A short getaway to Montigo Resort (Batam)

A short getaway from Singapore to Montigo Resort in Batam. While all think that ferry to Batam departs at Harbourfront terminal, please note that the nearest ferry terminal to Montigo resort is Nongsa. We took Batam Fast ferry and a return ticket costs around SGD$46. Do note that you can purchase an open ticket for the return trip so that you can decide when and where to take the ferry back. In the end, we took the ferry back from Batam Centre after visiting Nagoya Hill Shopping mall. 

Price:

Back to the blogging on the resort. We booked the Hilltop Villa via their own website. We managed to book it at around SGD$425 per villa per night (for 4 persons) through a Flash deal promotion. It is noted that a fifth person can be accommodated and has to pay SGD$100+ per night. 

Service:

Montigo resorts provided a shuttle service (to be pre-arranged) to bring us to the Resort from Nongsa ferry terminal. It was around a 5-10 minutes ride. Check in time is at 3pm but you could check in early if there is availability of room. Check out is at 11a.m. Montigo also provides a shuttle service to Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall at 10am (well, it was late when we took it at 10.40am the next day) and back at 4pm (which we did not take). The journey was around 45 minutes to an hour depending on the traffic. 

I have to say, Montigo staff at the reception lobby were very attentive. When we alighted the shuttle bus, we were given a glass of welcome drink and a cold towel. Then as we proceeded to the lobby, a staff was 'appointed' to do the check in process for us. He also went on to tell us about the floor plan of the resort and did some introduction. Do note that we have to give SGD$100 as deposit which will be returned upon check out unless we spent on something during the stay. Well, do prepare the notes if not, charge a million rupiah to your credit card!

Here's the first few views I saw at Montigo Resort:

the first look at Montigo Resort

As the villa was not ready, we were being shuffled to TADD’s by buggy service to have lunch. While, as it was Hari Raya, they had a buffet lunch promotion at around SGD$25++ for the festive where drinks were not included. In the end, we paid around 1.6 million rupiah for 4 persons - I have to say, a pretty expensive meal in Batam. the variety of the food was not that great and some were beef which I do not take. The appetizers were special and spicy enough to perk the stomach. The desserts which are mostly kuehs were good too. Just that the mains were so so.

Here's some of the food we had with  a nice gloomy view - Lucky Sun was not on our side and it started raining there. What a letdown when we are supposed to be under the sun swimming!

The Lunch - not that fantastic and an expensive one!

After the lunch, we took the buggy back to the reception lobby. Lucky for us, the villa was ready and there we went to the start of the retreat! 2 card keys were given to us - 1 was to slot into the card slot to activate the electricity while the other is for us to use when we were out of the villa - we did only once, that was to have our breakfast the next day!

Without further ado, here's the pictures of the ground floor of the villa - with the living room + kitchenette, the dining table next to the private pool. A private pool that we spent most of the time at. It was a little 'dirty' and we reckon it could be due to the downpour earlier on. 

A wii machine is found at the TV area and 2 controllers were available. A NBA game disc was there as well and we tried to play. Only one controller is working and well, that marks the end of our touch with the wii. We did try to call the reception for more games and only Mario driving game is available. I told them to deliver to our villa and not sure of it is due to some communication breakdown, the game disc never arrived!

Level 1 of the Villa - the place we spent most of the time at

Next level up is the 2 bedrooms. A master bedroom with a pretty big washroom - a bathtub sitting in the middle of the washroom! A double bed was fantastic and there is a long sofa (I think there will be where the fifth person can make him or herself comfortable!).

The bedrooms on the second floor

 Well, I cannot resist but to capture the art pieces there. The painting, the decorations were really very captivating for me. What say you?

Can't resist the art pieces!

Spent the rest of the afternoon soaking in the private pool. With fun and laughter, chit chatting with the girls. Bonding time is the best quality time ever! I love! 

Soon, it was time for the sun to rest.. Pretty sunset by the sea. Taken by the pool.. Nice!

What beats a nice sunset with friends... on ground level

Off to the rooftop for some more pretty views of the sunset....

Up to the rooftop for a better view

Good things come to an end fast! real fast! Day 2 came in a twinkle of the eye. Here's the complimentary breakfast at the same place we had the lunch yesterday. We all agreed that breakfast was indeed much better than the lunch. Well, typical international breakfast buffet. One nice dish to talk about would be the prata and its curry sauce. The curry sauce was actually jackfruit flavoured. They used Jackfruit to cook the curry. Sweet and spicy made the prata tasted better! I like!

Breakfast is the best meal of the day!

