Batam Info / Interest / Help Thread

[PrcLust]

Latest info I got for entry to Batam.

48 hrs pcr pre departure. Around $100
Insurance $30-$70 from AIG
Ferry return now @$80. Batamfast and horizon ferry.
Reach Batam another pcr test at port then go hotel wait for results before free roaming. Hotel arrange pickup at 50k rupiahs. Total outlay abit expensive now.

[PrcLust]

Originally Posted by funboi

Should let their policy/system fail. No tourist go then will force them to open up more.

Best is cut the pre departure pcr and on arrival change to ART instead

[Black Page]

Originally Posted by Scalper

Yeah I hope Covid didn't change Batam too much. I do know businesses have been closing. Fyi, Bella Italia at HB is now closed.

Well, I hope it changed something. *MAYBE* the COVID pandemic will have / has had at least one positive impact:
zero tourism for 2 years, long time to recover the volume of tourism, less night attractions, BUT THEN
==> Batam brought back 10-20 years by a time machine, that is wilder, cheaper, harder to visit to non-experts.
More primitive to me is not a threat, but it means more interesting and with more opportunities.

In particular, to the very least, as a white European I may return to be considered as an "attraction", to grab before someone else got it.
I remember 10 years ago. There were really few bule around and I was getting smiles by any lady just walking around. In the last years, bule had been much more common and I did not feel anything special anymore.

Bella Italia?? I heard very good things about that place over the years!! I think it was owned by a true Italian. I am sorry for him. Disrupting the business has impacted in a tragic way people and families, besides companies.

Would you believe me that, in maybe 30 visits over 12 years (I should count the stamps on passports), all lasting from 4 to 7 days, I have NEVER visited it? I am Italian, and I do not need Italian food if I am abroad. In Batam, I have been used to eat only seafood, every night and often also at lunch. I miss that seafood routine so much.


PS: One thing that has changed and will never be back is FORMOSA. For me, Batam was Formosa. No Batam feeling, if I could not feel the smell in the corridors, pass the lobby, greet staff. My room 265 has been my home in Batam for many years, in all my visits. I cannot imagine Batam without entering the lobby of Formosa. The day I will return to Batam, the first thing I will do, right after having settled in my room (what hotel??), will be to walk to Formosa and look the door. I will be very emotional for me.

[kbt7046]

No need to do PCR test in Indonesia on 3rd day unpon arrival is the only thing that change on April 1, other requirements still remain. Wait until May, after Hari Raya, rules may be more relax after they discover tourists arrival rate fall well below their expectations.

[Dazza4]

Originally Posted by Black Page

That is my hope, and however I will not consider to travel to Malaysia, Singapore and Batam before, say, October. Things will change for sure by then, hopefully improve, unless Omega comes after Omicron.

My country, one of the EU countriues, had VoA for many years (I visited Batam for the first time some 10-12 years ago). That meant some 25 USD (USD!) to be paid, and one full page of my passport taken by the visa sticker.
Some years ago, they waived VoA to EU. Only one simple stamp at immigration. The only question was "why are you coming to Batam?" and my response has always been "to meet friends". I hope EU will be classified back to visa-free, sooner or later.

Well, I'm Singaporean but have been living down under for about 20 years, with sporadic trips back home to see friends and family. Have always tried to run away to Batam as much as possible whenever I visit but it has been a good 6 years since my last trip. Was due to go on March 2020 and then this happened!!

I'm coming to Singapore in May and am hoping to go to Batam for 3 days, 2 nights. But, I'm not sure if it's worth it if I have to take a PCR and quarantine for 24hrs.... that's like half my trip. My hope is that Batam drops the test requirements altogether for the fully vaccinated or at least move to ART test requirements. Makes more sense for short term/weekend travellers like most Singaporeans are.

[Scalper]

>Well, I hope it changed something. *MAYBE* the COVID pandemic will have / has had at least one positive impact:
>zero tourism for 2 years, long time to recover the volume of tourism, less night attractions, BUT THEN
>==> Batam brought back 10-20 years by a time machine, that is wilder, cheaper, harder to visit to non-experts.
>More primitive to me is not a threat, but it means more interesting and with more opportunities.

Oh I wouldn't mind going back to what BTM was 20 yrs ago. It was definitely less touristy compared to now.

>In particular, to the very least, as a white European I may return to be considered as an "attraction", to grab before someone else got it.
>I remember 10 years ago. There were really few bule around and I was getting smiles by any lady just walking around. In the last years,
>bule had been much more common and I did not feel anything special anymore.

Trust me, bule is still in demand. It's worth your while coming down. As you say, its off the beaten track and not many international tourists will
want to visit.

