Travelled with H and S to Bintan and Batam on 20-21 Jul.
Photo Essays
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Ready to go!
SBS Transit bus 35 (S$0.93 pay by Ezlink card, non air-con, from Bedok Interchange, ~ 15 min) to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (TMFT). Opened on 26 Aug 95, it was was build at a cost of S$28.6 mil to cater for regional traffic to Bintan and other destinations on the eastern coast of Malaysia. Following its divestment from PSA Corp on 1 April 2003, the terminal is now managed by Singapore Cruise Center Pte Ltd. You can see a big company logo at the terminal entrance.
TMFT - departure
Inside the ferry terminal. On the left is the departure hall, on the right is the ticket counters.
Purchased one-way ticket to Tanjung Pinang, Bintan for S$36 from Penguin (Tel: +65-6542 7105). Add another S$10 more for a return ticket.
Ferry Schedule to Tanjung Pinang, Bintan
| Time |
Ferry |
Operator |
| 0910 |
FALCON 3 |
INDO FALCON SHIPPING |
| 0930 |
WAVEMASTER 9 |
BERLIAN FERRIES |
| 1230 |
PENGUIN 31 |
PENGUIN FERRY SERVICES |
| 1500 |
FALCON 3 |
INDO FALCON SHIPPING |
| 1530 |
WAVEMASTER 9 |
BERLIAN FERRIES |
| 1820 |
PENGUIN 31 |
PENGUIN FERRY SERVICES |
Due to implementation of new Sea Passengers Terminal Operating System (SPOS) (since 01 Dec 06), you will be given a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Boarding Card, instead of the traditional paper boarding pass upon purchase of ferry ticket.
Points to take note - implentation of new SPOS
1. Buy your ferry ticket at least 30 min before scheduled departure time!
2. Check in your baggage by using RFID Boarding card at least 25 min before scheduled departure time!
3. Enter into departure hall by tapping RFID Boarding card on the turnstiles reader located just before Pre-Immigration Gate at least 15 min before scheduled departure time! No person shall be allowed to enter after the gate close.
4. Surrender the RFID Boarding card to the ferry crew before boarding. They will tap it on the pontoon reader to ensure you board the correct ferry.
Ferry to Tanjung Pinang - Penguin 31 by Penguin Ferry Services. Total passenger on the ferry that day = 182. Actual departure time = 1838.
Left Singapore and on the way to the Riau archipelago.
Left Singapore and on the way to the Riau archipelago, sea breeze become stronger.
A vessel in the middle of the sea.
Scences on the ferry
- Uncles smoking
- Enjoy sea breeze (excluding the cigarette smoke)
- A group of people playing card game
- Groups of fishing enthustiatic
- Fishing rods + iceboxes
- 3 of us sit on the iceboxes and chit chat.
The journey begins - Bintan
Ferry finally docked in the port of Sri Bintan Pura, Tanjung Pinang at ~ 19:50 WIB (Waktu Indonesia Barat, GMT+7, Singapore time 20:50). The whole journey took about 2 hr 15 min. Exhausted and hungry.
To get rid of the aggresive touts stationed outside the terminal, H suggested that we hitch onto a Comfort Hotel van pre-booked by a passenger we met on the ferry. The van only started ~ 12 min later after we hopped in.
Change to Rupiah at the rate of 1S$ : Rp 5.960. The van drop us at Jalan Potong Lembu, an open space dining area (or “Akau” in Bahasa Indonesia, open till 12 midnight) where we had our dinner. The passenger we met earlier then procced to Batu 9 / 10 with his family.
You can find bakso, soto, chinese food dan seafood here. However, one Bintan speciality we missed out that night was “Gonggong” (Strombus canarium), a kind of sea snail with thick skin. Expect Rp 10.000 - 15.000 for this dish.
Food price as follows: Otak Rp 1.000 (buy 10 get 2 free), wet kway teow (rice noodle) Rp 12.500, oh Lua (oyster omelette) Rp 10.000, Sate Rp 1.500, beer Rp 17.000.
Nice food and good atmosphere at Akau made us forgot the time while chatting and eating. It’s 22:00 WIB and we haven’t reserve our room for the night. Troubless, we can opt for Paradise Hotel, which is a few steps away from Jalan Potong Lembu Akau.
After some discussion, we decided to head to Comfort Hotel (formerly Royal Palace Hotel) at Batu 10. A room costs Rp 250.000.
On Angkutan Kota (passenger van or opelet) to Comfort Hotel at Batu 10. The driver asked for Rp 20.000 for a chartered trip since quite late at night.
Comfort Hotel (Jalan Adi Sucipto No. 10, Batu 10, Tanjung Pinang, Tel: +62-771-41234/41111) at 11:00 WIB. In the search for peanut and drink.
Garuda kacang kulit. Very nice.
The next lap (21 Jul) - Bintan to Batam
9:00 WIB, Comfort Hotel swimming pool. Thunderstorm and raining heavily.
10:13 WIB, at ferry ticket agent office. A Garuda Pancasila, coat of arms of Indonesia placed in between portraits of President and Vice-President of Indonesia. Earlier, checked out from hotel and transferred to Tanjung Pinang port by Angkutan Kota (minivan, Rp 5.000). Brought ferry ticket to Telaga Punggur at Batam for Rp 30.000 (exclude Rp 3.500 port tax and insurance).
10:50 WIB, domestic ferry to Telaga Punggur (Rp 30.000, 1 hour)
12:00 WIB, arrived at Telaga Punggur port. Taxi to Batam Center (Rp 60.000, 25 min)
13:30 WIB, brought Peterpan new album, Hari Yang Cerah for Rp 40.000.
Hari Yang Cerah Untuk Jiwa Yang Sepi (peteran)
pagi biar kusendiri
jangan kau mendekat
wahai matahari
dingin hati yang bersedih
tak begitu tenang
mulai terabaikan
hari yang cerah untuk jiwa yang sepi
begitu terang untuk cinta yang mati
ah… ku coba bertahan dan tak bisa
kubu langit kelabuku
tak begitu luas
seperti memudar
kini tak terulang lagi
di hari yang cerah
dia telah pergi
hari yang cerah untuk jiwa yang sepi
ahh… ku coba bertahan dan tak bisa
ahh… mencoba melawan ku lepas
hari yang cerah untuk jiwa yang sepi…
begitu terang untuk jiwa yang mati
ahh… kucoba bertahan dah tak bisa
ahh… mencoba melawan ku lepas
semua telah hilang ….
semua telah ….
Indonesian lunch at Food City, Megamall Batam Center. The food here very expensive… Beh tahan!
14:25 WIB, took blue colour bis kota Batam (Batam city bus, also known as Bus Pilot Project by locals, Rp 3.000) to Carnavall Mall (mainly selling IT or computer products).
Metro Trans (minivan) to Nagoya. Fast and furious! (Expect Rp 3.000 - 4.000)
End of journey
17:36 WIB, on Berlian’s ferry (S$18/24 one way/return) back to Singapore from Harbourbay (Batu Ampar port), which is about 5 min from Nagoya city center (Taxi, Rp 20.000).