More views of the common pool on a sunny day. How nice was it! Definitely better than yesterday! I hope for one more day to be spent there but reality set in real quick!

The main pools

The Tiigo Bar which only served the adults. Here's how it looks in the day!

Well, the rest of the resorts!

Shall be back soon to enjoy more of the common facilities in the resort. For the price we paid, for the service we had, I think this is rather a good choice. Away from the bustling city in just 40 minutes, who would mind going to Batam!

From here, we took the shuttle service to Nagoya Hill shopping mall. Not much time to shop as we went for a (not-that-fantastic) massage! Should have used that time to spend in the hypermart!

I think I will be back here soon... the hypermart was irresistible!

Seoul 2014 - Day 4 - Bukchon Hanok Village, Changdeokgung Palace, Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken, Jongmyo (Royal Shrine), Insa-dong

Is cultural day today as we happened to be there at month end - Do note that it is free entrance to the Palace on every last Wednesday of the month. But you still have to pay for the entrance to the Secret Garden. 

Alright, there was no plan to where's for breakfast today and we decided to head towards Changdeokgung Palace area for a look. Luck was on us and we managed to find this porridge place -  Bonjuk - Nice warm porridge to start off the day. 

Do try out the porridge at this shop, the porridge was really great and thy are generous in their servings. 2 bowls of porridge and the 3 of us weren't able to finish, not that it was bad but it was too much! 

Porridge at Bonjuk 

After the breakfast, it was time for some walk. We joined a free English guided tour at 10.30 am at Changdeokgung Palace. It was great with the guide around. We learnt more about the history of the Palace and of course, the country itself. The pace of the tour was just nice, taking an hour to bring us through the main events of the Palace. It was not the first time I've visited this Palace, but it was the first time I heard more about the place. 

Changdeokgung Palace

More of Changdeokgung Palace

After the guided tour at the main Palace, the timing was just right for the Secret Garden Guided Tour. This was not free and it costed 5,000 won per person. This secret garden was pretty well-preserved and the weather at end-March was pretty awesome for the walk. 

Directions to Changdeokgung Palace:

Anguk Station (Subway Line 3), Exit 3. Go straight for 5min.

For Bonjuk Porridge, it will be at one of the road intersection, turn to the left and walk straight. You will see it on the left side. 

Secret Garden 

Alright, time for lunch. As usual, we tried to do some research on the great food at the area and the best place we had was at Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken. 

Priced at 15,000 won, the Ginseng Chicken is truly worth the price - 

The ginseng taste is especially strong and the chicken soup is really thick and rich. The chicken meat is tender and moist and you do not need much effort to eat as it will fall off easily when you used your chopsticks.

We tried both the black chicken and the ginseng chicken. Both were equally good. Oh, the kimchi banchan was great too. This place was real crowded and though you do not speak Korean, the ordering was easy and smooth. 

Direction:

Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2.

Go straight about 170m and turn left onto Jahamun-ro 5-gil Road, the shop is on the left. 

Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken 

Next up, we went to  Bukchon Hanok Village. Pretty much a well-preserved place where there are people currently living at the Village. So do not talk loudly and make a nuisance out of yourself so as not to disturb the locals living there. 

Oh, by the way, the house which Lee Min Ho starred in Personal Taste was actually a real unit in Bukcon Hanok Village. Want to know where is the exact location, look out for the free information guide stationed at the Village, they will let you know the direction. 

One thing I love about Seoul is that they have guides all over the place. They are more than happy to provide the information we need and if they do not know, they tried their best to find out for us. It really made the travel experience at Seoul a pleasant one. 

Direction:
Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 2.

Bukchon Hanok Village

Next up was Insa-dong. It was a pretty nice walk along the streets, exploring the different shops at the place. When tired, just find a cafe to sit in and relax. Enjoy a tea-break before we embarked on our walks.

Insa-dong

Insa-dong is pretty much a relaxing place to be in and well, we noted that some of the shops are not in their usual form. That is, the shop names were written in Korean instead of the usual alphabets. Pretty cool. 

Shop Names in Korean @ Insa-dong

When the sky got darker, we decided to try out the dine-in street stall for dinner. Pretty much a new experience to eat in the tentage with the locals. I would not say that the food was fantastic but at least, the eating atmosphere was not too bad and it's an experience indeed.

Street stall food

Seoul 2014 - Day 3 - Gangnam, Everland

Up for a theme park day today. Breakfast is at Paris Baguette which is near the Chuungmuro subway station near the hotel. This shop has already opened it branches in Singapore but I think this is the first time I patronized the place. An affordable way to start the day!

