[ SPONSORED TRIP ]
Dearest readers!!!!!!!!! How’ve you been?! Busy preparing for Christmas gift exchanges and parties? Madly enjoying???!?!?!? Awwwwwwww let me share with you my short 2D1N trip to Bintan from 22/12/12 to 23/12/12 !!!!!!!!
My very first visit to wulu tanah merah ferry terminal….. I’m heading to Bintan with Seb, Candy and KJ. Candy initiated an overseas trip some time back, KJ booked through Groupon, Seb paid for me and I printed everything I could. LOL kiasi kiasu max. It’s our very first friends trip, totally unsure how everything would turn out to be. =/
It’s the Christmas season crowd getaway on a busy weekend/school holidays…… TOTAL madness. As usual, we started with endless waits since Singapore’s Time 7am++…. I was too tired to bother about the gates so Seb went to check it out. Initially we queued the wrong one and then we re-queued. The crowd’s just TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCHHHHHHHHHHHHHH to handle….. so the mess and lack of proper checking and communication. Travel woes.
SG 750am: Waitingggggggggggg and waiting…………………..
SG 845am: Mood level finally UPz a little when I saw this SHIOK scene!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Already in love by looking at the ship… looks like it can speed. Seb & I self-entertained while the other 2 sitting behind us just slept.
True enough, the ferry’s speed is ZOOOOOOOOMZ and I really liked those waters and its droplets splashing on meeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I could feel those waves~~ a little overwhelming wind at the top deck….. LOL DAMN IT IT’S SHIOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~
The milo/hot chocolate was really thick and good… I love chocolatey stuff. Mehhhhh I was freak hungry yet too excited to eat, haha! I screamed for shades from a random Indian lady. She must have thought I was mad. LOL
The waters….. just…. so so blue. I doubt everyone visited the top deck tho… cos there’s pretty limited seats! Lucky us!
Windy and vast view….. just like my cruise adventure on Royal Caribbean, Legend of the Seas!
I survived a 1h 15 minute high speed boat ride. 3 cheers to myself!
Hi, Welcome to Tanjung Pinang, Bintan. Being in Indonesia again so reminds me of Batam – One Day Incredible Batam City Tour……. Indonesia’s time is 1 hour behind Singapore’s time. *Enters Indonesia Time Zone Mode*
1030am: I felt like we were directed by a few tour guides before we FINALLY reached this car. As predicted, everything was quite confusing at the start but oh well… Pretty clean and comfy ride still! I thought we would be in minibus but this was sooooooooo upz. Aww is that mario?
1050am: Our first activity – 1 hour traditional balinese full body massage…….
There was quite some laughter and waits here and there because of language barrier lol. I didn’t had a thorough 101% relaxed rest but it was still alright.
Somehow I felt more tired after the massage~
We were served with ginger tea which was like woah so ‘spicy’ … I tipped my masseur Rp. 100,000……… because I don’t have any small change. Lol but she’s quite cute and like pretty young O_O
1230pm: Hopped onto another car with colourful caterpillar softtoys inside….
For our second activity – “Depot” ayam penyet Indonesian lunchhhhhhhieeeee~
So there was blackout halfway through our food and we ate and sweat at the same time……. but I liked sitting down like that~ aww. We also signed up for an optional trip while waiting for the longest time for our ayam penyet…..
The chicken was very hot… rice was soft… vege was hard and soup’s sourish spicy. Overall still yummmmmmmmmy!
130pm: While waiting for another random vehicle to drive us to our hotel to drop our bags before proceeding for our shopping.
I just had to self-entertain. This should be the boss….. I think. LOL I anyhow. But she sure does look similar to the one in the picture right??!?!?!?!? LOL
I sure was pretty excited yet slightly bored with the waiting at that point in time… actually I was quite irritated because I couldn’t understand their language and menu…. tsk.
IT’S FREAKING RAINING……… ok, should be drizzling.
2pm: On our way for our supposing highlight – Bintan – 4-Star Aston Tanjung Pinang Hotel, our 2D1N superior room stay!
2pm: Checking in to Bintan 4-Star Aston Tanjung Pinang Hotel to put our bags…. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH it was quite a tedious procedure to write down our particulars, lol and I got real pissed when my name was misspelled, and I was addressed as MR instead of MISS. ZZZZZZZZZ………….. Never mind.
I wandered about for a general glimpse while waiting for our optional trip (SGD$15/pax) at the lobby’s pick up point at 3pm….. General ambience: Kind of quiet. Decently neat and clean with a little Christmas decorations and mood.
Presents!!!!!!!!!!! (Just empty boxes for displays lah)
330pm: Komplek Bintan Indah Mall……… somewhere around Blok B No. 12 Lantai 2 Tanjungpinang.
430pm: Local Product Shop with friendly uncles where I sampled lots of weird tasting dried snacks… I got home my mum’s fav sour plums and hei bee hiam! Yummmmssss. Wanted to buy so much more but but but……… haha no time to dilly dally.
5pm: Shopping time at Ramayana Mall, Tanjung Pinang’s largest mall from what I know.
