20 Must-Know Travel Tips To Batam's FIRST 5-star Resort: Montigo Resorts

It's a gift from MinutemanSG to celebrate the completion of my WDA Song-writing course and our pre-1 year anniversary. There was a S$199/pax deal on Groupon, inclusive of 2-way ferry tickets, land transfer and complimentary breakfast.

We immediately grabbed the deal, yes!

Goodbye Singapoe,
HELLO Montigo Resorts!

Disclaimer:
By the way, I'm posting this article on my own account and based on personal experience.
I'm not representing any travelling agency nor Montigo Resorts. By sharing my experience, I hope it can bring better insights and convenience to you if you're going to Montigo Resorts.

You should consult a proper travel agency or call Montigo Resorts should you have more enquiries.
The details of Montigo resorts can be found at the end of the article.

Happy reading



I felt that there not enough information shared online about traveling to Batam, Montigo Resorts; lack of useful tips (only complaints after complaints) so here are 20 for you based on our 2D1N experience, hope this article helps!

20 MUST-KNOW Travel Tips to Montigo Resorts, Batam

#1 Don't TRY the Tasteless Noodle Soup At Killiney Kopitiam



This is not just for people travelling to Montigo Resorts but whoever is taking a ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and decides to grab a bite at Killiney Kopitiam.

I've travelled to Batam a few times over the years from here. However, I ALWAYS forget one thing (probably because I'm too excited that I'm going for a short getaway): NOT TO EAT the Killiney's noodle soup at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal for breakfast; always, always forget~

The soup is so BLEND BLAND (thanks Huishan for the correction!) it's like eating noodles in hot plain water.

YES, it's THAT tasteless. The food is normal but I'd rather have the toast set than a tasteless noodle soup to ruin the rest of my day. Or better, grab something near my place first before coming over.


Photo courtesy of MinutemanSG

Just in case I forgot, here's 2 bonus tips since we are at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal - don't you want to know the parking charges at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal?

#1a - Parking Charges Of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal



#1b - Where to check your boarding status

There are a few plasma TVs showing the ferry status in the departure hall. For the boarding details, refer to the ferry number and name printed on your boarding pass. The TVs are quite hard to notice but try your best to spot them somewhere behind the boarding counters.



In our case, we headed to Nongsapura Ferry Terminal and NOT Batam Ferry Terminal. From Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, it only takes less than 5 minutes to reach Montigo Resorts. In addition, the ferry tickets, taxes and handling fees are slightly cheaper too!

===Update: 18 DEC 2013 ====
Ferry services to Nongsapura Ferry Terminal is only from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal for now.
There are TWO ferry companies going to Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Wavemaster and BatamFast.

For ferry timings and bookings, visit: http://www.nongsapura.com/ferry/ to find out more.

=======================

Take for instance, the handling fee at Batam Ferry Terminal is $7/pax but only $4/pax if you purchase a Singapore-Nongsapura ferry trip instead of a Singapore-Batam one.

==== Update: 18 DEC 2013 =====
The handling fee has increased by a dollar at Nongsapura Ferry Terminal.
=======================



The TV showing the status of your ferry:


OFF to Montigo in a double-decked Waterfront 2!





Upper non air-conditioned deck of Waterfront 2:


Lower air-conditioned deck of Waterfront 2:


GOOD BYE, Singapore!




NONGSAPURA FERRY TERMINAL
Immerse yourself in nature and greeted by bali-inspired sculptures at Nongsapura ferry terminal.











#2 Change your Currency

There's nothing mentioned about currency-exchange online and we had to call up Montigo resorts to enquire about it.

Please have Rupiahs with you - indonesian currency.
The exchange rate we got was S$1 = Rp 9, 500.

Montigo resorts do accept masters within the premises itself but only rupiahs are accepted everywhere else - tipping their staff, shopping in town, getting souvenirs, water-sports and recreation etc.

We changed a total of S$120 for both of us (2D1N). Lunch and dinner in town, which cost only about S$10/meal in total for BOTH OF US. I also did some accessories shopping that day, all for the price of S$10 only.

