Weekend @ Batam
I went away for the weekend to Batam with my sisters-in-law and we had a good time. Harris Resort Hotel was pretty decent – the rooms were spacious and clean (though the shower curtain in my room had a strange smell). We didn’t use many of the hotel facilities, though, as most of the time was spent shopping in Nagoya Hill Plaza which is apparently Batam’s newest mall. A funny thing was that on the first day the hotel shuttle bus dropped us at the back entrance of the mall and we spent hours there thinking that was all there was to the mall only to discover the next morning that it was actually a huge mall and we had only seen one section of it!
Our package included an hour’s massage at the hotel spa and I must say that I did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. The spa was quite run-down although the ambience was nice. At first I was excited to be ushered into a rooftop hut for the massage but was almost immediately appalled to see a cigarette burn hole in the towel covering the bed. The staff changed the towel immediately when I asked but when I lay down, I discovered that the towel they had changed was damp :( But the masseuse didn’t understand when I said it was damp and kept insisting that the towel was alright. The experience was also marred by the fact that the masseuse wasn’t very experienced and had a cold! I was quite distracted by her constant sniffling and she excused herself twice to go outside and cough. I kept hoping I wasn’t going to catch a cold from her! This was the first massage session when I did not fall asleep, so you can guess the quality of the experience….
The best part of the weekend for me was Sunday morning which we spent at a salon in Nagoya Hill Plaza. Five of us occupied the upstairs of the salon and all had our nails done at the same time. Three of us also had our legs waxed and it was great fun to be just sitting there and chatting while the girls did our nails. My sisters-in-law and I have never done this kind of thing together before. Usually we go out for a meal, but somehow this seemed like a more fun activity for me than eating together. It’s a pity manicures are so expensive in Singapore or else I would suggest doing this more often. We talked about coming out to Batam again just on a day trip, but I didn’t really like the quality of the work done on my nails to come here on a regular basis. The Batam girls were no match for my monthly routine at Serenity Cove and my massage at Spa Esprit. I know it costs me 4 times more in Singapore but it is a luxury treat I give myself and going all the way to Batam for a less satisfactory experience doesn’t appeal to me. I guess I will go just for the company and for the chance to sit and talk with my sisters-in-law, but not for my regular de-stress session. That has to be my fave places in Holland Village still.
All in, it was a fun experience and I am really glad we had this break together. I wish we had done less shopping and more talking or playing games. I still feel that although we are all family and have known each other for more than 20 years, there is still a level of closeness missing that I feel with my friends. Only 3 of us are more open in talking to each other and I wish there had been an opportunity in this trip for all of us to have gotten to know each other better. Or maybe I was expecting too much too soon?
Our package included an hour’s massage at the hotel spa and I must say that I did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. The spa was quite run-down although the ambience was nice. At first I was excited to be ushered into a rooftop hut for the massage but was almost immediately appalled to see a cigarette burn hole in the towel covering the bed. The staff changed the towel immediately when I asked but when I lay down, I discovered that the towel they had changed was damp :( But the masseuse didn’t understand when I said it was damp and kept insisting that the towel was alright. The experience was also marred by the fact that the masseuse wasn’t very experienced and had a cold! I was quite distracted by her constant sniffling and she excused herself twice to go outside and cough. I kept hoping I wasn’t going to catch a cold from her! This was the first massage session when I did not fall asleep, so you can guess the quality of the experience….
The best part of the weekend for me was Sunday morning which we spent at a salon in Nagoya Hill Plaza. Five of us occupied the upstairs of the salon and all had our nails done at the same time. Three of us also had our legs waxed and it was great fun to be just sitting there and chatting while the girls did our nails. My sisters-in-law and I have never done this kind of thing together before. Usually we go out for a meal, but somehow this seemed like a more fun activity for me than eating together. It’s a pity manicures are so expensive in Singapore or else I would suggest doing this more often. We talked about coming out to Batam again just on a day trip, but I didn’t really like the quality of the work done on my nails to come here on a regular basis. The Batam girls were no match for my monthly routine at Serenity Cove and my massage at Spa Esprit. I know it costs me 4 times more in Singapore but it is a luxury treat I give myself and going all the way to Batam for a less satisfactory experience doesn’t appeal to me. I guess I will go just for the company and for the chance to sit and talk with my sisters-in-law, but not for my regular de-stress session. That has to be my fave places in Holland Village still.
All in, it was a fun experience and I am really glad we had this break together. I wish we had done less shopping and more talking or playing games. I still feel that although we are all family and have known each other for more than 20 years, there is still a level of closeness missing that I feel with my friends. Only 3 of us are more open in talking to each other and I wish there had been an opportunity in this trip for all of us to have gotten to know each other better. Or maybe I was expecting too much too soon?
2 comments:
Hi You could try the massage service at Spa Villa in KTM resort which is located near Batam Sekupang ferry terminal. You can enjoy direct sea view while doing the massage and their massage is super. visit this website and find out more www.batamspavilla.com
Hello Woman :) Thanks for the tip. Checked out the website & it looks wonderful. Pity I didn't find this place when I was doing Internet search before my trip. But I will keep it in mind for when my sisters come next month!!!
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