Are you looking for a short, budget and peaceful vacation out of Singapore? Besides Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines, Indonesia’s Batam is an excellent place for a quick getaway. With 45 minutes of the ferry ride from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, a ticket would cost $50 which includes travel insurance and terminal fee. If you are looking for a resort in Batam, I would recommend Turi Beach. Recently won The Best Resort in Batam, this resort is 7 minutes drive away from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal.
Located in the northern peninsula of Batam, Turi Beach is one of the three properties of Nongsa Resorts. With it’s chic and modern resort design, Turi Beach has a total of 141 rooms and suites with sea view balconies. The resort is surrounded by the beauty of lush greeneries. So, how large is Turi Beach? 7.7 hectares.
Turi Beach’s Riani Deluxe Beachfront
From the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, we travelled 45 minutes by ferry to reach Nongsapura. Singapore is one hour ahead of Batam’s time. Taking our land transfer to Turi Beach, we were warmly welcomed by their mascot, Awang. For my first impression, the reception area is spacious. With the Chinese New Year coming soon, the resort had itself ready for the festive season. Simply beautiful!
While waiting for our room, my family and I each had a cold and refreshing in-house beverage, Ginger Lemongrass. It is a great rejuvenating drink! After waiting for 15 minutes, we headed to our room located in the Riani Wing. With inspiring sea view surrounded by tropical greeneries, these little Balinese cottages descend to meet the sea.
My room is the Riani Deluxe Beachfront, which measures 42 sqm. This room has all the necessities like an umbrella, universal multi-plug power points and mosquito screens on the sliding doors.
Indonesia Cuisine For Lunch In Taming Sari Cafe
Located in level 1, Taming Sari Cafe is a 24 hours international restaurant. Facing the panoramic sea view, dining in this restaurant is an experience. For our lunch, we had authentic Indonesia cuisine to satisfy our hungry stomachs.
Our first dish is the Empek Empek. Pan fried, these delicious Indonesia fish cakes are sauced with sweet and spicy dressing. It tastes like our local fish cakes, but much chewier.
With the soup that looks like Singapore’s Mee Soto, the Indonesia’s Soto Ayam is a bowl of vermicelli soaked in yellow chicken broth, topped with sliced hard boiled egg and crackers. Squeezing some lime juice into the bowl gives the extra zesty and refreshing taste. Delicious!
Here came the main Indonesia dishes. We had the World’s favourite dish rated by CNN, the Beef Rendang. We also had fantastic local dishes like long beans, satay, fried fish fillets and fried chicken.
Finally, we had Ice Kacang and some Indonesia sweet bites for desserts. Lovely! As for Kayden, he still loves his spaghetti very much.
Water Splashing Fun
As the waters out in the sea were choppy due to the monsoon season, we decided to head down to the pool for a swim. Turi Beach has two swimming pools, one at the Riani Wing and the other in Tirta Wing. The one we went to is the swimming pool at the Riani Wing. The pool is shallow enough for my little boy to stand, swim and splash around.
Foot Massage At Tspa
Time to relax and rejuvenate ourselves at Tspa. Using local and natural ingredients such as herbs, oil and spices, my wife and myself get to enjoy a good foot massage by the therapists. Private treatment rooms are also available to soothe your body aches for a total relaxation.
Turi Beach’s 220m Long Jetty
The 220m long jetty is the most iconic attraction in Turi Beach. A long bridge out to the sea which measures a distance of 220m. During a non-hazy weather condition, you can get to see Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands and Johor Bahru at the end point of the bridge. When the sun sets and the lights glow, the bridge is a beautiful sight during the night.
Why I Love Turi Beach
I love the tranquil environment of Turi Beach and getting there from Singapore takes an hour. The sight of the sea and close to nature living give my mind a total shift from the urban life. Staying in the Balinese cottages of Riani Wing, I get to catch the high and low tides of the sea and the passing by ships.
Despite the fact that the resort does not have any play areas for children, the management has plans to include this in the future. Nevertheless, the family can still have fun in the swimming pool and enjoy family moments together out on the beach. This is a great getaway place to relax out of Singapore.
Address of my visit
Turi Beach Resort
Jalan Hang Lekiu, Nongsa
Kepulauan Riau 29465, Indonesia
Telephone: (62) 778 761080
Website: http://www.turibeach.com
