Batam Info Thread

[meat]

Salute to bro NoNo, and i am reading your newbie's bible right now. May I ask 2 question2 here?

1. If I book formosa hotel, is it OK to walk from the hotel to gold bird?
2. Bro Nono mentioned that you can bargain down the price a little without a taxi, may I know why?

thanks a lot.

I am planning the first solo trip to batam on 20th June...

[peg80]

i need to pick up a friend from harbourbay then travel to ktm resort.

is taxi the only way and how much it will cost by meter or one time charges?

thanks

[Black Page]

Originally Posted by meat

1. If I book formosa hotel, is it OK to walk from the hotel to gold bird?
2.

With utmost probability, you are going to spend each day:
- 650k for the hotel
- 100k-300k for food
- 500k-1M for the girl

Would you care to invest 10k in an ojek?

[DDAMn]

Originally Posted by peg80

i need to pick up a friend from harbourbay then travel to ktm resort.

is taxi the only way and how much it will cost by meter or one time charges?

thanks

Fyi if to n fro tat means from Ktm - HB will cost at least 100,000.back trip 100,000 tats my rough estimate it all depends on your bargining power.why dun u tell urfren to get down at sekupang quite near to ktm.if u want meter taxi u can always ask recep to call a bluebird taxi for u.

[qwerty2009]

Originally Posted by meat

Salute to bro NoNo, and i am reading your newbie's bible right now. May I ask 2 question2 here?

1. If I book formosa hotel, is it OK to walk from the hotel to gold bird?
2. Bro Nono mentioned that you can bargain down the price a little without a taxi, may I know why?

thanks a lot.

I am planning the first solo trip to batam on 20th June...

I nv been to batam before but aiming to go next month so I will answer this question based on my judgement and reviews and knowledge passed through this forum.

Yes I will choose to walk as walking able you to understand the place better. Of course you need a map and sense of direction as well.

The taxi uncle will earn 100k from your total sum so if mamasan quote 800k, driver took 100 k , actual price is only 700k . In either case try to lower the amount for the benefit of future bros going to batam. Control the rate. Nevertheless we cant outbid the rich ones whom willing to pay $200 for the syt but at least we does what it could

[JoeGringo]

Originally Posted by meat

Salute to bro NoNo, and i am reading your newbie's bible right now. May I ask 2 question2 here?

1. If I book formosa hotel, is it OK to walk from the hotel to gold bird?
2. Bro Nono mentioned that you can bargain down the price a little without a taxi, may I know why?

thanks a lot.

I am planning the first solo trip to batam on 20th June...

When I was at Formosa last Monday, I walked to Goldbird for the first time with no problem. Please refer back and look for the map that was shared by Bro Nono and the other seniors here. It's about from Orchard MRT to Dobhy Ghaut MRT?

If you take a cab, the OKT or mamasan will take a certain commission to pay the driver. So if u didn't come with a driver, bargain with the OKT or mamasan since they don't need to pay any commission.

I always avoid taxis there as they always try to ketok you. If you don't want to walk, then take ojek. Cheaper.

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by meat

Salute to bro NoNo, and i am reading your newbie's bible right now. May I ask 2 question2 here?

1. If I book formosa hotel, is it OK to walk from the hotel to gold bird?
2. Bro Nono mentioned that you can bargain down the price a little without a taxi, may I know why?

thanks a lot.

I am planning the first solo trip to batam on 20th June...

1st of all,thk you for finding my newbie guide useful. Below are my answers to your 2 questions :

1. If I book formosa hotel, is it OK to walk from the hotel to gold bird?

It is OK to walk from Formosa to Gold bird.Distance is roughly walking from Dohby Ghaut MRT to Somerset MRT. Follow the map,locate Goodway Hotel 1st,walk further down to locate Batam Star Hotel or Lai Lai Hotel which is just beside Batam Star. You will need to circle the building opposite Batam Star or Lai Lai star.Once you finish circle around it,you won't find Goldbird yet,but it is actually beside the same building you have been circling....go there and circle that building too and your should find Goldbird in a corner with neon lightings that says "GOLD BIRD". Yes,u need to circle 2 buildings and each circling takes abt 3 mins.

