We had a wonderful time on this excursion! Johni was a terrific host who provided lots of information and cared very much about making us happy. We loved this day trip!
Catching the ferry & doing customs was relatively easy and our guide was waiting for us. My husband, 18 yr old daughter and I are frequent travelers. We all agreed this excursion was our favorite thing on this trip.
The massages were the best thing, we would have even like if there was time for a longer one as some of the other tours offer. I would suggest maybe cutting a couple of the other stops to make time for a longer massage. Reading other reviews, it sounds like that was an option for others, maybe we spent too much time taking pictures at lunch?
We absolutely loved the lunch spot and all the food. The location was beautiful if a bit rustic, and the food was delicious.
Other highlights were the first stone temple and the coffee tasting. The temple was really beautiful. My daughter particularly enjoyed the shopping.
The "cake tasting" was a surprise because it wasn't what we were expecting. Imagine a bright clean store with samples of all the food in jars next to each item. A salesperson follows you around making suggestions based on what you like and offering a tiny sample of the items, then asking if you want to buy them. It was a neat way to try different foods but a bit like Trader Joe's on steroids. The cake pieces were about the size of a large pea.
The miniature house park was interesting from an architecture standpoint, but there was a lot of litter from where locals clearly picnic & then left their trash. Also it needed paint. So it was a bit run down, which was a shame
It was a very full day! Johni & our driver dropped us at the ferry terminal with snacks and happy smiles. I highly recommend this tour.
K
Katie_W
May 31, 2024 · via Viator
Our Favorite Thing On This Trip
We had a wonderful time on this excursion! Johni was a terrific host who provided lots of information and cared very much about making us happy. We loved this day trip!
Catching the ferry & doing customs was relatively easy and our guide was waiting for us. My husband, 18 yr old daughter and I are frequent travelers. We all agreed this excursion was our favorite thing on this trip.
The massages were the best thing, we would have even like if there was time for a longer one as some of the other tours offer. I would suggest maybe cutting a couple of the other stops to make time for a longer massage.
We also absolutely loved the lunch spot and all the food. The location was beautiful if a bit rustic, and the food was delicious.
Other highlights were the first stone temple and the coffee tasting. The temple was really beautiful. My daughter particularly enjoyed the shopping.
The "cake tasting" was a surprise because it wasn't what we were expecting. Imagine a bright clean store with samples of all the food in jars next to each item. A salesperson follows you around making suggestions based on what you like and offering a tiny sample of the items, then asking if you want to buy them. It was a near way to try different foods but a bit like Trader Joe's on steroids. The cake pieces were about the size of a large pea.
The miniature house park was interesting from an architecture standpoint, but there was a lot of litter from where locals clearly picnic in the park & then leave their trash. Also it needed paint. So it was a bit run down.
I could have also skipped the 'Welcome to Bantam" sign but I suppose some people would find it iconic.
It was a very full day! Johni & our driver dropped us at the ferry terminal with snacks and happy smiles. I highly recommend this tour
R
RAUL_D
March 30, 2024 · via Viator
Wonderful experience. Very educational.
We had a great time. Our tour guide Bell was very knowledgeable and very friendly. His English is very good and easy to understand. It was very hot though at this time of year but they provided a bottle of water.
D
DrCindy87
March 1, 2024 · via Tripadvisor
Great experience with great guides
We were concerned because they messaged us the night before that our Batam guide was unavailable but they sent a local guy to pick us up at the hotel and check us in at the ferry. Then Irma and Jacky took the BEST care of us in Batam. Jacky was a great and very safe driver and Irma was a font of information. We feel like we saw everything we wanted to and, indeed, our only complaint was a happy one- there was just too much food for us old people!
C
Channing_W
January 19, 2024 · via Viator
Our Day in Batam
We had an amazing time! This is a great way to see Batam and get a taste of Indonesia. Our guide was very knowledgeable and engaging and went out of her way to treat us like family and give us some extra stops. Highly recommend!!
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R4068CLjamesh
November 16, 2023 · via Tripadvisor
Fantastic day trip; exceeded expectations
Beautiful day trip to Indonesia with wife and adult daughter. Indonesian people are extremely warm and welcoming. Batam is a poor island but proud and developing. It was a wonderful contrast to the wealth and sophistication of Singapore, and a completely unexpected, last-minute cherry on top of our vacation.
