I (Paul) had to be in Singapore for work so we decided to make a long weekend out of it. We were looking for a place exotic but convenient from Singapore. Given our previous success with the Plauts at Nikoi Island, we decided to visit another nearby Indonesian island: Batam.
We arrived late in Singapore and spent the night near the airport. Our first Singapore breakfast was a local tradition: kaya toast and coffee (kopi). Then we took the MRT to the harbor for our 1 PM ferry to Batam. We were fortunate to have a hawker stall nearby. In my opinion, a hawker stall is a "must-see" in Singapore. A hawker stall is basically an outdoor food court, except the food is higher quality and cheaper than an American mall. The high prices of Singapore make the great value in a hawker stall even more attractive. Here's a picture of Chandra scouting out the Seah Im Food Centre:
Mission accomplished. Look at the smile on Chandra's face. Mee goreng (indonesian stir fried noodles), roti prata (fried Indian-style bread), and fresh lime juice. A delicious meal for about $8!
After we filled our bellies, it was a 45 minute ferry ride to Batam Island, Indonesia. For accomodation, we chose the Tempat Senang Resort and Spa because of its good reviews on Trip Advisor (never fails us). Here are a few pics of the resort.
Interior decor reminded me of the Philippines.
Chandra is about to enter the spa.
Entry way to our room.
We had the Sultan room, complete with jacuzzi and functional hookah:
A college friend of mine, Byron Tsang, now lives in Singapore. He and his wife decided to meet us in Batam for a night. We were happy to see that Byron and Ann were staying right next to us. Behind our rooms, we had our own pool, a little slice of paradise:
Food at Tempat Senang was delicious. Lots of Indonesian classics, which is kind of a new cuisine for us. Here we are in the dining room.
View from the other side, 'tis a shame I don't have a better picture. The dining room overlooks tons of foliage and a nice looking golf course.
Monday came too quickly and it was back home for Chandra and off to work for me. Byron and I got to do a little more eating in Singapore. We hit Samy's Curry for fish head curry, made famous by Anthony Bourdain on the Layover:
Fish head curry, chicken tikka, potato masala, spinach, naan, and a few Kingfishers.
We also hit the Maxwell Food Centre, another famous hawker stall. It was dark and I didn't have my camera.
I'll be coming back to Singapore a few more times for work. Looking forward to more food!
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