WOW lots of clothes and so so much more………. too mad. Soooooooo many things!!!!!!!!!!! Nope, I didn’t get to see everything in detail but a general feel was pretty huggggeeeee. LOOK PEOPLE, THE EARTH HAS NOT ENDED…… so I got this tee for Rp. 25,900. HAHA.
One of my happiest moments was choosing shades. LOL!!!!!!!! Nope I didn’t get this but I got another one……… Oh I also got a sweet pinky dress in my hands!
I just lose myself whenever I start shopping, haha. This was my fav pic throughout the trip because I really liked those rays of sun. LOL
My childhood game………… anyone of you played this before too? OMG I so enjoyed the arcade.
In the end, I actually bought like so little only, haha! Too many things, too little time, plus if I overbuy also tooooooo overwhelming. Awww, I still managed to think calmly and only brought home such a small plastic bag. LOL! Merrrrrrrrry Christmas Everyone……… Ahhhhhhhhhh I got no time to shop finish, tsk.
We bought fries at Charlie’s Chicken! Felt like a long wait but damn it the fries were a huge lot and it was super hot and goooooood!
That black faithful car that chauffeured us around ^^
6pm: Restoran Sei Enam Seafood Dinner, Jl. Usman Harun No. 31, Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia. One of the main highlights for the night………… Read on.
Huge place, pretty few people, eerie music, smoke stench, slightly scary initially…..
WARNING: NO PRICE SHOWN…… PANIC SCARED TIO SCAM. There were six of us (4 of us and a random couple)
SO SOMEONE SAID DON’T EAT THE OTAHHHHHH PEOPLE……. because it’s not free. LOL. Epic moment…. So we agreed to share a steamboat, lemon chicken and just rice. It’s amazingly piping hot, pretty tasty and soupy stuff probably gave us some warmth.
So the random couple mentioned about YE SHI REN SHEN’s showing in SG………. er ok, then I was like ok group pic. Haha!
Oh did I mention I ran outside while waiting for the food? And I got totally mesmerised. Never seen such vast shades of blue in my life OMG
IT’S JUST TOO FAR TOO BEAUTIFUL TOO GREAT………… CRAZY SIGHT
I was holding on to the umbrella all the time because it’s freaking raining. If not I would probably scream LET’S DINE OUTSIDE IN THAT AWESOME VIEW
After dinner….. sky turned dark and rain stopped………….. so glad we made it in time to see the BLUE BLUE VIEW OMG *tears of joy*
MUST VISIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUPER NICE SCENERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Home in Tanjung Pinang, Jl. Adi Sucipto km. 11, Tanjungpinang 29125 Indonesia. Awwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How good it would be if the hotel could prepare a surprise present for me….. *dreaming* but nope, obviously I don’t think they even bother about my existence.
So Aston Tanjung Pinang is a hotel and conference center…..
Naturally it gave me an overall feel of business coupled with just a tinge of leisure. Not 101% relaxing because there’s a slight business/work feel in it. It was a good eye-opener though 😀
8pm: Ready? There’s only 3 levels and a basement floor.
Good point: No need to worry about insufficient time exploring. Bad point: Explore finish already means just turn and turn in circles to find something to do. Room card must keep properly, if not when lost must pay $$$$$$$$$$$$. That’s why I never once held on to such important items.
LEVEL 3: Hi, we stayed in Room 311. The highest level!!!!!!!!! Like ok, there’s only 3 levels, LOL not a big deal.
We didn’t call for any room service since it was just a 2D1N stay, I thought just don’t come and mess my room cos I’ll mess it myself, LOL
Generally considered quite clean. Anyway we left our passports in the safe. If you scrutinise the details, there’s stains and dirt here and there on the cupboards and drawers. A lil yucky. =/ And don’t eat everything that’s available… some are NOT FREE. Overall was a neat and squarish layout with every necessity like a mini convenient homestay – oh I watched a lot of TV too!
Toilet pretty spacious and clean, too bad no bathtub 😦 But they provided towels, toothbrushes and earbuds. Not bad leh like my home’s toilet everything also have.
Our room was near the street so we could hear the sound of bikes and cars….. but it was alright to me because the view’s pretty nice!
I could stand there and enjoy people-watching for hours. In fact, I thought it’s nice to hear roosters waking me up in the early morning!
This was one of my fav slacking time pic taken somewhere in the middle of the night ^^ LEVEL 2: Nothing much from what I remember~
LEVEL 1: Decorations and overall feel generally quite indo/malay-ish………. got the famous polo ralph lauren mini shop too~
Shops selling ice creams, snacks, chocolates, souvenirs etc…. nope I didn’t buy anything cos it’s pretty expensive.
See the Gazebo Swimming Pool sky also dark already before I could explore………….. a bit eerie =p
I CANNOT TANK ANYMORE……. BUT that’s not all for the night. Because we went to check out the F Lounge Pub at basement floor.
