Batam Info / Interest / Help Thread

[nono1973]

Counting down 13 more days to CNY 2020.

Upcoming CNY 2020 trip plan :

Vihara Cipta Dharma Temple (玄天上帝庙 ) near to the Southeast Asia biggest Chinese temple, Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya. I will need to go to Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya 1st before i head to Vihara Cipta Dharma tho, as i will be able to that temple from there and then show to driver how to get there,hehehe...

I have been there before, but that was like over 4 years ago. This trip i will specially go there to recce a little.

I might also be going there before my actual CNY trip.

Just to familiarizing the route.

Batam Center area is still not a regular place i would go to tho. Imagine, this is how this temple looks like about 7 years ago.

Exterior not much difference but the interior part, its a big change. A step a time, this temple has start to beef up in appearance.

About time for a revisit,hehehe...

[nono1973]

Most CNY time, i wont be just going to the same temple every year. I mean i will still randomly visit those regular temples like the Tiban Tua Pek Kong, the God of Fortune temple etc but i guess i wont be repeating the same speech all over again this year,hehehe...dont mean i wont be going, its just that i found some where i never been to and would be going there.

Hock An Kiong Temple (福安宫) :

This temple worship the deity Qing Shui Zhu Shi (清水祖师) who is well known for building bridges, healing and bringing clean water to the poor and needy at times of drought during the Song dynasty.

Hmm...this temple is located near to the Batam University. Not an easy place to get to for my case,hehehe....so i standby a map, just in case.

Just part of my planning for my upcoming CNY 2020 trip.

At least this is something not many living has talk about on the internet before,hehehe...and its just something for me to do during CNY.

[timok]

Hi all Senior Bros,

I would like to check if there is much action in Batam during CNY period. I am planning to go in one night only, just to recce and look see to find potential spots for subsequent visit as I start to embark on my regular trip to Batam for this year. (ferry is very near me workplace).

Tentatively planning for 26 Jan.

[BFOMF5]

Originally Posted by nono1973

"Rumble Bee" did draw some crowd (but mostly kids) at the BCS pintu 3 entrance. I can take this video w/o obstruction becos the parents were physically pulling the kids away,hehehe...as this "machine -looking" thing is big in size.
..

Don't think so BCS mgmt paying it to perform...
Saw this in Jakarta years ago...
They are individual who hve put on this costume to let ppl take photo and get some tips...
If you happen to see it again...
Look carefully and you will see a container(on the body) for you contribute.

[BFOMF5]

Originally Posted by iicycold

knn, i got tere on 10/01 but realice i wasn't invited....lol
juz jking onli....lol

They hv some kind of promo package...
The include
Breakfast for 2
dinner for 2
Foot massage for 1
Karaoke 1 hr

[yuanswang]

Originally Posted by PowerBenz

When you purchase your ferry ticket in sg or online that time they will reject cos passport is not more then 6 mths...This happen to my friend...

But mine passport still valid but pages almost finish. Still can use for batam as return just only scanning by auto padd

[BFOMF5]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Hock An Kiong Temple (福安宫) :
At least this is something not many living has talk about on the internet before,hehehe...and its just something for me to do during CNY.

Place you might interested around the area..
After you visiting there,
Come down to the main road...
1. Turn right, travel around 500m, watch out for the lion status on your left.

2. Turn left. Travel about 500m. That the Batam U on your left. If you are early enough, you might witness the kue(pasty) whole sales on the right.


3. Turn left. Travel arout 1km, you got MB2(Mall-Botania-2) on your left.

[darts69]

New info for all, Dynasty are opened been there on Saturday quite like d place with live band performance & also saw burger King gng to open opp Mcdonald near jodoh

[hawkeye007]

Originally Posted by nono1973

But this year, just before CNY 2020...they came out with Transformer,hehehe...

Tho STILL coundnt blend in to the CNY ambiance but i must say they really put in much effort. There was actually a real human being in the Rumble Bee suit. And true enough, "Rumble Bee" did draw some crowd (but mostly kids) at the BCS pintu 3 entrance. I can take this video w/o obstruction becos the parents were physically pulling the kids away,hehehe...as this "machine -looking" thing is big in size.

Note : I call it Rumble Bee becos that thing is an imitation of the Transformer, Bumble Bee.

Just sharing.

This has been around for maybe 1 year or not and not exclusive to BCS; can also be found in Mall Botania 2 and I thought I saw them at Megamall before. Apart from Bumblebee, there’s Optimus Prime too..

They basically ask for “donations” from people who wants to take photos with them

[fde83]

Originally Posted by darts69

burger King gng to open opp Mcdonald near jodoh

Gd news, looks like more n more international brands opening in batam. More jobs for the locals more finance coming in to this city, won't be surprised it be like JB in the future.

[Black Page]

Originally Posted by fde83

Gd news, looks like more n more international brands opening in batam. More jobs for the locals more finance coming in to this city, won't be surprised it be like JB in the future.

