Great Escapes in One of Unique and Low Cost Island in Indonesia, That is Batam Island

When the pace of big city lifestyle starts to get you down,  and you need a little holiday vacation in a more scenic, rural or adventurous setting , check out some of these great escapes in  living in one of exotic and low cost island in Indonesia, that is Batam island.

Take a long weekend, or use a portion of your annual holiday leave to see more of this fascinating country that we expats are temporarily calling home.

Just imagine the air fares you’d be spending to get back to Indonesia again for holidays in the future! Many savvy tourism operators, recognizing the great pool of potential customers right here in-country, offer discounts to resident expatriates. Don’t get stuck in the big city , get out and see what Indonesian life is like in more laid back, traditional settings.

Batam island is a strange juxtaposition of being the island of the world’s largest Islamic country, but at the same time its nightlife is also one of the most vibrant in the Asia Pacific region. A nightlife district popular among single expats is Nagoya entertainment district, or just called NED, this compact district is bounded by the Melia Panorama, Goodway and Harmoni hotels. Lucy’s Oarhouse is easiest to find, turn left out of the Melia’s front entrance and walk 100m. The famous PP Banana GoGo is upstairs. Rio Rita is over the road. Turn right out Lucy’s front door and you can see the Jungle Bar, Classics, Red Cock, Bistro, Ice Pub and Steps Music Lounge.  McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and several money changers are in the same area.

Batam is one of the largest islands in the Riau archipelago, and not long ago it was just another poor island with coastal villages and unspoiled nature. In 1970s, the island underwent a major transformation from topologically forest area into a major harbor and industrial zone. Now is one of fastest growing tourist destinations in Indonesia in terms of visitor arrivals. It is only 40 minutes from Singapore with boat. Batam time is one hour ahead of Singapore. When you depart from Singapore harbor you are in Batam Center  in 45 to 60 minutes.

There are three places for you hanging out or exploring,  before heading back for a good night’s sleep :

1.  Karaoke

There are literally hundreds of karaoke bars located in almost every direction of Nagoya. It is very popular with Chinese and Singaporean, so most of the songs are in Chinese with some well-known English songs. Beside a large karaoke hall, many of them also provide private rooms for a group of three-to-eight people or more, an option to avoid bad singers in the open lounge who seem to think they are competing on Pop Idol. Below is the list to sample:

• Merlion Hotel                                    Location: Sriwijaya Road, Nagoya)
• Kompleks Cipta Utama                  Location: Near Center Point shopping centre
• Permata Indah                                  Location: Windsor Central, Nagoya
• Barong Karaoke                                Location: Puri Garden Hotel

2.  Nightclubs

Nightclubs or discotheques here usually play alternate between techno music and some up-to-date pop. Some places also have live bands, playing English, Indonesian, Chinese, and Singaporean songs. The nightclubs here open from 19:00 onwards and all get busy around midnight and run until 05:00. No strict dress-code although flip-flops are not allowed for clubbers’ own safety. Below is the list of some famous clubs for all party animals:

• Ice Pub                                                Location:Near Mandarin Regency Hotel
• Jungle Diskotik                                Location: Komp. Batam Plaza
• Ozon Discotheque                           Location: Bromo Komp, Baloi Indah
• Planet Ozon Discotheque             Location: Raja Ali Haji Road

3.  Massage Parlours

There are many massage centers that are reputable establishments that offer a professional massage service. Then again there are plenty of the dodgy massage parlours  that will give you a massage and depending on the girl, will offer you that happy ending you may want. There are several massage parlors in the bar district behind Harmoni Hotel which do offer the cheaper massage service like this. An hour massage can be as low as 75,000Rp ( about US$8) though the girls will generally ask for another 200,000Rp (about US$22)  for the happy ending or some call it a plus massage and with most things in Indonesia a bit of bargaining can bring the price down. Below is the list of some famous massage parlours which I put ranking from 1 (for the  ”clean” massage without additional) to 10 (being the tendency  to get massage with additional service) :

• Rank 1    Sport Massage    Location: Near Goodway Hotel
• Rank 2    Sawadika              Location: Next to Top 100 Penuin
• Rank 3    Puri Garden Massage    Location: Puri Garden Hotel
• Rank 4    Indo Thai    Location: Penuin Traditional Market
• Rank 5    Pas Massage    Location: Near Newton area
• Rank 6    Flower    Location: Newton area
• Rank 7   Beauty Moon   Location: Behind Harmony
• Rank 8   Fortune   Location: Newton area
• Rank 9   Moonlight   Location: Beside of Pujabahari Market, Nagoya
• Rank 10   Queens   Location: Centre Point Nagoya

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2. Fact and Fun Information about Batam Island