9pm: F Lounge Pub in Bintan….. awesome ambience to chill minus the smoking stench and weird language music~
Don’t play play!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn’t notice if there’s any age limit. I also cannot remember what we ordered. I only know we took a long time to decide what to drink.
I was telling one of the friendly guys not to smoke so much when he took stick after stick…… and he gave in to me and really stopped after my nagging. :’) He’s cute *wink* I was extremely sober anyway, lol
HE’S SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD and friendly!
As you can see, I was more than sober. Seb’s ‘drunk’ already
Remember the random couple who was with us during our Bintan – Bintan Shopping and Seafood Restaurant Dinner? The guy high already, LOL……………….. cute pose out there if you would read this by any chance, LOL
10pm: A very ‘confused’ me entered the Cameo Fitness Centre aka gym…. darkness, nothing much to see anyway.
1030pm: Time to SLEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP through a colourful activities packed Day 1….. stay tuned for Day 2 Gazebo Swimming Pool!
Good Morning Day 2! A very quiet, clean and well-maintained swimming pool….. SAW MY COLOURFUL SHADES that I got so excited over during Bintan – Bintan Shopping and Seafood Restaurant Dinner????!?!?!??!! So super quiet that nobody’s bathing at all so I got to pose.
I’m so enjoying the serenity and tranquility…… damn it though, PIZZA WAI YOU NO OPEN? (P.S. Loving my hula hoop LOL self-entertainer no. 1. It’s actually pretty heavy!
BOOOOOOHOOOO was I in deep thoughts? Haha, self entertainment me.
HEY YOU!!!!!!!!! I could sit here for hours staring at the pool aww. But didn’t manage to see any chio bu and shuai ge swimming.
Awwwwww the pool’s towel extremely big and WARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So warm that I actually felt it’s quite hot. HAHA
GOOD JOB I HAD THE MOST MORNING SUN + FUN HERE (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y) (Y)
I can’t remember if I were sleepwalking or a walking zombie, but you get my point. Just too tired.. haha! Then I went to Gazebo Swimming Pool from what I could remember in my zombie mode.
1145am: Day 2 Hotel Dim Sum Buffet Lunch??????????????? THE GREEN PAU WAS VERY SHIOK……. the rest I really couldn’t recall much. Most food very heavy taste…… =/ and we also had chinese tea I think. Need to flush down the food..
………. totally messed up food timings, was a total walking zombie. Halfway through the fried rice, so ‘un goreng and lots of OILY dim sum and even hainan chicken rice…….. omg
I went out, crossed the street to the opposite side of the hotel to explore. I don’t know why I was so daring, haha! Perhaps I was too bored but I was glad to return to a cup of weird juice on the table… was it green apple sparkling juice? NO IDEA, SERIOUSLY, drink only.
DID I MENTION BASEMENT FLOOR GOT KTV??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
130pm: Dunno how I ended up crashing the random couple KTV’s time. Felt like our F Lounge Pub time cos the guy still very high early in the afternoon, LOL. Diao. Seb sang a song and I just stoned. I was too drained to do anything!
Basement Floor also got SOKA Massage & Reflexology! WAHHHHHHHHHHH nobody one. Tsk. I initially thought there’s only 3 LEVELS haha, was so zombie-ish that I forgot there’s basement floor too. =P SOTONG ME whenever I get too high/confused/excited/everything together, LOL.
2pm: I just wandered about………… wah I got so tall until can hit the TV?!
Do you think I was the one who sliced those cucumbers for Candy & KJ’s facials? *daredevil wink*
Anyhow, I ended up flipping magazines and picking up some basic indo lang from a friendly lady! Teheheeheheheheheeeee ikut aku!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK we returned to the conceirge to collect our baggages…….. and stoned at the lobby to await a vehicle to send us back to the ferry terminal.
330pm: On our way to the ferry terminal….. got SNSD, got hokkien song, got call me maybe and some english songs in this entertainment car……. maybe driving past nice sceneries = a tactic to make us don’t feel like leaving, haha! So vast and beautiful D:
As usual… holiday time is never enough…. haha! So fast going home loh…….
How contradicting. Anticipating the holiday… not wanting to go when it’s here and not wanting to leave when it’s ending, lol
One of our nice drivers from my recollection. Dunno why he acted so dao/shy, but he’s very friendly one!
Once again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…. hmm it was an overall pretty eye-opening trip to spend Christmas Season in Bintan ^^
4pm: Time to bid goodbye like a fast…. waiting for ferry back to Singapore, Singapore……… Thank you for the 2D1N memories Tanjung Pinang!!!!!!!!!!!!
430pm: Board ferry loh…. super packed and noisy!!!!!!
So I went to the top deck again to take a breather to enjoy the sunset and some natural peace~
OFF WE GO…. Those feel of waves… those water sounds…. those gust of wind….
Lightning streaks…. sky turning very very blue and dark….
620pm: Closer and closer to reality home Singapore! Time just flies lah… the kind of mixed feelings you get before and after a trip.
So comfortable to see my dad waiting to fetch me home to my safe nest^^ 🙂
PCY's Life 