*Cheap Thrills*









A 30-minute ferry ride away, we reached Nongsapura in no time.

Friendly Montigo staff, Riyanto, was there to pick us up. He said that there were only 6 out of the 80+ villas booked that day and we were the earliest.

Hurray Hurray, no jams, no queues, maximum privacy!
Weekday getaway rocks BIG TIME.



MONTIGO RESORTS - THE LOBBY AND VILLA

Main Lobby of Montigo Resorts on a Hill Top! It's still drizzling when we arrived - cooling and relaxing - perfect weather to laze around in the villa.





View from the lobby:

















While waiting for our check-in (took about 1 and a half hours), we pre-booked a massage session. It cost about Rp 600,000 - Rp 900,000 (about S$60 - S$90) for a 1-hour and 1 and a half-hour Full body massage session respectively.



Construction was still going on at Montigo Residences.
It didn't affect us at all as we were residing on the other side of the hill.



#3 Prepare S$50-notes for Villa Deposit

It's refundable.



#4 Ask for FREE Wi-fi passwords.

Yes, there's FREE wi-fi in the lobby as well as in each of the villas. Comes with different User ID and password for every single person.

Ask and you'll get one.



This is the lobby wi-fi access password from the reception. Each person will get one unique password and User ID:




Once they check you in, you will be given a VILLA wifi access where you can access only from your villa. I have to keep logging in the network every time I change a new venue within the premises.







#5 DRINK Teh Botol!

Very Random but YEAH!
You can grab a bottle for about Rp 16,000 at the ferry terminal.
They come in drink packets too.

Teh Botol is definitely something I'll get whenever I'm in Indonesia.



By the way, Singapore is 1 hour ahead of Batam time.
Which means that even though we left Singapore at 8am, we reached Batam at 7.30am (8.30am SG time)!

It's Batam 9.35am, what time is Singapore then?


Yes, 10.35AM!

The buggy is ready to pick us to Villa 55 after 2 hours
Unlike Singapore, Batam has always been relaxing and lay back, even in terms of working.
So be patient with the staff, okies?

My take is, ain't we supposed to be avoiding rush - rush - rush in the first place, why rush the others?





Hill Side VILLA 55 at Montigo Resorts

Welcome to our villa!
Villa max capacity: 4 + 1 (additional charges of about $100++ for the 5th person)







Level 1: Living room, Kitchenette and outdoor alfresco








There's cartoon network and Singapore TV channels:



Or you can rent some DVDs from the reception for free and return after you've watched but these are all the shows they have:

Level 1 toilet:


Complimentary Mineral Water which was refilled for us at the end of the day.
Thoughtful staff:









Kitchen cutlery comes in sets of 4:


















Ice bucket in the other villas:


Random towel fold designs. That same night, one of the staff rang our door bell and came with 2 more octopus-design towels which I didn't manage to take picture, argh!







The INFINITY POOl.

Nothing fantastic about it and tt's quite small to even swim in, probably just soak yourself in the water with friends and enjoy some drinks. The thing is, there's no ledge or seats in the pool as well so you'd have to stand. ARGH.









BUT there's ONE THING you can enjoy with your loved ones in the pool though…!

#6 Enjoy the captivating sunset together in the infinity pool.

You'll be able to see Singapore (spot MBS towards the right of the picturesque).
It's too small to see from my pictures.

MORE TEH BOTOL, wohooo!







This is my high waist bikini from MILCH, remember?
Click HERE to view more MILCH bikini designs.








Level 2:  Bedrooms

2 bedrooms here~





Hair-dryer!



Vanity kits and toiletries provided:







Bath salts for your bath:











Master Bedroom:



Adjustable TV in the master bedroom:










The morning view from our bedroom was spectacular!


Guess what's behind the curtains?


Tadah, it's our MEGA BATH AREA, bigger than the size of my bedroom:











Bath tub was a little dirty and we had to wash it again:













Level 3: Open space hang out area!