>Bella Italia?? I heard very good things about that place over the years!! I think it was owned by a true Italian. I am sorry for him.
>Disrupting the business has impacted in a tragic way people and families, besides companies.
>Would you believe me that, in maybe 30 visits over 12 years (I should count the stamps on passports), all lasting from 4 to 7 days,
>I have NEVER visited it? I am Italian, and I do not need Italian food if I am abroad.
>In Batam, I have been used to eat only seafood, every night and often also at lunch. I miss that seafood routine so much.

Lol. It makes perfect sense. I only ate there once - as I am on a budget - but it was good. They're mostly dependent on family tourists from S'pore
& local expats. . . 2 years is too long for them to sustain losses.

The authorities have to get rid of the PCR test and also the 1st day 24hr quaratine. Most of us here will not go to BTM based on existing requirements. It is much easier for us to cross into Malaysia than Indonesia. Omicron is more infectious but less serious than Delta. The requirements for Indonesians entering S'pore are less stringent. If anything, they probably get infected here and bring it back to Indonesia. As a result, infection rates may still soar in BTM, but businesses still fail because no tourists are coming in.

Let's see how it goes. . .

>PS: One thing that has changed and will never be back is FORMOSA. For me, Batam was Formosa. No Batam feeling, if I could not feel the smell in the corridors, pass the lobby, greet staff. My room 265 has been my home in Batam for many years, in all my visits.
>I cannot imagine Batam without entering the lobby of Formosa.

I was at Formosa about 6 weeks before it closed. The hotel gave me better pricing than Agoda. So when Agoda gave me better discounts, I grabbed it.
When I arrived, the bell boy told me: "Bang, sepi", meaning, very few hotel bookings. That was why they gave deeper discounts. Few weeks later I was at another hotel in Batam. One of the "supirs" (taxi drivers) told me Formosa was permanently closed. Formosa was owned by a Taiwanese but the trouble is he was renting the building from a "Towkay" (Boss) from Medan. When Covid struck, he couldn't pay the bills. So unlike other hotels which
maybe temporarily closed but may re-open once the tourists come back, Formosa is closed.

The ambience of the hotel & lobby is very comforting. It's too bad. Of all the hotels Formosa experience was the best & they treated me very well.

>The day I will return to Batam, the first thing I will do, right after having settled in my room (what hotel??), will be to walk to Formosa and look the door. I will be very emotional for me.

You may consider Harmoni Suites, which is diagonally to the right of Formosa, near the end of the road. I've never been at that hotel though.
Hotel Utama is another to consider but is temporarily closed due to Covid. The towels & bedsheets are clean but the room's carpeting is worn. It's located walking distance between DC Mall & Citywalk. But in my years there, I only saw 1 old bule couple. They seem to be happy though. It's more for Asian clientele and breakfast is nothing compared to Formosa. Plenty of seafood just outside Hotel Utama, even if it rains they are still accessible. Restaurant Liang Kee 888 is popular with locals. Besides seafood, it has "deer" meat - served black pepper or curry. And also, "bird's nest" soup.

You can try open-air dining at the tables placed outside. But sometimes there are buskers going around the tables. That is, there are roving musicians who play guitars & sing for you and then you may choose to "donate" some money.

Another hotel is Hans Inn. It is located at a road next to Citywalk. Nearby is Brewsky which is located at Citywalk. It serves beer and shows LIVE English Premiership League matches on large screens Sat night. Too bad Italy didn't qualify for this year's World Cup. I am sure they will be screening World cup matches. The food at Brewsky is nothing special and I wouldn't go there just for it. They have pork knuckles, schnitzel, pasta (not Bella Italia standard) etc. I like the pork satay though.

For seafood you can walk to Nagoya Food Court or even to the Hotel Utama area. Or back to the Siang Malam area near Formosa.
Imho Liang Kee 888 near Hotel Utama serves better seafood than the surrounding Formosa area.

The atmosphere of these hotels inside and outside surrounding areas is different. Depends on your preference & budget.
There are of course, cheaper hotels nearby. But some of the info here, you probably already know.

[Dazza4]

@Black Page
@Scalper
I have a contact in Batam who went back to his hometown in Surabaya when the pandemic hit. I understand he is now going to back to Batam because he has been getting requests from people in Singapore and Malaysia for his taxi and tour guide services. Hopefully, this is a good sign.
Current situation of PCR in Singapore and PCR in Batam is not a bad deal if you're going for a minimum of 3 night stay. I might consider that.
As for hotel, my contact recommends Aston Batam. I checked it out and it's not bad... Slightly on the expensive side (about $100 a night) compared to most other hotels but I guess all prices are going up now as the global economy tries to recover from the impact of COVID. Even my hotel room in Singapore has gone up. I used to pay $240 a night but now it's $300.
Another recommended hotel is iHotel. Haven't heard too much about this but I guess it should be ok. If anyone does need a contact in Batam, let me know and I am happy to share my contact's details.

