Batam Info Thread

[tomcat007]

Folks,

I just uploaded another article on going Batam to my blog:

http://theroguecheongster.wordpress.com

For business reasons, I will be cutting my trips to Batam for the next 1 year plus. Hence, what I'm trying to do here is to pen down my experiences so far and hope that it will be helpful to those who has and who will be cheonging in Batam.

Not everyone will agree with what I've written. Different strokes for different folks. This is just what I've found to work for me so far. If you don't agree with it, just take it as reading story lor. :-)

[S.B.Y.1]

Good write up especially the taxi supir part

Pak fully agreed that supirs tend to "take it for granted" as you engage them more.

Thumbs UP

[Makashi]

very detail, bro tomcat...espically the transport part...

[tomcat007]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm just trying to put whatever I can recall into writings so that anyone who wants to venture into Batan can refer to it instead of searching through the pages here and hoping to get answers. :-)

[ben69]

thanks bro tomcat007.

will be cheonging batam soon & the India really helps.

waiting for next topic..

[8chye2]

Hi bros , sorry for my noob questions . 1st time to batam and bringing own girl along . Read the past pages but not much mentioned .

- Any recomended seafood restaurants and clean spas /massage ?
- Possible to just go harbourfront to book ferry tickets w/o call any operators ?
-Does most taxis undertand english

Thanks in advance

[rockyus]

http://newfreeaccount.blogspot.com

[Makashi]

wass just searching for the same info...

clean massage
1 - Spa Secret - http://www.spasecretbatam.com
2 - Indo Thai - Address: Komp. Penuin Centre Blok K No. 2-4, Phone: (62-778) 423268

Go to Harbor front, wave master counter buy tickets, no need book, many trips per day to batam

some taxi drivers understand simple english. n

[ChiongBalai]

Originally Posted by tomcat007

Folks,

I just uploaded another article on going Batam to my blog:

http://theroguecheongster.wordpress.com

For business reasons, I will be cutting my trips to Batam for the next 1 year plus. Hence, what I'm trying to do here is to pen down my experiences so far and hope that it will be helpful to those who has and who will be cheonging in Batam.

Not everyone will agree with what I've written. Different strokes for different folks. This is just what I've found to work for me so far. If you don't agree with it, just take it as reading story lor. :-)

Commendable feat once again bro, looking forward to your next write up.
Most might concur with what I'm going to say next but in terms of supirs there are good ones, just rare. Even though I dont cheong batam but TBK instead, I was lucky enough to be introduced to a really good supir by my friend.
Somewhat of an elderly man, when you go buy stuff or book cewek he will ask the price for you first, then he will fight for bargain for you. Will give you honest opinions on ceweks and goods that are overpriced or good bargains. Need any kind of ubat also he got lobang. He doesn't ask for anything and doesn't even ask to be paid when you go back. Of course he earns commission from the joints he brings you to, he's got to make a living also. Normally when I go home I will give him a really good tip cause he takes good care of me and my traveling companions.

[hawk88]

Originally Posted by ChiongBalai

Normally when I go home I will give him a really good tip cause he takes good care of me and my traveling companions.

Im curious if u just say bye bye to him when u go back without giving him tips (some more give good tips wor) , will u receive the same treatment from him again? If yes, then i will say he is a good driver to be recommended. Else U know i know lah.

[S.B.Y.1]

Generalise view of taxi supirs (drivers) in Batam are that when first few times when engaging their servis they will so called "stand up'' for their tamus (customers)

Looking out for your interest as if to safe guard your $$$ by bargaining for you here and there to garner your trust

But at the meantime profiling your expenditure & spending power ( $ spend on your cewe , type of joints you go , eatery places , hotels you book and etc)

Being Sinagporeans unlike the Malaysians who can speak and understand Bahasa Indonesia, the SIngaporean customer tends to feel a sense of security from the supir

Somehow like "hmmm I'm in a foreign land with minimal understanding of the language and here is a Good Samaritan aka taxi supirs " looking out for my interest"