The view from level 3:



Surprise at staircase area:









#7 Enjoy your favourite MUSIC with SG Radio
With FREE wifi access, we can still enjoy music from our favourite SG radio stations! Remember to bring your handphone charger and external speakers though!

#8 FREE Shuttle service to the Nagoya Hill

The shuttle service to Nagoya departs at 10AM (batam time) to town (Nagoya) and picks us up at 4PM (batam time). Nagoya is about 50 minutes - 1.5hr depending on the traffic congestion that day.




#9 Spend a day at Nagoya Hill

Food, Shopping, massage, KTV, manicure at super low prices!
Massage and Manicure range between S$30- S$50, KTV for S$10/pax.

You can find the money changer here too if you need more.
The exchange rate is the same over there.





The massage and spa centre:





Super long food street:


There's A&W, YES!
Curly fries and Waffle Ice cream, how can I miss those!!!







The ice-cream waffle cost RP24,500 (S$2.45)





Phat-DIE-ME

#10 Stock up from the Hypermart

If you're staying planning to stay at the villa for more days, you can consider stocking up food from the hyper mart, which is much, much affordable. Instant noodles, toiletries, even food to cook back at the villa.




#11 Try Their Local Delicacies

For the two of us, we decided to dabao their authentic indonesian food back instead.
Here's the stall we bought our dinner, Ayam Mee Soto and Ayam Penyet, from this stall after we noticed many of their locals patronising the stall:



Our verdict?
We'll DEFINITELY patronise the same stall again!!!
Afforable, DELICIOUS BUT EXTREMELY SPICY.
I've warned you, the chilli is extremely extremely spicy!






#12 Call and ask for dish washing detergent.

The villa doesn't provide this by default.
You've to ask from them.

Try to bring your own though if you're going in a small group because it's such a waste using so much soap detergent for only 2 bowls and cutlery.




#13 Visit Montigo's Zhi Char Restaurant 
(open from 6PM onwards)

Alternatively, you may wish patronise their zhi char stall below the lobby.
we haven't got a chance to try the food however, we saw the pricing and it's really affordable!

It's the cost of our neighbourhood zhi char stall but served in a fine-dining area. A small plate of vegetables cost S$5 - S$6, Sweet and sour fish slices for S$8 - S$10 etc.




#14 Make New Friends!

We made a group of new friends from Villa 65.
We spent the rest of the evening at their villa playing wii and enjoying some wine together.

The villa comes with 2 complimentary wii games for us to play.

We met on the shuttle service to Nagoya Hill earlier together, remember?







Cheers to our new friendship!



==================== DAY 2 =========================

Breakfast area is at the other end of the resorts, a 10-minute walk from the lobby.
Get a buggy to drive you up.







Complimentary Breakfast - American style








#15 Double check that the cutlery and kitchenware is clean

They are brand new yet several have black stains and contain dust particles.










#16 Get a tan at the Pools!

There are two, one next to the pool and the in front of their club.





















#17 Avoid going down the rocky shore.

Pointy rocks and dangerous construction debris washed up shore.
NEVER step in barefooted.

Nails, screws, planks with splinters...



I presume this is their beach ball court but it definitely needs netting in case any beach ball drops into the sea next to it - and into the shore with planks & pointy rocks, which is completely submerged underwater during a high tide. DANGEROUS.



#18 Explore the KIDS area and convenient store!

The montigo convenient store.
Open between 9AM - 9PM.

Souvenirs, instant noodles, cigerattes, lighters, beach accessories - just in case you need any.





KIDS AREA is a MUST-VISIT.
Made from bamboo - a pure nature beauty.

It's a children's lounge on the 2nd level, where they serve non-alcoholic beverage.
The two big kids actually spend a good 1 hour playing here. *bleah*

















































#19 Prepare CASH (in Rupiahs) for Water Sports

There will be buggy transport arranged to their neighbouring resort, Batam View Beach Resort(which is also the first resort in Batam). The staff suggested that we can pay the activities with our credit card the day before but the staff requested for CASH instead.