If you wish to take Ojek or Taxi,don't tell the taxi driver you want to go to Gold Bird or you will be paying 10k ojek + 100k - 200k extra and in the case of taxi will be 30k + 100k - 200k extra. Tell driver to drop you off at Batam Star Hotel or Lai Lai Hotel. And make sure you aren't being stalk by your driver after you drop off.

2. Bro Nono mentioned that you can bargain down the price a little without a taxi, may I know why?

As mentioned above,drivers collect a token commission from papi/mami who is serving you when you pay for your girl at the joint.Sometime between an amount of 100k to 200k. Low end priced girls usually 100k commission,but high end priced girl can go up to as high as 250k comm or/and more. (1.2juta - 1.8 juta super SYT) - (stats extracted from a papi & one of the girl i picked working in joint.)

If you go w/o driver,just tell mami or papi who is serving you that you didn't come with driver. Price are likely to come down by 100k,and if you want to be hard up like i have tried once or twice before,you can still still bargain down for another 50k reduction. (maybe even more,but i never try before)

Here's the procedure as i have encountered upon stepping into the joint :

1. Step in joint,a papi/mami will usually approach you.

2. You will be ask what kind of girls you like ,and at the same time the girls in the house will be line up inside fish tank for you to look see and choose.

3. My answer is usually,"how much is this girl?", "How much is that girl?" etc etc...then ask Mami/Papi to recommend 1 with good service & no attitude problem.I will ask for basic English speaking girls too. (so far all papi & Mami i met can speak some broken English,some even can speak Hokkien or teochew & Chinese) I don't speak Malay or Indo at all.

4. From there,pick my girl but always keep another 1 or 2 more option in case it's not what i ask for.(age,showing interest,speak english etc) Ask how much,and will usually be quote 700k-800k,told mami/papi i no driver...immediately price reduced by 100k. If i am in the right mood,will bargain down by another 100k and they usually won't give in,until i stand up and about to walk off,another 50k will be reduced. Pay them exact amount and request them to send to my hotel room by a certain time.

5. Before walking out of joint,will ask Mami/Papi for their joint name card and i had to do that in front of the girl i pick. Some time will even get to talk to the girls too.

I pick the girl that shows the most interest in me as advise by senior bros here. (eye contact,waving at me,smiling at me etc) And lastly,if i am in the right mood,will tip mami/papi a little too.

My small golden rules for myself are,"don't go there to choose girl as if like choosing a wife" when i pick the girl. Highly priced girls do not equates to good service,in fact i find it the direct opposite...lol

My answers above are opinions of my encounters and learning experience extracted from this thread and other forums,hope it's helpful to you.

Good luck with your upcoming trip,bro!

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by peg80

i need to pick up a friend from harbourbay then travel to ktm resort.

is taxi the only way and how much it will cost by meter or one time charges?

thanks

I'm sorry to interrupt this,but i can't help wondering why your friend do not wish to drop himself off at Sekupang Ferry Terminal which is abt 10 mins or less from KTM resort but instead wish to drop at Harbour Bay ferry terminal which is about 40 min drive to KTM resort?

Cost of travelling from harbour Bay to KTM resort will be around 100k to go and another 100k plus to come back.(amt can be higher) The time used to travel is also about 40 mins to go and another about 40 mins to come back.(longer if there is a jam)

Originally Posted by Black Page

With utmost probability, you are going to spend each day:
- 650k for the hotel
- 100k-300k for food
- 500k-1M for the girl

Would you care to invest 10k in an ojek?

You are probably right,bro....tho 10k ojek might be small,but if not careful may end up with 110k ojek (100k comm + 10k ojek)...or maybe more?

Originally Posted by DDAMn

Fyi if to n fro tat means from Ktm - HB will cost at least 100,000.back trip 100,000 tats my rough estimate it all depends on your bargining power.why dun u tell urfren to get down at sekupang quite near to ktm.if u want meter taxi u can always ask recep to call a bluebird taxi for u.

