Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport

Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport better known as Subang Airport or Subang Skypark by the local is the second airport within the Klang Valley after the main Kuala Lumpur International Airport. SAAS Airport is located in Subang, occupying the previously known Terminal 3 which used to serve domestic flights during its prime day.

I haven't been to this airport since the main airport shifted to Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 1998 and it was kind of nostalgic to be back here again. The facade of the terminal as well as its interior had been refurbished. The easiest way to get here is by taxi although there is some bus service to KLIA and the nearby area.

 

 

The interior of the terminal amazes me as it is way better than I initially expected. The interior is clean, wide, well lit and fully air conditioned.

The public concourse area is almost like a modern shopping mall which easily put the now defunct LCCT to shame.

It also has a viewing area to view the aircraft taking off and landing. The airport is a hub for Firely and Malindo Air using the turbo prop aircraft, ATR-72 offering mainly domestic and a few international flights.

 

When entering the departure hall, the shopping experience significantly reduced to just a convenience stall and Austin Chase Coffee outlet. At the international departure hall, there is a duty free store offering variety of liquor and cigarettes.

 

 

There is no aerobridge at this terminal as most of the commercial aircraft operating here are of ATR-72. Passengers will have to walk to the tarmac to get onboard the aircraft. The airport has a 3.7km runway which should be a breeze for this type of aircraft.

Hang Nadim International Airport

Hang Nadim International Airport is the only airport in Batam Island and serve as the gateway for those traveling by air into the island. The airport was named after a famous Laksamana Hang Nadim.

It has the longest runway in Indonesia (4. 210 km) which means an Airbus A380 could land here. However, most of the aircraft models which currently operated from this airport are the Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and ATR-72. With such a long runway, taking off and landing with those models will be a breeze.

 The airport has 8 gates, A1 to A8 with A1 and A2 mainly for international flight whereas the rest for domestic flight. The airport mainly used for domestic flight with only Subang, been the only international flight.

Lion Air also built a maintenance facility here and use the airport as one of its main hub.

The airport has a different layout than most of the airports which I am accustomed with. The Departure and arrival area where people send off or waiting for passengers is located outside the main building with no air conditioner and narrow walkway. In other words, they have no chance to do any shopping inside the terminal or make themselves comfortable from outside heat and have to settle with the many choices of restaurants outside the terminal

Taking a taxi can be a tricky affair for the first timer. One will first had to pay for the airport taxi tax (5,000 rupiah) and then go to any empty awaiting taxi. Another option to avoid paying the airport taxi tax is to just walk around and there will be airport taxi drivers approaching asking whether one need a ride.

Bear in mind, the passengers do not line out to get a taxi. One basically, just dash to an empty taxi after paying the airport taxi tax. Taxi fee is rather standard and the driver usually use meter. A standard journey from the airport to Nagoya will cost 115,000 - 125,000 Rupiah.

 

Once cleared the security screening, the check in concourse is huge and busy. Most of these area got its light from the natural light outside via the transparent roof.

The security screening is rather strict here. For domestic passenger, one will be screened 2 times while international passenger has to go through 3 security checks.

 

 

 

After checking in, passenger will need to move up a floor through an escalator or stairs to the departure hall. The departure hall impressed me with variety of shops/stalls selling souvenirs, tax free liquor, food, massage, toys and etc. The airport also has free wifi passengers while inside the terminal.

There are about a dozen of passenger airlines flying into Batam and I am surprise to see some obsolete aircraft model such as the Fokker 50 parking at the apron here.

There has been a proposal for a new terminal next to the existing terminal to increase its capacity

One Malaysia Cultural Village

Established in 2012, it is considered as one of the cultural attraction for Sibu town. The cultural village is located just opposite the Bukit Aup Jubilee Park, about 20 minutes drive from the town.

I was expecting something like Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching on arrival, but it was way off my expectation. The site is pretty small and probably one would need to spare about 10 minutes here to appreciate what it has to offer.

 

It is more of a landscape garden with a few pavilions depicting the culture of various races in Sarawak. There is also a small stage at the heart of the village which is ideal for cultural show and etc.

On the positive side, the place is clean and serene with a restaurant open for dinner where diner can enjoy the clean fresh air here. There is no entrance fee.

 

For the children, there are Koi fishes and chicken to entertain the curious young minds.

Promenade Hotel Kota Kinabalu

Promenade Hotel is one of the leading hotel brand which has been around for decades in Kota Kinabalu and one of the favourite hotel to stay. It has an ideal location with most of the city's attractions within walking distance.

The lobby is huge and this is probably the first hotel I encounter where I am properly seated during check in. The service is pleasant and friendly. The lobby also house Promenade Cafe, Lobby Lounge, Dynasty Szechuan & Cantonese Cuisine Restaurant and a souvenir shop.

