status are... One must learn to be humble and let go of your ego...
Otherwise, you will be likely to fall into tricks of others like restaurant waiter / boss...

Gun-doo A: Spent on Man-Han Imperial Feast where he could have spent it on a normal meal in the same restaurant and keeping a street full of beggars, free from hunger that night...

Gun-doo B: Even worse, spent more on a plate of proteins with most of the cost directing at those poor chefs in kitchen swearing upon his kuku order as they carved out 8 immortals tofu...

Liked your stories...
So far I have read the monkey god and this current one... Any others that I missed?