Tour Guide. Johnny was excellent, thoughtful and spoke very good English. He had a clean car with phone chargers and extra water. He was there to meet us when we arrived and handled our return flawlessly even though we changed our departure.
Highlights. the Indonesian massage and also 70 Fahrenheit Koffie Batam (we bought 27 packages of coffee plus the S$240 Lawak coffee gift set). We also loved the views from the bridge overlooking the S China Sea. The lunch was average but we enjoyed its authenticity (note: they were able to cater it to our gluten free needs). The quick Indonesian layer cake stop was also fun and we bought some cake. We aren’t really into temples but the Buddhist temple was very large.
Money. Make sure you have your passport and $35 US for your Indonesian visa fee. You’ll also want some cash for tipping the masseuses (about $50,000 IND each, which is about $3 US).
Negatives. Only negative was the ferry ride from Singapore. The ferry operator is not connected with the tour in any way, so you’ll have to figure it all out yourself. It’s like going to a bus terminal, so get there early (60-90 min pre-departure). Go to BatamFast ticket counter on Level 2 of Lobby C at the HarborFront and show them your PDF confirmation.
M
Magdalena_K
November 7, 2023 · via Viator
Great tour - highly recommend
It was an excellent tour and unforgettable experience mostly thanks to Aolia and Joni.
Aolia picked us up from hotel, accompanied us throughout the entire ferry trip. She did a lot of effort to help us getting coffee and breakfast in the HarbourFront mall at early hours.
Joni, our guide and driver in Batam made the day very easy going and yet interesting. He was telling us many interesting facts about the island, everyday life, history etc. He did amazing job driving and guiding us.
The program of the day was well balanced with sightseeing, delicious lunch, a bit of shopping and a bit of relaxation.
All in all, great day, unforgettable memories. Highly recommend. Good value for money.
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Lisa_H
September 24, 2023 · via Viator
Great day tour!
Great trip. Guide was also the driver who was great. Have details about Batam given. Went to few main places and nice lunch was included.
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Chadat83
July 13, 2023 · via Tripadvisor
Longer than necessary
Pros: very nice tour guide and he spoke very good English. The ferry ride from Singapore to Batam was smooth and comfortable. We got to see some iconic Indonesian sites. Lunch was very authentic.
Cons: I believe the description is a bit vague. The tour was much longer than necessary. We made several stops that could have been skipped (coffee business, cake shop, all the stores and malls). This could easily be a 4 hour tour and get the same experience.
事業者からの返答
Dear valued guest,
We thank you for your positive feedback about our guide, high-speed ferry and lunch feast, and we have forwarded your compliments to the captain, chefs and guide.
For our small group tours, we seek to cater to the interests of all guests. After spending a few hours covering all the religious/architectural sites in Batam, some of the other guests in your group indicated that they wanted to do some local shopping and sample local cuisine, namely kopi luwak (Indonesian civet coffee) and kueh lapis (Indonesian layer cakes), as mentioned on the small group tour itinerary.
Finally, in case if you are back in Batam in the future, please do call us again, and we will be happy to extend a complimentary 1-hour massage for you and your partner at our massage centre.
We wish you all the best for your future travels.
L
Laura_V
June 8, 2023 · via Viator
Not impressive
The tour is not impressive. Our tour guide is just a driver, doesn’t say anything, offers little info when asked. Kopi Luwak tour is interesting because I’m a coffee drinker. Lunch and massage is good. No other activity that is worth your time.
事業者からの返答
Dear valued guest, we thank you for your feedback about our tour.
For selected small group tours (with less than 6 guests), the guide does double-up as the driver, and we sincerely regret that your guide was not be able to engage much with you while driving.
We thank you for your positive feedback about what you have learnt about kopi luwak (Indonesian civet coffee), and we have forwarded your compliments to the guide.
Finally, we agree with you that Indonesia provides very limited wow factor, because Indonesia is still after all, a developing country and the infrastructure and architecture shows, as compared to developed countries like the US and Singapore.
Nonetheless, we strive our best to showcase the real side of Indonesia to all guests in the best light possible, through means within our control, such as your Indonesian lunch and traditional Indonesian massage.
We hope to have you back again in better circumstances when Indonesia has developed more. We wish you all the best for your future travels.