Barelang Bridge - Batam

I have decided to visit Barelang Bridge after taking my breakfast in Hotel Nagoya Plaza in Batam on a Monday morning. It was a sunny morning with clear blue sky. But I have a problem and that is transportation. I approached the hotel staff and they arranged for a taxi to take me there.



The trip to Barelang takes about 40 minutes from Nagoya town. Henry ( which is the name of the driver) drove slowly and pointed out the places of interest. We drove passed malls, schools, industrial estate, reservoirs, military camp and so on before reaching our final destination. At last we arrived at Barelang Bridge. I must say I was filled with excitement.
The Barelang Bridge in Batam is a suspension bridge built to link the main island of Batam to Galang, Rempang and other smaller islands. Its main purpose is to spur the development of these smaller islands, which was a great idea during the Former President Habbie era. But somehow the idea never really took off and was not translated into action. However Barelang Bridge is still an icon in Batam and certainly thousands of tourists must have visited the Bridge.



I got out of the car and stand on the bridge and the beauty of this place behold my eyes. The view of the sea and islands were spectacular. The surrounding seems to be so calm and I can feel the strong wind blowing constantly around me. The steel cables appears like web, running down from the cable towers to the concrete floor of the bridge. I was quite surprised that there were hardly any vehicles crossing this bridge. Most of the time the bridge is empty and quiet.



You can see street vendors selling food, mineral water and gifts. I spend my time walking on the bridge all alone while my driver prefer standing near to his car chatting with the street vendors. Being alone on this bridge gives me a rather therapeutic effect on my mind and body. I feel refreshed and recharged and at that moment, my mind is just empty. I was simply admiring the beauty of the vast sea and the pocket of islands. Occasionally, you can see a slow fishing boat just moving by at its own pace - no mad rush, no deadlines.



I read an article that efforts are on the way to develop the islands of Galang and Rempang into a tourist development site. There will be resort hotels, golf courses, malls, etc. I do hope that they do retain the charms of this place. I think some people do not understand that it is the simple simplicity of a place that gives out it unique charm. Perhaps they do understand, but profits override everything. Anyway, I was happy that I took the time to visit the Barelang Bridge, it is definitely a worthy trip. I be back for more.

Hotel Nagoya Plaza - Batam Indonesia

I have decided to stay in Hotel Nagoya Plaza on my next trip to Batam. The hotel is located at Jalan Iman Bonjol, which is in the center of Nagoya town. The journey from Batam Center Ferry Terminal to the hotel takes about 20 minutes.



Upon arrival of the Hotel Nagoya Plaza and going to the check in counter, I noticed that the hotel lobby is rather old, perhaps it has not been renovated since the day it was built. But checking in was quick and efficient. The staff at the counter did not request to keep my passport, unlike some other hotels in Batam. But then a deposit in the form or cash or credit card voucher is needed for petty expenses. After checking in, I proceed the lift ( which also looks old) to my room.



I was not expecting much from my room, judging from the first impression at the hotel lobby. But when I opened up the door to my room, it was a pleasant surprise. It looks very spacious, clean and relatively new. I must say I liked the room. So don't judge the book by its cover - I reminded myself. The bed was clean and comfortable and the air-conditioning is working fine. I don't know why there are so many hotels which have problems with the air-condition in their rooms. There is the usual mini-bar - that is a mini fridge and kettle, with complimentary coffee/tea sachets and mineral water. The bathroom is really fantastic. It is totally clean, I mean it is spotless. I think the hotel must have renovated the bathroom. Every thing seems so new. Even the bathtub and the tiles on the wall is clean and spotless.



There is a distinct advantage in staying in Hotel Nagoya Plaza and that is - it is next to the new mall which is the Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall. All you need to do is to walk out from the hotel lobby and turn left. Proceed to walk pass a row of shops and in less than 5 minutes, you will arrive at Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall or some called it the Nagoya Hill SuperBlock. If you intend to go to the old shopping mall like Lucky Plaza or Centerpoint, just cross the road and walk straight. But do beware of the heavy traffic on the road. There are 2 coffeeshops selling local food. I have tried one of them and the food is delicious and cheap.

Breakfast at the hotel is served at the restaurant next to the hotel lobby. The breakfast is standard like most hotels in Batam. You have bread/buns, rice and noodles with vegetables and meat. It is sufficient for me. If you intend to eat something different, then head down to the mall - there are plenty of food outlets there. There isn't much to do within the hotel itself as there is no swimming pool or fitness center. For night entertainment, there is the GG club or Golden Globe nightspot that is located in the hotel premise itself. The GG club is quite well known in Batam. There are local bands playing at this club. An important note - if you are walking from Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall and intend to use a shortcut back to the hotel, there is no short cut. There is no back entrance in the hotel - it is totally block. So just head down to the main road and use the only main entrance. It is safer, especially during the night.
On the whole, Hotel Nagoya Plaza is a good place to stay. I like the clean room and the central location of this hotel. Breakfast can be improved with more variety of food. Taking a cab/taxi from the hotel is slightly more expensive than picking one from the road, but then it is safer and without hassle.



For more information and photos of Hotel Nagoya Plaza Batam - visit Indonesiapics.com