Day 2 Wednesday July 31 2024 (Batam, Indonesia) - using the services of Grab bikes, I made a visit to 6 major touristy places in Batam Kota ie Batam Centre Point International Ferry Terminal, Welcome to Batam landmark, Alun Alun Batam Centre, Grand Mosque of Batam, Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque & Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Monastery. As for food, I had a hotel buffet breakfast & a set menu for both my lunch & dinner in a restaurant in Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre & in between the time, visited the Pasar Jodoh (near my hotel) & the surrounding area ! A very productive & fruitful day indeed !
1) Complimentary hotel breakfast - enjoying my breakfast in the hotel's cafe ie fried rice & noodle, water melons & bananas, hot coffee & tea, mung bean dessert soup, prawn crackers etc - a simple, no frill but satisfying meal of the day !
Day 2 Travel Itinerary: Hana Hotel > Batam Centre Point International Ferry Terminal > Welcome to Batam > Grand Mosque of Batam > Alun Alun Batam Centre > Museum Raja Ali > Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque > Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Monastery > Hana Hotel
Transport: Grab bike from Hana Hotel > Batam Centre Point International Ferry Terminal (8.3km, Bike Rp15,000 = Rm4.50)
2) Batam Center Point International Ferry Terminal - exploratory visit to nearby touristy places ie Alun Alun Batam Centre, Grand Mosque, Mega Mall, Welcome to Batam landmark etc; booked a Grab bike (Rp14,400 = Rm4.30) from my hotel & visited the Batan Centre Point International Ferry Terminal (approx 8.3km), I chose Batam Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal for this trip due to the location convenience as my ferry arrival & departure in Batam Harbour Bay Terminal is in close proximity to my hotel in Nagoya (1.5km).
3) Government Offices, banks, business complexes, shopping mall near Alun Alun Batam Centre, Kota Batam.
4) Masjid Agung Batam (Grand Mosque of Batam) - a new mosque replacing the old one is in the making, construction works near completion !
5) Welcome to Batam landmark, Kota Batam
6) Alun Alun Batam Centre, Engku Putri, Kota Batam - a public park for all walks of life especially for youth indulge in outdoor activities eg soccer, basket ball, skating & wall climbing. Nearby are government offices & a Grand Mosque.
7) Museum Raja Ali Haji, Kota Batam - unique architecture, Batam's first museum, home for the history of Batam development.
Transport: Batan Centre Point International Ferry Terminal > Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo (6.3km, Grab Bike Rp13.000 = Rm3.90)
8) Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque, Tanjung Buntung, Bengkong, Batam City - dedicated to the legend Chinese Muslim Admiral Cheng Ho or ZhengHe, I took a Grab bike (Rp14,000 = Rm4.70) from Alun Alun Batam Centre > Muhammad Cheng Ho Mosque (Rp14,000 = Rm4.70)
Masjid Muhammad Cheng Ho, Surabaya, Java - in May 2023, I had the opportunity to visit the Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo in Surabaya, this mosque looks like a temple or pagoda & unique & impressive in design & outlook !
Transport: Masjid Mohammad Cheng Hoo > Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Monastery (6.7km, Grab bike Rp9,000 = Rm2.70)
9) Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Monastery, Bukit Beruntung, Sungei Panas, Kec, Batam Kota - one of the main Chinese / Buddhist temple, a huge complex with 3 main halls for Buddha, Guang Kong & Guan Yin, many statues of Buddha gods, wall murals of the founders & preaching of Buddhist principles, there is a vegetarian restaurant, an ideal place for meditation !
Transport: Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Monastery > Hana Hotel (4.6km, Grab bike Rp12,000 = Rm3.60)
10) Pujabahari Wet Market, Lubuk Baja Kota, Batam City - a wet market selling fresh produce, fish, fruit & vegetables, groceries etc, a number of eating stalls are also operating adjacent to the market, best time to visit is during the early morning !
11) Walkabout (mid-day) from Hana Hotel to Batam Harbour Bay / Pasar Jodoh area, Batam City - nearby buildings are Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Movena Hotel, Pub & Cafe
12) Nagoya Hill Shopping Center, Batam City - a major landmark & premier shopping mall in downtown Batam, my favourite venue for window shopping & food !