I miss why this should be good news.
The reason why I (we?) go (went?) to Batam is that it is cheaper and unpolluted by Western civilization. I do not really travel here to stay at Marriott (at Marriott rates), to drink coffee at Starbucks (1 expresso at 33k!) or even worse to go to McD.

[Black Page]

It really hits me how Jco has been always able to consistently gather, over the many years of activity, the most undertrained and apparently dumb guys in Batam to serve in its shops.
I am used to take an "expresso double", named "Espresso Due" in their menu posted on the wall. I take one of those a few times every day.

That item is clearly posted on their big menu posted on the wall and priced 23k. In spite of that, every time the price changes:
- 25k (because Colombia special blend, ok)
- 22k or 23k (random choice)
- 22k or 23k +5k (extra shot): I don't know why they don't get that "double" or "due" does not mean "extra shot".

Today I asked "expresso double" and the chashier selected "due" + "extra shot" on the cash machine for 25k+5k=30k. I accepted anyway, to receive a small cup with less coffee than my usual "double".
I asked an explanation, and the guy and manager confirmed that it was not a "Due" but an "extra shot". No way to convince them that if I pay the extra shot I should get more and not less than the simple coffee.
I give up! Let's enjoy Batam.

[Splitter100]

Originally Posted by Black Page

It really hits me how Jco has been always able to consistently gather, over the many years of activity, the most undertrained and apparently dumb guys in Batam to serve in its shops.
I am used to take an "expresso double", named "Espresso Due" in their menu posted on the wall. I take one of those a few times every day.
I give up! Let's enjoy Batam.

Haha Bro
I fully agree with you
I ask for a drink with NO sugar and confirm with the guy MANY times
Guess what, it’s a SWEETENed drink when arrived
And when I say sweet, it’s damn SWEET, something like 200% sugar syrup
The SUGAR RUSH will allows you to have MANY ROUNDS in the room
It’s WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF DRINKING EXPERIENCE in JCO BATAM

[iicycold]

Originally Posted by nono1973

So far so good, i have not seen nor hear about Indonesia immigration officer/s chopping tourist's passport the way Malaysia immigration did in Batam before.

Not even in the more popular Batam Center ferry terminal's immigration did that,hehehe...who has previously been sending tourist/s from Singapore back to where they come from due to "talking" to each other, "discrimination" of non-Singaporean and using mobile phone while in queue.

nwday btm ctr aso follow hb ferry term liao, got pierity queue by payin extra 100k rp...lol, the thg is tourist wil be bring 2 their staff gate for 4 instead....lol...due 2 their poor coordination, tourist aso complain abt it. Claiming tat it's corruption practice...lol

nw i lookin fwd 2 btm ctr follow hb like tat ,mai ani how charge tourist taxi fee. Then they'll automatic indirectly solve the grab/uber/gocar problem....lol...jus like hw hb solve the problem.

seriously, if taxi fee is higher but difference no veri much with grab/uber/gocar, which tourist wan 2 walk so far extra 10 mins 2 take a taxi, tio boh? if the btm gov no realize tis point, the problem wil going 2 take ages 2 solve....lol

Originally Posted by BFOMF5

They hv some kind of promo package...
The include
Breakfast for 2
dinner for 2
Foot massage for 1
Karaoke 1 hr

wa, so gd deal ah, stil got include dinner & reflexi...lol...but i see online their price go up higher liao...hope they can survive wen they charge high cos it's a quite good hotel, jus loc no as good as mani others in kp bule, nagoaya & bcs tere.

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by iicycold

poor ger...the preggy massage ger do massage 4 a male customer until halfway her baby inside aso come out frm her stomach. I no witness tis but it's the ger workin tere tell me 1...if i am customer, i sure scare until faint....lol

hope she wil b ok...

I hear from the manageress that both baby and mother is well. She's damn lucky. But also the 1st time i hear about pregnant girl giving birth halfway while doing massage.

My curiosity is, i wonder how the customer were being compensated in this case,hehehe...

Originally Posted by iicycold

aiya, i knw tat la...i jus enjoy see ppl queue long long there while i smile @ their envying sight....lol....

hw yr cny prepare until? i tink nono gng 2 be super busy tis cny....lol

Coming CNY 2020, i am most likely be heading down to Hock An Kiong Temple near the Batam University. Its pretty new as in they used to a home-base temple but has move out and start an actual temple now.

Thats what i read and hear.

Yes, its gonna be super busy for my this coming CNY 2020. I think it might just be the busiest CNY trip for me compared with the last 5 CNYs. This should be my 6th CNY Batam trip in 2020 (i checked back a bit,hehehe...).

I am also planning to meet up a handful of mongering bros from SBF and other internet communities (if timing allows it) who has contributed positively to this thread. Time to make some new friends,hehehe...hopefully friends who shares similar.....