celebraTINg exisTENce

Crown Vista Hotel in Batam is one of the cheapest hotel option you can get if you want to book a 2D1N Batam Tour.

Batam Tour Experience link: here.

Since this was one of the cheapest, I have managed my expectations even before arriving at the hotel but it's actually a lot better than I thought.

After the whole day tour, we were picked up at a mall and headed straight to the hotel. This is quite far from the city center since it's located in a hill/high place.

Check in was fast and the staff were all courteous and helpful. Haaay! Having to carry all your things for two days then suddenly have someone to carry them for you?? Priceless. haha.

This was our room.

It's huge.

Much bigger and more beautiful than the rooms I got in SG, tbh and Crown Vista's cheaper.

I was only looking forward to a comfortable bed to sleep in and there in our room was a bath tub... <3

Yep, it's not the cleanest nor the most updated hotel you can stay in but our experience was really okay. It was a quiet stay - for people who prefer staycations and relaxing stay without a lot of things to do then this is it.

Dinner is included in the package.

Except for the fried ice cream, we didn't pay for anything since they were all included in the package. I've liked Nasi Goreng eversince the first time I had it in Malaysia so I've no complains with the dinner either.

The view was the greatest factor in deciding that we'll stay in Crown Vista. Our room didn't have a view but staying at this part was free so that's fine. Should you get the bigger rooms then you'll be able to get rooms with verandas where you can see Batam skyline.

Overlooking Indonesia <3

Such a beautiful way to end the night.

The morning buffet was okay too. There are several food items to choose from. If all else fails, you have the option to have cereals and fresh milk. lol

Overall, it was a pleasant overnight stay made better by the view of Batam. :)))

Wasn't able to try the pool since I was worrying that wet clothes will be heavy to carry and we were heading back to Singapore on the same day.

We checked out by 11:30 and there outside waiting was our shuttle to the Ferry Center... and just like that, we were on our way back to Singapore.

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This is a package tour that I availed from C&E Tours. I found them on the internet, the per person rate varies so ours may or may not be the same rate as yours. Their website is here: LINK if you want further details.

In a review that I read, the blogger was kind of regretting the package tour she availed. Despite the negative review, I decided to push through with it and I'm glad I did. Our rate was 79 SGD or around 2,800.00 per person for two days.

I think package inclusions is okay to put here since they have the list in their website anyway.

Package includes:

02 Ways Ferry Ticket from SIN-BTM-SIN
01 Day Batam City Tour
01 Seafood Lunch will be serve at Golden Prawn 933
60 Minutes Indonesian Traditional Massage (Adult Only)
Free Entrance Fee to The Illusion
01 x Set Dinner per pax
Package include Breakfast
Guide assist
Land Transfer based on Itinerary

*Aside from the other expense written on their website (Terminal Fee & Ferry Taxes of S$29.00 per person | Guide & driver tipping of S$4.00 per person), the other expenses we incurred were those things we bought for personal consumption and souvenirs.

We arrived at the Singapore Cruise Center/ Harbour Front MRT before 7 AM because we needed to get the ferry tickets at 7:00 AM. I had the voucher printed beforehand so claiming the boarding pass was a breeze.

Passed through Singapore immigration and then boarded the ferry to the island of Batam, Indonesia. I believe they have the option to check-in your luggage but since ours were only hand-carries, we had them with us during the whole ride.

I was asleep almost the whole ferry ride but it lasted for an hour. There's a one-hour time difference here (+7UTC) so that, in itself, was actually something interesting already. lol. You know, crossing countries and time zones! :))

KTM resort isn't included in the itinerary but we picked up tour joiners from here so we were able to go down the bus and take pictures for some time.

The first item on our itinerary was MAHA VIHARA DUTA MAITREYA TEMPLE.

Aside from the Buddha statues you can see here, they have a canteen where you can buy vegetarian food. We were able to buy this violet kamote bread there.

Seeing Batam, Indonesia from the moving bus and learning from our tour guide was interesting as well.

Second itinerary was this 70F Koffie Factory.

I don't drink coffee so I have don't have a lot of knowledge about it but I was able to learn something new while listening to the mini lecture about the difference of the 3 in 1 coffee, peaberry, etc.

Latex Experience Factory

Of course, they sold their products but they did some explaining beforehand so I learned something new again. I enjoyed the mini flags hung in the experience area. Lakas maka-wanderlust!

Layered Cakes

Cultural Dance

Despite the bulkiness of this, we bought two packs of their crackers because it's delicious. It's also an afternoon of free tastes, btw.

Above are just some of the food served on our table during our lunch in Golden Prawn restaurant.

More clothing shops...

This 3D museum called The Illusion is included in the package.

I guess, the reason why some people are put off by this Batam Tour is because you're basically touring around the businesses in Batam. It's a day of listening to people selling you something and making you feel like you have to buy.

But no one's forcing you to so that's okay... and you can just walk and look around the establishments if you don't want to enter. I actually saw a park where small/replicas of Indonesian houses outside a clothing store and you're free to walk around that area should you not want to enter the store.

BUT

For the included whole body authentic Balinese massage, the convenience of a two days transportation, day tour, the sumptuous seafood feast during lunch, ala carte dinner, breakfast buffet, overnight hotel accommodation, two-way fast craft ferry ride, and additional stamps to my passport? I am convinced that I got my money's worth for this 2D1N Batam Island Tour.

The view of Batam, Indonesia from our hotel.

Swimming or going to the nearby mall (hotel shuttle is free) were an option too but we decided to just spend the night inside the hotel. Dinner was inclusive and there's a comfortable bath tub where I bathed in after spending quite some time looking at the view.

The breakfast was included in the rate as well and we were driven to the ferry station at 12 NN... passed through the immigration of Indonesia and after an hour, we were back in Singapore! +8 UTC!

There's a luggage storage in Harborfront center so if you want to walk around Vivo City or Sentosa, then that's fine too. Just don't buy a Universal Studio ticket since you're arriving late in the afternoon already.

I, however, have been inside Universal Studios a few years back so for this time, walking around Imbia Station and Waterfront Station were okay. Libre pa kung hindi bibili. :))

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