Rummaging through far-flung corners of Indonesia

Masjid Sultan Mahamud Riayath Syah

At Barelang Bridge in Batam

Bintan Lagoon Resort

Nagoya shopping complex

By Vismi Sithmini

Indonesia, a paradise dispersed over the coastlines of the Indian and Pacific oceans; is held pervasive for its exotic beaches, extravagant shopping malls, contemporary and traditional delicacies – all so profusely are considered to be satiable by both locals and tourists. 

A country pegged to its home-grown resources, resembles unison amongst a multitude of nationalities and implores culture in all its glory. It sets a hallmark across countries through its nature worth praised for and the jaded sceneries of Batam and Bintan islands seem to be near to the unknown. 

Batam: The land of serendipity

After a flight from Katunayake airport to Changi airport, which went on for over four hours; we arrived at the Singapore ferry terminal. A 30 to 45 minutes ride through the shimmering waters of the ocean to the harbour bay ferry terminal in Batam was what it seemed like to unfurl the journey with. 

Sederhana Windsor, a restaurant in the heart of the island, sufficed our pesky pangs of hunger offering over twenty different dishes. The immediacy of good service came along with a faint resemblance to the Indonesian culture serving beef rendang, chicken satay with peanut sauce and other dishes of local cuisines. 

Aston hotel, Batam, with their great hospitality fazed the dank of air and the plush comforts of a deluxe room alleviated the contrast of the bustling city. We tidied ourselves to visit Indonesia’s largest Buddhist temple, Maha Viharaya Duta Maitreya. The exterior of the temple embodied an upkeep of ancient culture through statues of the laughing Buddha and gold-plated statues of the Lord Buddha. 

As we paced alongside, an interlude of calm gleamed through the flickers of candle light. The magnificent architectural designs of the interiors and the portraits of the Jathaka stories (primeval lives of the Lord Buddha) are revered to be of diverse culture and traditions as well.

We had dinner at the Ikan Bakar Cianjur restaurant, which served dishes that were more than merely delectable. Indulgent local cuisines with an inclusion of the Java cuisine is ideal for an ensemble of family or friends for its inviting atmosphere; varying from the restaurant’s specialities being Indonesia’s popular dishes such as grilled fish with sambal. 

A swift escape to the shades of colour of Batam adapted to a night-time shopping experience. The Nagoya shopping complex had special discounts on imported and local goods which meant that it was all worth the time. Hypermart, the basement supermarket, offered quality products ranging from sweet delights to household groceries. To wrap-up the day together, the shopping experience did light-up the stark contrast of the night.

The exceptional breakfast buffet at Aston hotel, Batam had an expanse of international cuisines which was complementary to our expectations. Yet again, variety played with dishes of fresh-produce and local cuisines were devoured by most. Afterwards, we encountered the ‘welcome to Batam’ monument, an area of bare land and greeneries which are highly regarded by street vendors to conduct their shift-night market. 

Masjid Sultan Mahamud Riayath Syah, the grand Mosque of Batam through its intricate Indonesian architectural designs paved to rejoice the diversity of culture and traditions. Having a capacity fit for 25,000 people with well-constructed, high-ceilinged walls and ventilated-roofs; presents it as a place of utmost religious reverence.

A long drive from the mosque to the Barelang Bridge in Batam seemed to be worth the wait. The Barelang Bridge is considered to be a tourist attraction in Batam which stretches across the Riau islands connecting roads through six bridges. Restaurants lining-up around the Barelang bridge continue to deliver seafood at its cheapest rate yet offer up-to-standard portions of live cooked dishes such as succulent lobsters, crabs, prawns, squids, clams; as per your preferences. 

Minutes away, the MVC-view cruise could give you the opportunity to traverse through 10 islands of Indonesia within three hours. As the twilight plunges in over the glistening blues of the ocean, the faint sprinkling of gusts would drizzle across your face and you’d simply admire the tropical islands of Indonesia for the beauty of it all.

