[The Spunky Traveller] Fly to Batam on A Magic Carpet (no, Rug) Ride

[The Spunky Traveller]

The story of our Rugged rugs!

Batam is an island and city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia.

Spunky was there for a short holiday at Nongsa Point beach resort!

Weather was too hot for any sea sports, so Spunky just spent a lot of time looking at the GORGEOUS view of the sea with his friend.

... and GORGING my Spunky face at the teppanyaki restaurant at Turi Beach Resort (the sister resort of Nongsa Point).

Spunky had awesome lamb chop!

And live music!

What to see and do in Batam:

Massage parlours are cheap and aplenty, but choose wisely!

Indonesian food is always mouth-watering.

Tried the Es Teler? It's ice-shavings with coconut milk, avocado and jackfruit slices.

The local delicacies like Mee Bakso (Meatball noodle) and Kek Lapis (layered cake) are cheap and good too!

A bit of shopping and movies before catching the ferry home?

Megamall, located opposite the Batam Centre ferry terminal, offers you both, and with luggage safekeeping convenience (level 2 beside the KFC).

Nagoya hill is great if you're into (fake) luxury goods.

Spunky came also across these whilst in Batam.

Rugs! Yep. Truly beautiful rugs.

Look at all the rugs:

Wondering why there's no standardized designs among them?

That's cos there IS no standard.

Bapak Adi, the business owner tells a very curious seal that these rugs are made from scrap cloth bought from factories! How very eco-friendly!!

The rugs are handwoven by a community of mothers as a means for them to earn additional income! How cool is that?

Coincidentally, not only do the rugs benefit some very hardworking mothers, they benefit the children of an orphanage too.

Bapak Adi helps to run the orphanage housing some 43 children with ages ranging from 3 yrs to 19 yrs of age. He tells Spunky that the profits from the sale of rugs will go on to fund part of the operating costs of the orphanage!

Sewing facility in the orphanage

An orphanage in business? Intriguing! Well, the rugs are not the only products that the staff of the orphanage churn out. They also tailor children's clothing and traditional Malay costumes, and also sell filtered water by the bottles.

The head of the orphanage tells us that these businesses help to supplement the income of the orphanage in a sustainable way, than if it were to receive hand-outs from kind souls who don't come along so often.

How inspiring and a great case study for charities!

I had fun writing this story. Stay tuned for its continuation as I get more orders from Bapak Adi!

Traveller's notes:
Getting to Batam from Singapore is simple and fuss free. Simply book a ticket from ferry companies (Penguin or Batamfast) over the phone, with your passport details prepared! A 2-way ticket costs S$40, and does not include the ferry tax of S$7 that you have to pay on the way back. Don't forget to get a return ticket at the Batam Centre ferry terminal the moment you arrive, to avoid missing a ferry ride back due to the weekend crowds!

Tour packages provided by tour companies (e.g Indofalcon) also offer great deals, such as S$60 for a one-night stay at Batam town or a S$110 one-night stay at a Nonga Point Resort (ferry charges included).

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Love,
Spunky

Note: Spunky is a ficitional character but the various experiences in this story are real experiences.

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Posted By The Spunky Traveller to The Spunky Traveller at 9/09/2010 01:36:00 AM