Short Trip

Pamela bought a tour package to Batam via Groupon and treated me to a short holiday. It is just two-day-one-night and we both enjoyed the no frills trip.
The cost of it is $68, ++ taxes = $100. per person.
It includes ferry ride, return.
City Tour (which in my opinion was uninteresting and mainly for the tour guide to earn his commission. but it was non-optional so we just stuck to it) - stops at Keropok shops, fake-goods shops, real-goods shops, and then Seafood lunch which was not too bad. Had Gong-gongs. And a 60-min oil massage (top up $5 for a 90-min session)
Hotel accommodation including International buffet breakfast at Harmoni One Hotel, which was a very grand hotel!
The only drawback is the time spent on City Tour which I would have skipped. Other than that, it was a very good deal.

A sunny day.

The hotel's driveway.

Endless space at the hotel's lobby.

Does this look familiar?

The waiting space at our room level is so huge you can play badminton. (I didn't take a picture as it is just,,,,, space.)

Note: on day one, there was a street protest where many workers (like 200 workers) rode on their motorbikes and tooted their horns "peeeeeeeeeeeeepeeeeeeepeeeee" like that, and rode through the streets. they want their government to pressure the investors / employers to practise a "minimum wage". on day two- the shopping centres were closed. (luckily i've made my shoppings the day before). our tour guide was very worried and made us all go to the ferry terminal two hours ahead of schedule. she was afraid the roads to the ferry terminal might be blocked, already, the main access there was blocked and she used another smaller but longer route to get us there. Hence, the place may not be for the faint-hearted and children. In Singapore, we have no such problems because it is illegal to riot and we're too faint-hearted for that.