Sandwich & Coffee for breakfast

Then, we proceeded to Gangnam via the subway so as to catch the bus to Everland. Shopping first as there are shops at the Gangnam underground station. After a fruitless shopping spree, we headed outside for lunch. Street stall wasn't really a must-try in my travel list though I knew that they should be authentic. But well, this time round, we proceeded to explore food street and managed to find one which we felt comfortable. 

The ajumma (aka auntie in Korean saying) was very friendly. Though she does not speak English, she made the effort to make us feel comfortable. She even taught me the korean words for the food we ordered and then set a quiz for me to answer at the end. Nice interaction with her and nice food as well. We often watched the actors in drama eating at the stalls and well, finally we tried it. Payment was only made at the end before you leave the stall. So, do not attempt to pay upfront!

Korean street food stall

Waiting for the bus to bring us to fairy land!  BUS No. 5002 ( 50 mins, 1,800 won) will do the wonder.

Direction:
Gangnam Station (Line 2) (10 mins, 1050 won) . Exit 10 and walk straight. Currently, the bus stand is near to Krispykreme Doughnuts.

We spent the rest of the day at Everland. The second time there, and I still felt excited. New experience with new company with longer stay there.

Tulips season and that's beauty!

Tulip fragrance in the air!

I don't remember seeing so many animals back in 2006 but this round, we really have a close up with the giraffe. Pretty insane when you were caught off guard that the giraffe just pop its head through the window of the bus. Quite shock but that's cool!

The animals

Visited the ligers before and watched the black bears' performances. Same gimmick, but it never fails to impress all on the bus. Interestingly on how they were trained to perform to us. Food is really a good lure for them.

Close encounters

T Express - the wooden roller coaster - was probably the highlight for me. Queued for 40 minutes to get a minute of thrill. Pretty much impressed by the wooden concept and well, another experience as the Korean guy beside me was really freaked out throughout the ride.

T Express - Wooden Roller Coaster

Dinner at one of the cafes in the theme park as we wanted to catch the lights parade. Pretty decent meal. 

Dinner time!

Lights parade really brighten up the dark night. Not that impressive if you have caught the Disney Parade before. A very short route to display the whole show. Need not stay for this, if you have other night plans. 

Light Parade at Everland

Supper was strawberries and an interesting combination of instant noodle + rice.

Strawberries and Instant Noodle + rice

Ramen Kagetsu Arashi @ Star Vista

Lunch at Star Vista wasn't a daily affair but I was glad that we had more than an hour of lunch break today. Looking at the vast number of restaurants on the directory board, we decided to go for Ramen Kagetsu Arashi at level 1. It is located near to Gong Cha, not at the main street but at one of the alley. So, do take note of it. 

First impression of the shop, well, there are only 2 service staff and thus, we just went in to grab a table on our own. The female service staff was too busy taking orders while the other male was purely serving the food. Thus, the female service staff was taking up the the responsibilities of a waitress, cleaner and cashier. They really need to improve their service if not, sooner or later, they will lose out on the lunch crowd. 

We went for the Lunch Set ($10.80), comprising of a downsized ramen of your choice, with a side dish, dessert and drink. Quite affordable. 

In the end, we took the Arashi Genkotsu Sio Ramen - the ramen was quite springy and the broth was flavourful. The pork was tender and went well with the broth. The only thing I had comment on was the egg (hard, not soft boiled). Ramen with hard boiled egg wasn't that match. Dislike. Another than that, the portion of the downsize ramen was just nice. 

For the sides, we ordered the fried oyster and fried squid. Both were served with mayonnaise and cabbage. A good way to wash off the oil was with cabbage - I like. The oyster was breaded and crisped and the fried squid, well, like other calamari, would likely be the side of choice for seafood lovers.

Would I be back again? I guess, I might give other ramen store a fight for a place in my stomach!

Arashi Genkotsu Sio Raman With Fried squid and Fried oyster

The Star Vista
1 Vista Exchange Green #01-41

Seoul 2014 - Day 2 - Myeondong, Namsangol Hanok Village, Seoul Tower

After a good night rest at PJ Hotel, we ventured out our second day in Seoul. It was a relatively easy day as we will just be combing Myeondong and visiting the Seoul Tower. 

First breakfast at Seoul is not any fanciful cafe or restaurant. I did some research and found a breakfast counter - Issac Toast & Coffee. They will only prepare the food when we ordered and thus, hot pipping sandwich toasts were what we had. There is a very small eating area besides the shop and luck was on us, we managed to 'squeeze' ourselves in it to finish our toast. 