Once your trust is locked then you''ll face the consequences of being betrayed

Batam taxi supirs are the worst in Indonesia saying out from experinces in moving around various parts in Indonesia

The are VULTURES awating to pounce on your $$$ at the slightest chance they get

Bonding will taxi supirs is A BIG NO NO

Don't say Pak didn't warn you

ps When taxi supirs tells you that they never take komission from joints and that they don't want ubat in Discotheques is just utter Big Time BuLLsHit

[hawk88]

Originally Posted by S.B.Y.1

Generalise view of taxi supirs (drivers) in Batam are that when first few times when engaging their servis they will so called "stand up'' for their tamus (customers)

Looking out for your interset as if to safe guard your $$$ by bargaining for you here and there to garner your trust

But at the meantime profiling your expenditure & spending power ( $ spend on your cewe , type of joints you go , eatery places , hotels you book and etc)

Being Sinagporeans unlike the Malaysians who can speak and understand Bahasa Indonesia, the SIngaporean customer will feel a sense of security from the supir

Somehow like "hmmm I'm in a foreign land with minimal understanding of the language and here is a Good Samaritan aka taxi supirs " looking out for my interest"



Batam taxi supirs are the worst in Indonesia saying out from experinces in moving around various parts Indonesia

The are VULTURES awating to pounce on your $$$ at the slightest chance they get

Bonding will taxi supirs is A BIG NO NO

Don't say Pak didn't warn you

Exactly what im trying to imply.

[tomcat007]

Originally Posted by Makashi

wass just searching for the same info...

clean massage
1 - Spa Secret - http://www.spasecretbatam.com
2 - Indo Thai - Address: Komp. Penuin Centre Blok K No. 2-4, Phone: (62-778) 423268

Go to Harbor front, wave master counter buy tickets, no need book, many trips per day to batam

some taxi drivers understand simple english. n

Great reply.

Just wanna add... Both InfoThai and The Spa Secret are owned by the same boss, if I remember correctly. IndiThai offers mostly massages. Don't seem to recall any kind of spa facilities there. It's known to be a clean joint although I've heard from my cewek from Newton that HJ is available. My personal experience with them is that over the 2 years worth of fortnightly visits, I've not been offered any kind of specials at IndoThai. The Spa Secret is a newer setup by the same boss. My only memory of them is that it's a good place to bring your cewek (or, in your case, your girlfriend) there and impress her. Price wise is a bit on the higher side. Maybe that explains why I never make a second visit until 3 months back when I'm head over heal in love with a joint cewek and try all kinds of things to impress her. For massage, bring your gf to IndoThai and if you want a bit more like scrub lah, milk bath lah, body wrap (whatever that's for) lah, bring her to The Spa Secret.

As for ferry, you don't need to go through any agent. Just make your way to Harbour Front => Cruise Centre => 3rd level => Wavemaster Counter (Company name is Berlain Ferry), choose the ferry time and pay $48 x 2 for 2 tickets.

Where language is concerned, if you can't speak Malay, then try to hunt for a Chinese driver among those at Harbour Bay. If there isn't, then too bad. But most drivers understand some very elementary English. :-(

[tomcat007]

Originally Posted by hawk88

Im curious if u just say bye bye to him when u go back without giving him tips (some more give good tips wor) , will u receive the same treatment from him again? If yes, then i will say he is a good driver to be recommended. Else U know i know lah.

LOL... Every time I ask for a quote for point A to point B, the driver will smile smile and either say "tersera" (spelling?) or "biasa".. For those who don't know, "tersera" is Indon for "up to you" and "biasa" is "normal" lah.

What I really want to try is just take the taxi and at the end, just pay a nominal price. Will be very interesting to see how the driver reacts. So far, never try because end of the day, you are not in your home ground. Why make one more enemy?

[ndnd]

Originally Posted by tomcat007

But my ex will still ask me to put down my phone

Berry or Goldbird