[Scalper]

Thanks Dazza for your contact info. It may be some time before I go back to BTM.

>Current situation of PCR in Singapore and PCR in Batam is not a bad deal if you're going for a minimum of 3 night stay. I might consider that.

Yes, do go if you feel it is ok. Since you're coming from Australia, it can't be help with the timing.

I assume Aston and iHotel has been cleared to receive guests? I am not sure about the protocol there.

Assuming it is yes, I would recommend iHotel over Aston but for the branch at Baloi/Penuin only. [There are 2 iHotels]

Here's the website:
https://ihotelbaloi.com/

The reason being there is a hawker center right in front of the hotel called A2 Food court. And nearby is the BCS Mall. Along the side are many
kopitiam/coffee shops & massage etc. It is all walking distance, convenient and vibrant.

You may get a feel of the scene from this youtube video. See if its to your liking. Unfortunately iHotel is to the right of A2 Food Court and BCC hotel and can't be seen.


Here's a view of the outside from iHotel


I assume you are using your Surabaya driver?

If its the port driver, tell the taxi driver you want to go to iHotel Baloi. It is pronounced the Dutch way, e-hotel. When in doubt, show your hotel booking to the driver.

The other landmark is BCS Mall. Pronounced Bay-CHAY-S. It is a shopping mall with food, cinema called Studio 21, and other items.

On the S'pore side, the ferry is now temporarily located at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Taxi drivers will know. But if you want to take public transport, go to Bedok Bus Interchange and take bus 35. It will bring you right to the TMFT, stop for awhile for passengers to alight, and will loop back towards Bedok. During peak office hours the journey will take about 45 minutes or so. Much less for off peak hours. I remember these when I used to frequent Tj Pinang in early 2000s and also used to working in the Changi Biz park there until mid 2014.

Hope this post is not to late to change hotel booking if necessary. Do let us know of your experience as its been 2 years since we've been there.

If you need other info let us know. I don't visit forums often. Hopefully someone can help.

[Sipapi]

Im going batam next week. I wonder how long the pcr result will take to come out before i lcsn leave the hotel.

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by kbt7046

Unfortunately iHotel is not one of the approved quarantine hotel, so can't stay there on the 1st day of arrival. Hotel Aston Inn is one of them. For me, i prefer Planet Holiday which is unfortunately also not on the quarantine hotel list. 1st 24 hours must stay in approved quarantine hotel, also not allow to go there by yourself, must be pick up by hotel arrange vehicle.

Why do you need to quote the whole long post...

mod removed

[Dazza4]

@Scalper
Thanks for the info bro... that's really good.
Yes, I will be using my Surabaya driver if I do end up making it.
It's been a good 5+ years since I came to Singapore and I believe a lot of things have changed. The plan is to take a cab from One Farrer hotel straight to the ferry terminal and get to Batam. I believe I'll get lost if I try taking the bus.
My contact reckons there is no more specific quarantine hotel requirements since they dropped all quarantine from 1st April. Yes, there is a 24hr isolation requirement while you're waiting for test results but apparently all hotels are allowed to accept guests so it should not matter if it is a quarantine approved hotel or not.
Also, rumours are that Batam is doing what it can to reduce testing requirements further to get tourism booming again and that post Ramadan, things will open up more. Things might get better after 3rd May.
I wish I do end up in Batam in about a month from now. Fingers crossed.
If anyone does go to Batam in the next couple of weeks, please share the experiences. It'll be good to know what's actually happening on the other side.

[Sipapi]

Now i only left to do PCR departure test and submitting the e-hac form via indonesia's version of tracetogether app. I have prepared all the other stuff already.
ferry tickets- settled
transport to hotel- settled
travel insurance- settled
hotel confirmation for 1 night- settled

will update how smooth or how long the PCR test results in batam will take

[Black Page]

Originally Posted by Scalper

I was at Formosa about 6 weeks before it closed.

My last stay was around the week Jan 12-19 2020, if I remember well.
Damn!

[qwerty1213]

Formosa closed down? Damn, most of my stay was in Formosa. Gonna miss the ambience there, friendly pak guard and the specky counter girl.

[Sipapi]

there is a lax in requirements, now there is no need to do PCR when u reach Batam, but still need the 48hr pre departure PCR test before going. and also need to show hotel confirmation.