Ordering in Seoul was not that smooth as they do not really speak English but pointing to the menu was easy. We jut have to pay attention to the simple English reply they had for us to complete the order. 

A simple sandwich toast that attracted long queue - not too bad to start off the day. The sandwiches are worth a try and I guess hot pipping food warmed us up for the walking next. 

Direction: Myeongdong Station (Line 4) exit 5, walk straight for 50m and should see the Big Red icon of Issac

Isaac Toast & Coffee @  Myeondong

Myeondong street is really lovely - I like. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. So we decided to put on hanok costumes to act like the Koreans. There is this free trying of the Hanok at M-Plaza, 

Just visit the center and make a reservations at the door. We reached there slightly after 10am and there were already a group in front of us. We lazed around the center where there are brochures on Seoul and of course, free wi-fi.

**Details:

M-Plaza, Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Phone +82-789-7961

Date(s) Ongoing

Time(s) 10:30 ~ 12:00 / 14:00~18:00

※approx. 5~10 min per group**

Myeondong Streets

After the hanbok shoots, we took some time to hop from shops to shops for some shopping time. Myeondong is really a shopping paradise and you never get sick of it. Only hunger makes you want to stop and take a rest. 

Off we went to Myeongdong Kyoja (명동교자) for some comfort food. There was a long queue and we were queuing outside the shop for a short while. But it was not too long that we were directed to a table. We ordered the Kalguksu (hand-rolled noodle soup), Bibim guksu (noodles with vegetables and red hot pepper paste) and Mandu (dumplings). And of course, kimchi is always served on the table, for free!

Personally, I preferred the noodle soup to the dry spicy noodles. It was too dry to my liking. The soup base was great and that goes for the dumplings as well. Do give it a try if you are in Seoul. 

Address / Direction:

Main Branch

Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 8.

Upon exiting the station, turn left onto Myeongdong 10-gil Road. Go straight and the restaurant is on the right.

Myeongdong Kyoja Branch No. 1

From Myeongdong Station (Exit 8), turn left onto Myeongdong 10-gil Road. Go straight and the restaurant is on the left.

Mandu , Kalguksu, kimchi and Bibim guksu

After lunch was time for some cultural experience. We visited the Namsangol Hanok Village. It wasn't really in the planned itinerary, but we just made our way after getting lost while trying to get to N Seoul tower. 

Not a bad experience as we managed to see the olden days of how the Koreans lived, the buildings they stayed, the games they played. An interactive village which I thought would be nice for family with kids to visit. 

Free entry, by the way. 

Address:

28, Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 

Directions:

Subway - Chungmuro Station (Seoul Subway Line 3 & 4), Exit 4.

Walk along Hanongmaeul-gil st. for 5 minutes. 

Namsangol Hanok Village

Highlight of the day would be N Seoul Tower. We were pretty early for the evening view and thus, we took a walk up. We just stumbled upon the route up and thus, 'm not able to provide the directions. But the walk was very nice and peaceful. There wasn't many people doing the route and it seems like we 'owned' the place. 

Nansam Trail

N Seoul Tower is at the highest point in Seoul and well, a should-visit destination for those hoping to get a panoramic view of Seoul. An iconic symbol of Seoul, this place has now become a popular date spot for couples as they have the love padlocks area outside the tower.

Before ending the tower

Well, for 9,000 won, visit the observatory to get a view of Seoul. There is also a post office at the top where we could grab a postcard, a stamp and sent it back to our loved ones back home. To let them know that they are missed! 

Inside the tower

Back to city via the Nansam Cable car and then the Namsan Oreumi. The Namsan Cable Car is a 3-minute cable car ride that runs from the base of Namsan Mountain to N Seoul Tower, offering a splendid view. Then onto the Namsan Oreumi which is a free outdoor elevator that runs between the plaza in front of the Namsan Tunnel #3 Commemorative Plaza and the Namsan Cable Car.

After the visit to the tower

Dinner time at Yoogane. Read that this place is a definite must-try when in Seoul. So we found our way there (p.s. there is a branch now in Singapore after we are back but I have yet to try it). Pretty much a good eating place but the service crew does not really speak English. W have to point and do some charades to get our order done. But after which, the specific service crew will serve us throughout the whole meal . 

We ordered the stir-fried chicken and seafood combo. The ingredients was marinated and diced prior to cooking, and was stir-fried with gochujang (chilli pepper paste), assorted vegetables, onions, and rice cakes. We ordered additional rice so that they will fry it after the meat and seafood was cooked. And there it is... Korean fried rice with chicken and seafood. The food was pan-grilled on the spot by the service crew and to prevent splattering, an aluminum sheet circling the pan was in place.