The smell makes me think of the old East Coast Park before they revamp the place. Everything's a little worn down - both equipment & life jackets. The assistants were friendly though, smiley and helpful.













Kayaking, Rp 120,000 (S$12) for 30 minutes.
 




#20 Catch Lizards during your past time.

Time seems to take its own stroll in Batam although it's also 24 hours.
You can do 100001 things and still have so much time left to spare.

I could take my time to breathe, relax and spend hours admiring the sky, the clouds, nature.

And since Montigo is built on a hill top with trees, flowers and nature everywhere, the place will definitely attract insects.

Good thing is there ain't any mosquitoes around.

But lizards…
Lots and lots of them.
They come out to play the moment the sun sets - literally.
On the ceilings, across the edge of the infinity pool, across my thighs.

For those who are afraid of big spiders, lizards, ants in the house, Montigo is not for you.

Our villa neighbour spent a good 30-minute trying to chase after a lizard in the alfresco after it crawled past my thighs at top speed while I was having my cup noodles. *SCREAM!*

MONTIGO SPA

The last segment will be photos of the Massage session which MinutemanSG and I had enjoyed in our sea-facing couple suite.

Little improvements which I think they can make:

The common washing area lacks of hooks and privacy for the ladies. (towels and clothes to be hung outside the shower cubicle). The ladies have to change outside the cubicle after our showers. Also, the locker area is too dark to see anything, they can add in more lightings there.

Already gave these feedbacks to the Spa and hope they'll improve the facility when I'm back the next time.


As usual, we called for the buggy to take us everywhere.
Walking up and down hill is no joke.


The reception:




Common washing area:


The cubicles are too small to change inside and there're not enough hooks outside the cubicle door to hook your clothes. The rain shower heads will drip droplets onto you when you're trying to change into dry clothes.



This big wooden house is imported directly from West Sumatra. The house is made from wood more than a hundred years old!  When I asked how it was imported, "the whole house was shipped in one piece", she answered.

WOW!

Foot reflexology is done here.




















Lime and warm water to de-stress and cleanse my tired feet.






Then for a foot scrub




The rest area to fill our feedback forms and have some tea:




So here you go, 20 tips for your Montigo Trip with bonus information about Montigo Resorts. Hope this helps you to understand Montigo a little more.

Montigo isn't really as bad as many of you have reviewed online. (complaints and complaints, really so much to complain about meh?). Colin and I didn't encounter much trouble and in fact, it was better than we expected. The staff were attentive, attended to our needs, automatically came to service us every few hours… The services were a little slow but like I said, that's life in Batam. I mean, visit the other resorts and town, you'll know what I meant.

Or just maybe because it's a weekday, there weren't anyone else around?
So If you want to relax and be served attentively, choose a weekday to go, like us.
Shiok!

I know it's a lot to expect of a 5-star resort but it's BATAM, B-A-T-A-M. For one, it's Batam's FIRST 5-star resort. A small group of people having to take care of 80 over new villas. Montigo is so new that  construction are still going on in most of the villas. They are constantly reviewing and attending to the feedback so cut them some slack.

By the way, this is not a review or a sponsored trip.
Colin and I paid for our trip, everything.

Ask us, will we ever go back to Montigo again?



YEAHHHHH!!!!

In fact,  I'm bringing my aunts and beloved mummy for a Montigo trip because I found another great deal online!

For couple booking, there's this good deal I found online which cost about S$128/pax(cheapest) inclusive of ferry tickets. Book before 30 Oct 2013 for the deal. Click HERE.

I took this up deal for my family this time:
For group of 4 and more friends, book from Direct rooms HERE + get your own ferry tickets (remember to travel to NONGSAPURA Ferry terminal!). One person only pays about est. S$150/pax.




For more enquiries about Montigo, give them a ring at +62 778 7768888.

Thanks for reading and share with your friends if you find this post useful!

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