For lunch, the Wey-wey seafood restaurant offered a hearty meal of their specialities; a few being tofu pudding, chilli egg crab and plenty more of protein-rich dishes. Most out of all, it is cheaper than that of Singaporean seafood restaurants and yet as delicious as it sounds. 

Torn between staying back and going back to Sri Lanka, we visited the nearest souvenir boutique. “Hand-sewn embroidery designs of quality fabrics and batik material have high demand than most of which are in stock,” specifically in the shopkeeper’s words.

The Hindu temple, Pura Agung Amerta Buana, holds a reflection of upholding ancestry amongst people and the rustic architecture and the miniature inscriptions of the interiors present tales of times past. Alongside all, spas in Batam yet remain to be of high-quality service with modernised techniques and known to be comparatively affordable by many. 

Over time, we had dinner at the Bandoeng Restro restaurant in Batam and yet again the island’s popular side-dish, the sambal was matched against crunchy corn fritters. The main course varied from tender sweet beef to fried fish dishes. We doted the restaurant for its contrasting architecture (constructed using bamboo trees) and endeavoured Indonesian cuisines to every far-flung corner of Batam.  

Bintan: A tropical getaway 

A course of three days on trial in Batam required an escape to rummage through Bintan’s lavish resorts and alluring beaches. Bintan Lagoon Resort perched on the golden Pasir Panjang beach facilitates their customers through authentic Asian architecture. 

It is the largest integrated resort in the island of Bintan and continues to serve both children and adults from extracurricular activities to kids’ club tours and sight-seeing experiences whilst signature spa rituals and therapies wouldn’t leave parents staying back with their kids. 

Without a glimpse of the tantalising setting of the Ria Bintan Golf Club, a day in the island of Bintan would be incomplete. It complements one of the most breathtaking golf courses in the world through tranquil lakes and the lush rainforest and most out of all; the view of the South China Sea presents golf at its most glorious.

Nirvana gardens (‘perfect bliss’) would simply ease your state of mind, as variety serves up a heady concoction of five different holiday experiences in the North-western coast of Bintan and exquisite room amenities and the powder-soft beaches celebrate Mayan Sari resort at best. To get to the Kelong Mangrove restaurant, it took us minutes of striding along the way. 

Minutes of a boat ride to get to the other side of the restaurant. It offered signature dishes such as stir fried butter prawns, chilli crab and gong-gong (sea snails) which happens to be a popular delicacy of Indonesia. You’d experience simple pleasures of soft winds sweeping past the facet of the shallow Sebong River and trees in full-growth accompanying the restaurant with a generous touch of aqua-green. 

Getting back to the other side, we made our way to the Treasure Bay, South-east Asia’s first man-made seawater lagoon. Its underlying strategies are to present Indonesia’s leisure, cultural, residential and commercial real estate that stands by international standards. 

Howsoever, it shows gradual rise within the industry as a major tourist attraction. Innovating tourism products, entertainment, nightlife and wellness experiences are favoured to cater to an international array of guests. The impressive crystal waters have evolved the market, unveiling a blissful escape to a haven of incredibly beautiful views.

Drawing a line to the experience in Bintan, we visited the recently opened Grand Batam mall to wrap-up the journey with bags crammed with clothes and sweet delicacies. Ultimately, we had to bid farewell to the punctuation of vehicles honking and slithering through the bustling city of Batam and the pleasantly hoodwinking sceneries of exotic resorts and the sweet scent of powder-soft beaches, by a ferry from the island of Batam to Singapore. 

We look upto this country rising upon full-growth together with immense gratitude and generosity that Indonesian people possess. Nonetheless, the culinary delights of the islands will compel us to go back in time to embrace Indonesia’s celebration of flavours amongst people; regardless of which country they hail from.

(The writer had first-hand experience in visiting Indonesia (Batam and Bintan) during a five-day stay. She is an undergraduate in business management at an international university in Colombo and can be reached on [email protected].)