Galang Refugee Camp

If one had arrived at Barelang Bridge, it is worth the effort to travel a little more to the South to Pulau Galang to Galang Refugee Camp. The journey to the Galang Refugee Camp from the first bridge is approximately 40 minutes.

Entrace fee is IDR 20, 000 per head and the museum camp is opened from 0730 to 1630 (Monday to Friday) and 0730 to 1730 (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday).

The camp is actually huge with its own jetty. It will be tiring if one is to explore it on foot (although the end result would be rewarding) and the best option is to hire a car to drive one around the camp.

The main museum building was once UNHCR's main administration office to run the camp during the period of 1978 - 1996 where many Vietnamese Boat People and asylum seekers were temporarily sheltered here during the determination of their refugee status and subsequent resettlement in the USA, Australia and European countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a lot of paintings at the museum which depicts their arrival, life and hardship while at the camp. Various cooking utensils used by the refugees were also on display here.

 

I still try to make sense as to why the huge painted portrait of Baden Powell is hung prominently at the museum. My guess is that the scout could had played a significant roles at the camp.

 

 

The UNHCR was able to keep track of the refugees here by this data board and apparently they were issued a temporary identification card.

The camp was closed in 1996, seven years after the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indo-Chinese Refugees was adopted. All the Vietnamese refugees had been repatriated by UNHCR.

 

 

Galang camp had many facilities such as Indonesian Red Cross Hospital, church, temple and staff premises. The refugee main activities in the camp were to study English and other languages, or learn vocational skills, while waiting for the results of their applications to determine their refugee status.

The camp has huge potential to be tourist site if the authority put more effort to promote it and improve the facilities such as transportation, information board in English, canteen, parking and etc.

Barelang Bridge

No visit to Batam Island will be complete without stopping and admire the magnificient Barelang Bridge. It is the pride and an iconic landmark for the island.

The bridge is actually a chain of 6 bridges connecting the islands of Batam, Rempang and Galang. The bridge construction was conceptualized in the effort to transform Rempang and Galang Islands into industrial sites.

The construction of the bridges began in 1992 and traveling from the first bridge to the last is about 50km.

The first bridge, Tengku Fisabilillah Bridge is the most recognized of all, connects Batam and Tonton Island. The cabled-stayed bridge with two 118m high pylons and main span of 350m stretches for 642m.

Now, the bridge has turned to be a tourist attraction with proper viewing area and recreational facilities. Getting here from Nagoya area is around 40 minutes. There is no public transport to get here and the best way to reach here is by taking a taxi or rented car which might cost around IDR 450, 000.

Also, there is no proper parking to reach the viewing area and the improvised parking space is basically at the road side, manned by the locals who will collect IDR 10,000 for each vehicle.

St. Giles Wembley Premier Hotel, Penang

St. Giles Wembley Premier Hotel is one of the new hotel recently opened its door in the heart of Georgetown, Penang.

It occupies a strategic location, just beside the KOMTAR tower and 1st Avenue shopping mall. Definitely an ideal base to explore the city.

 

The lobby is spacious and comfortable. However, I wish the hotel has more check in counters to speed up the check in process should there be an influx of tourists at one particular time.

The hallway leading to the rooms are equally impressive with its fresh carpet design and well lit area.

 

I really like the superior room here (rate: RM 265/night) with its batik inspired carpet. All the lighting here are of LED and I can't even spot a compact fluorescent lamp here. It shows the hotel commitment to energy saving.

The room is well designed and I have a comfortable stay here. The curtains are able to block all the sun shine outside effectively and ensure a good continuous sleep in the morning. However, the room is not fully sound proof as I can still hear people slamming the door outside.

Another advantage of staying at this hotel is its view. My room view is not too bad as I can see the Penang Times Square, Sunway Hotel Georgetown, Gama and etc.

Grand Bluewave Hotel Shah Alam

Grand Bluewave Hotel is one of the very few hotel located in the heart of Shah Alam. It is located next to the State Museum and Library at Section 14.

 

Even though the hotel has been around for sometime, its interior and room did not look tired and are well maintained. The deluxe room modern and spacious. However, I am a bit surprise to see a CRT tv still been used in the room.

The room is what to be expected of a 5 star hotel. The only problem is that its air conditioner is too cold and not adjustable. I just have to shut it down when it gets too cold.

The public concourse area on each floor is spacious with comfortable seats for discussion or a small gathering.

 

They aren't much to see around the hotel except for the Blue Mosque which is about 5 minutes walk from the hotel

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