Finally, the last part of the series of posts about my visit to Batam, Indonesia in June 2011!
Our itinerary included a visit to Vihara Buddhi Bakti Temple. We didn’t go inside the temple because taking photos is prohibited so we just took photos outside:
Another stop was at a factory outlet of branded RTWs. The place wasn’t really big as I expected but the prices are maybe the same as in Greenhills (in Manila)
. I didn’t buy anything because I still find the items expensive. I told myself to just wait for sales in Singapore. Across the factory outlet was a Batik shop. It wasn’t that big but it was a good place to buy cute souvenirs.
We moved from one place to another by bus provided by the travel agency so I didn’t have the chance to travel in “Batam” way. I noticed many vans and motorbikes though. I wonder if people use vans as public transportation, just like in the Philippines?
The last stop was at the Batam City Square (BCS). We were given about 2 hours to shop but my friends and I opted to splurge on food. The prices on the menu looked intimidating with many zeroes on it. I had to remind myself again and again that 1SGD is about 7,000 Rupiah!
I was still so full from lunch so I just ordered pasta and iced cappucino. When we got our bill, we were surprised and delighted because we only had to pay about 7SGD each! Here in Singapore, a meal at a restaurant would cost you at least 15SGD, without drinks!
I actually felt at home in Batam. In many ways, it reminded me of Tagbilaran City in Bohol.