Not too bad a dinner to end off the day. 

Dinner at Yoogane

Direction:

Myeong-dong Station. Exit 6. Turn right after Uniqlo and Yoogane is on your left (Near REDEYE).

Seoul 2014 - Day 1 - Silloam Sauna, Itaewon, Lotte Department Store

April, turning Spring - Finally touched down in Seoul Airport Incheon International Airport after a transit in Hong Kong. A break from work with Sis and cuzzie. Not my first trip to South Korea but it is the virgin trip there as a free and easy traveler. 

Took a midnight flight over and when we landed, it was not 6am yet. A couple of ways to reach the hotel from the airport and we decided to take the airport shuttle bus. This decision was made after considering that we do not want to lug our luggage up the stairs from the train station and well, we do not want to splurge on taxi. And most importantly, there is a direct shuttle bus that stops our Hotel -  Hotel PJ (will blog more about the hotel in later post). To see more on the airport bus shuttle, click here. 

There are ticket booths inside the arrival hall (1st Floor) near Gates 4 and Gate 9 or outside where you can buy the ticket at the ticket booths near near Gates 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, and gate 9C. The ticket cost 10,000 won each and the bus interval is around 20 to 35 minutes. Journey time to our stop is around 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on downtown traffic condition. Considering our early arrival there, the journey enabled us to take a short nap, boosting energy before we kick start the day. 

After depositing our luggage at the hotel, we made our way to our first stop - Siloam Sauna. We planned this for the first stop. Remember to buy the T-money card for easy convenience to take the public transport and at a discounted rate as compare to you buying the per trip card. 

From Chungmuro Station (line 4), take the train down to Seoul Station which required no transfer as it falls in the same line (3 stops away) which takes around 5mins, 1050 won.  Go to Exit 1 and look out for Lotte Mart. If I remembered correctly, you would have to go down a flight of stairs. go towards the cross junction and cross the road. Look up at the building, and you should be able to see the Siloam Sauna sign. Follow a path up and there you go:

Silloam Sauna

There are really many activities to be done there. You can sleep, bath, rest and try the different kinds of sauna. Interesting sights for us as we do not have such facitlies back home. I think it cost around 10,000 won and you can practically spend the whole day there. There are even cafes in there. 

But well, when in Korea, be like the Koreans. We have to fight the shyness in us to bath together with the strangers. But overall, we enjoyed our bath there as we really felt refreshed after the long hours flight. A good way to start the day with a hotel to freshen up. Idea, right?

Our initial plan after the sauna was to visit the Lotte Supermarket. Who can resist a supermarket. But, to our disappointment, it was closed on that Monday. I'm not sure how often that takes place, we saw some Koreans made wasted trips there as well. So well, off to Itaewon then. 

From Seoul Station (Line 4) -> Transfer at Samgakji (Line 6) -> Itaewon (14 mins, 1050 won).

We made some research for Food in Itaewon and decided to head to Sigolbapsang. From what we know, it is a small traditional Korean restaurant at Hannam-dong and for 8,000 won, you can sample up to 30 classic banchans. That sounds so crazy. From Exit 2 of the station, walk towards Hangangjin station direction. If you can't find your way, there are tourist information booth along the way. Just ask. Walk straight and Keep walking straight till there is a bank on your left. Look straight, Sigolbapsang is on a small road next to the bank. The shop sign is in orange, you can't miss it. 

The place is not big and there were only 5 tables. From what I understand, everyone will have to pay 8,000 won for the banchans and you can also order other dishes on the menu. We were too ambitious and over ordered, disregarding the 30 refillable banchans. We ordered a stew chicken and a pancake as well. The chicken dish, besides chicken, there were also potatoes underneath. Super full but super satisfied with the first meal there. Highly recommended if you like to try 30 different side dishes! And what's more, it is opened 24 hours daily. 

Sigolbapsang - banchans

After eating, we decided to walk around Itaewon. A place with many small shops. And then, coffee time at Passion 5. Passion 5 is located near Hangangjin Station in Hannam-dong. Just nice to be seated and chilling over a cup of coffee. 

Passion 5

Well, then off to Lotte Department Store near Euljiro 1(Il)-ga station.

Hangangjin / Itaewon (Line 6) -> Transfer at Sindang (line 2) -> Euljiro 1(Il)-ga (Line 2) (19/21 mins, 1050 won) 

What's more to say, shopping time with dinner at the food court. Then head back to Hotel PJ for a night rest.