Woah! 5 mins drive from HB to Formosa already cost an average bargained price of 30k...40 mins from HB to KTM for 100k i believe should be the lowest price on average.

To come back from KTM to HB would be the real challenge,hehehe...

Originally Posted by qwerty2009

Yes I will choose to walk as walking able you to understand the place better. Of course you need a map and sense of direction as well.

The taxi uncle will earn 100k from your total sum so if mamasan quote 800k, driver took 100 k , actual price is only 700k . In either case try to lower the amount for the benefit of future bros going to batam. Control the rate. Nevertheless we cant outbid the rich ones whom willing to pay $200 for the syt but at least we does what it could

Totally agree with you,bro...walking does makes one understand the place better and on top of it,gives one more confidence on that place too.

And double thumbs up for choosing to bargain for a good cause!

Originally Posted by JoeGringo

Please refer back and look for the map that was shared by Bro Nono and the other seniors here. It's about from Orchard MRT to Dobhy Ghaut MRT?

Distance actually shorter,trust me...the next time you try to walk to Gold Bird from Formosa again,the time used will be much shorter becos you have been there once before and you will also realise the real distance is actually shorter than you expected,hehehe...

Cheers!

[Naka_Timo]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Exactly the reason why i have chosen not to e

Indo time 12pm exchange rate opposite Formosa is 9400/SGD ,Nagoya Hill Mall at 9350/SGD but can be bargained to 9400/SGD.(tested) Harbour Front at sin time 4.30pm at 9250/SGD.

Have a good evening & good luck to all.

That good, seem like the rates are getting higer back again.

[hansumguy]

Any bros want to bring a relative newbie (2nd time) to batam in the coming week? Thinking of going monday or tuesday. Pm me thx

[Townsend]

Have the following questions need all Senior to guide:

1) Any Dirty Massage or Girls to call back hotel, near Batam Center Harris Hotel?
2) Any papi that I can call directly to make book girl to hotel?
3) Anyone tried calling the HOTEL ROOM SERVICE CLEAN MASSAGE, and end up getting sex offer from the girl? I tried once from Harris hotel. Any other hotel to introduce?

[meat]

really appreciate all bros' friendly answers, especially bro Nono. I didn't expect such a elaborated answers....

[Parle645]

I am planning to visit Batam 1st time on June 24 to 26. Please advice is it right time or do as we have Ramadan start @ June 28, due to that we have less girls options for pick ups or close down of massage & ktv. I plan my budget USD$ 500 for my trip, is it sufficient to have good first time fun in Batam various option to plan my trip. Please do advice. Thanks in advance & awaiting Bros reply to start booking my tickets & hotels

[Parle645]

I am niebie to Batam, please advice is before Ramadan whether is good to visit for funds, I.e June 24 to 26 this month. Ramadan fasting start from June 27. Do we have more options to select in fishtank & ktv. Does all bars, night club will be opened?

[iicycold]

Originally Posted by Parle645

I am planning to visit Batam 1st time on June 24 to 26. Please advice is it right time or do as we have Ramadan start @ June 28, due to that we have less girls options for pick ups or close down of massage & ktv. I plan my budget USD$ 500 for my trip, is it sufficient to have good first time fun in Batam various option to plan my trip. Please do advice. Thanks in advance & awaiting Bros reply to start booking my tickets & hotels

Ramadan or dates closing to ramadan definitely less options for girls anywhere in Batam. US$500 definitely good for a 3D2N for some basic fun for first timer to Batam as long as you don't splurge anyhow.

As for planning,from now till the date of your trip,there are about 2.5 weeks..so you got plenty of time. No real hurry to book ferry tickets. My advise,do read through the last 300 pages of this thread,or at least the link on my signature which i use as my Batam reference provided from a bro who sums up as a guide for newbie and first time Batam visitor.

The very least you need to know is what kind of fun are available in Batam and what kind of fun are you looking for.