Pulau Batam Travel Forum

Hi
I am looking at visiting Batam island from Singapore this june.
I am looking at staying at the Holiday Inn Waterfront city or the Harris resort.
It will be my first trip and I intend to visit the vietnmaese refugee camp where my husband was stationed for 3 years back in tghe 80's.
What is there in waterfront city in the way of shops and restaurants?
I have chosen this area as the resorts look lovely and I love a good swimming pool, but I also don't want to feel isolated or trapped in a resort.
Are there any other hotels close to Batam Center or large shoping centers that I should consider?
I will be flying to Jakarta with Air Asia and need to get to the airport.Is this easily done? how much will I expect to pay in a taxi and how long should it take.
Sorry I have so many questions but it is difficult to find information regarding Batam island and as I am travelling alone I like to know what to expect before I arrive (armed with information!)
Thanks
NancyQ

I worked on BATAM for a year....Holiday INN is beautiful with a pool to die for but it is a long way out of the city proper..The hotel had restaurants but they are expensive and to get in and out of the place can be a nightmare with hustlers and touts upping the price of everything...
My advice would be...stay in the Holiday Plaza (with a pool) OR The Ozone(without) in Nagoya for a few days where you can get cheap shopping and heaps of restaurants all very good and cheap, both Chinese and Indonesian food.You can also get a driver from the hotel to take you to the refugee camp etc...He may be a little more expensive, but he will be reliable . This is a typical noisy Asian city...then relax for 2 days at the Holiday Inn waterfront before going back to Singapore. THE WATERFRONT CITY MALL where you get on and off the ferry is also excellent for shopping and has the one decent coffee house on the whole island.
A trip to the neighbouring island, Bintan, especially to Tanjang Pinang is also recommended for shopping and the resort on the coast.
Its very different , the journey across the China Sea is so special..Enjoy!!!!

Sorry, I missed the bit about the airport. The airport taxi charges are set, but the hotel has a transfer facility if you stay at the Holiday Inn Waterfront.
If not you just get your voucher from the cashier marked taxi outside the terminal...
Why are you not going via Singapore?...It's much cheaper and less hassle...There are boats from Habour City every hour to BATAM, ITS 35 Sing dollars return and the journey is just Bliss...you can take the underground from the Singapore airport to Habour city , walk through the complex and mount the elevator to the first floor where the ferries leave from.... it's so easy and such a constant hassle the other way unless you speak Indonesian Bahasa

hi,
from my experience going to batam always...holiday inn will be a better choice(i never stayed there but friend who went there always have positive comments) plus facilities like a bowling alley are there..
u gotta get a driver if u want to visit the refugee camp as it's way out of the town..i know of a driver (my buddy whom i'll contact if iam visiting batam).he is reliable and will gladly show the way around had his contact no but not sure if i can post it here but if u want to have the contact no perhaps e-mailing to me will do..it's aniza_bubu@hotmail.com..
batam resorts are normally far away from the town (nagoya),if u wish to be close to shopping ctrs there's few hotels that might be expensive but i can say still a bit far away maybe 10 mins taxi ride to the biggest shopping ctr i know in batam is Nagoya Hill shopping ctr..(almost all the things u can imagine of can be found in that shopping ctr.....just name it).
To get to the batam airport is easily done if u engage any taxi drivers.it's 45 mins ride and do note air asia is famous for its delays in flights...and i myself will be travelling to jakarta this coming 2nd june but flying out from singapore airport by Qatar airways...LOVE to meet u there if possible....payment wise to the taxi driver iam not sure but if i were u maybe u could contact my BUDDY in batam...e-mail me if u want his contact no..
I explore batam alone and find it's much better cos it's just an island still developing but of course bigger than singapore...always go down there for massage and it's seafood....
anyway do ENJOY YOUR TRIP AND HOPE WE MEET IN JAKARTA!
regards
aniza
aniza_bubu@hotmail.com