For such an old hotel, I am surprised with its interior as a result of the latest refurbishment and upgrading lately

 

The room (room rate of RM 233.30 nett) is spacious and modern. All the lighting here has been changed to LED. It has a safe deposit box, ironing board and robe. Every floor is served with a modem and free Wifi for every visitor staying here. The air conditioner is very cold and not easy to adjust the temperature. I had to do a few "experiments" on my own to get around with the adjustment process.

All the lighting are conveniently and easily controlled via a touch panel at the bed side.

The toiletries are pretty comprehensive and on par with any other 4 star hotel.

I am a bit unfortunate to get a room facing the back, overlooking the api-api apartment but one will not be able to get a clear sea view anymore soon due to the ongoing construction at the waterfront now.

Promenade Hotel exceeds my expectation and I will have no doubt looking forward to come back to stay here again in my next trip.

Promenade Hotel Kota Kinabalu
No. 4, Lorong Api-Api 3,
Api-Api Centre,
Kota Kinabalu

Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall

It is the biggest mall in Batam. Opened in 2007, it consists of 3 floors of rental shops. It has an eye catching facade which make it quite recognizable from a distance.

 

 

 

A hypermarket occupies mainly the ground floor with various other shops selling hand phones, accessories, gadgets and liquor. Moving up to floors, most of the shops are selling clothes, watches and etc. Even Ace Hardware store is located inside the mall.

 

The island is a duty free area, just like Langkawi and Labuan. Hence, the liquors sold here are consider cheap although a quick comparison indicate they are a bit pricier compare to Langkawi. 

 

The food arcade took almost half of the 1st floor. I am amazed with the food selection here. There are familiar fast food outlet such as KFC, Pizza Hut, A & W to Chinese, Indonesian and Japanese food here. There is even a shop selling Bak Kut Teh!

The mall houses the Matahari Department Store which complement what the mall has to offer.

 

It is always worth to check out the modern shop lots outside the mall. I notice there are some interesting massage services, entertainment outlets and restaurants.

Formosa Hotel Batam

 

In my last visit to Batam, Formosa Hotel is my choice due to its location in Nagoya, Batam. From its facade, the building looks old and moderate in term of the size. It is only a four storey building and probably lose out on first impression compare to the other new and modern hotels in the island.

Formosa Hotel is just next to Lucky Plaza (to the right of the hotel), the most popular electronic mall (equivalent to Low Yat Plaza in KL) for its best bargain especially for mobile phone products.

Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall is virtually in the vicinity of the hotel with just about 5 minutes walk away (just walk straight from the hotel's main entrance). However, one need to cross 3 treacherous main roads to get here as the motorists sped along the roads and will not stop at the zebra crossing.

Behind the hotel is the Nagoya Citywalk which can lead to Plaza Avava and all the way to the Harbour Bay jetty if one is willing to walk.

To the left of hotel, about 7 minutes walk away is the sleazy Nagoya Entertainment District (a.k.a NED) which came alive at night.

The hotel started its operation in 1999 and is owned by a Taiwanese. Trails of Taiwanese influence are evident here such as Alishan KTV (Alishan refers to a mountain resort in Taiwan) and the name of the hotel itself reflect the country itself (Taiwan island was previously known as Republic of Formosa) The hotel underwent major upgrade in 2012 with rooms renovated, carpets replaced and wifi facilities installed. I must admit they have a very good wifi here and easily put Malaysian wifi system to shame.

The hotel itself is manned by a few Indonesian Chinese which is useful for Chinese speaking visitors. The other staffs also converse quite well in English.

Lobby area is huge and spacious with modern touch. I would rate the hotel as a 3 star hotel. It is connected to a souvenir shop, Tea Story Cafe and 24 hours Vienna Restaurant from the lobby.

On the 4th floor, there is a fitness center, spa and ktv

 

 

There are a few room types offered here and Deluxe Room (580, 000 Indonesian Rupiah) is the cheapest option. Nevertheless, they are generous with the space. My only complain is the water heater is slow to kick in and the air conditioner is not cold enough to my liking. Also, the room have strong cigarette smell which might take some time to accustomed with.

For those who plan to stay here frequently, one can sign up for its free membership which will entitle the member to enjoy 10% discount on other facilities/restaurant managed by the hotel and room rate of 560, 000 Indonesian Rupiah for a Deluxe Room.

 

 

It has a comprehensive mini bar with biscuit and waffle which is chargeable when consumed. Still it is much better than most 3 stars hotel in Malaysia which I came across.

 

The toiletries is neat and complete. They even has a custom made storage area for the toiletries.

Overall, it is a decent hotel to stay while in Batam. With its strategic location and taxis are always available around the clock in front of the hotel, I would probably come back here to stay again in the future.

Formosa Hotel
No. A8 City Plaza,
Nagoya, Batam,
Indonesia