13) Lunch in Kangen Cafe, Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre - savoured a bowl of fish maw soup (Rp30,000 = Rm6.70) + white rice (Rp9,000 = Rm2)
14) Walkabout in the evening from Hana Hotel to Pasar & Sungei Jodoh area - dark clouds & gloomy weather ahead !
15) Dinner in Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre, Batam City - savoured a set menu of Ayam Bakau Mantan + Soya Cincau (Rp45,800 = Rm13.80); hot & spicy gravy !
16) Morning Bakery, Nagoya Hill Super Block, Lubuk Baja, Batam Kota - bought 5 pieces of assorted bakeries (Rp35.700 = Rm10.70; a 30% discount for a minimum purchase of 5 items after 6pm) as takeaway as my breakfast & lunch for my return trip from Batam > Johor Bahru > Kuala Lumpur !
Day 3 Thursday August 1 2024 - after my 2 nights stay in Batam & having roamed the Batam town, both by walking & use of Grab or Gojek bikes, I probably had seen & got a greater feel of Batam - so it was time to say bye bye to this Indonesian island, nick named Dubai of Indonesia - a 2.5 hrs by ferry from Johor Bahru the nearest city in the southern state of Peninsula Malaysia !
1) Checked out from my hotel at 05.00 & booked a Grab bike (Rp11,300) from my hotel to Batam Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal (1.5km); proceed to check in counter (Ocean Dragon Ferry) for a boarding pass departing the Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal at 06.30 > Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru; paid a departure tax of Rp115,000 (Rm38) for exiting Batam, Indonesia.
2) Gate open for security check & immigration clearance at 06.00 & a short rest in the waiting lounge before boarding a fast ferry to Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
3) Ferry ride from Batam > Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru, takes 2.5hrs - so just enjoy & relax or catch a power nap or enjoy the sea view from the moving ferry's windows !
4) Passengers disembarking from the ferry upon arrival in Berjaya International Ferry Terminal, Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru. Welcome to Malaysia !
5) Upon arrival at the Berjaya Waterfront Ferry Terminal & after the immigration clearance & exit from the Ferry Terminal, I walked to the Zone bus stop (330m away) & boarded a city bus No T21 (Rm1.30) to JB Sentral Terminal. From JB Sentral, I then took another city bus No T10 (heading Kota Tinggi direction, 6 stops) to Larkin Sentral to board a outstation bus for my return trip to Bandar Tasik Terminal, Kuala Lumpur. Inter-city bus services are regular & the waiting time is approx 20 to 25 minutes !
Boarding bus No T21 from The Zone bus stop (300m from Berjaya Waterfront Ferry Terminal) to JB Sentral (bus ticket Rm1.30)
Boarding bus No T10 from JB Sentral Terminal to Larkin Sentral (bus ticket Rm1.50)
6) On arrival at the Larkin Sentral, Johor Bahru, queueing up to buy a outstation Wariswan Express bus ticket (Rm36 = US$7.90, Senior) from Larkin Sentral (departing 11.30) > Bandar Tasik Selatan, Kuala Lumpur; however, due to unforeseen circumstances, there was a bus delay of 45 minutes before departure !
7) Boarding for a Warisan Express bus in Gate C (Waiting Lounge), Larkin Sentral, Johor Bahru, Johor
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Larkin Sentra > Bandar Tasik Selatan
(327km, 4hr by bus) |
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| 10 mins stopover for toilet run ! |
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Warisan Express - Larkin Sentral, JB >
Bandar Tasik Selatan, KL |
8) Arriving in Bandar Tasik Selatan Terminal, Sungei Besi, Kuala Lumpur after a 4 hours of express bus drive (12.15 > 16.15) !
9) Boarding a Rapid KL LRT train from Bandar Tasik Selatan Terminal > Putra Heights (transit) > SS15, Subang Jaya ! A long day indeed (starting 06.30 ferry departure from Batam > Johor Bahru (2.5hr) & then city buses from Berjaya Waterfront > JB Sentral > Larkin Sentral followed by an Express bus from Larkin Sentral > Bandar Tasik Selatan (4hr) > Subang Jaya, Selangor (arriving at 17.30) - a total of 11 hrs spent on public transport (ferry & buses) before returning Home Sweet Home !
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