Amazing Race - Batam: Turi Beach

Turi Beach Resort is made up of mostly Standard Villa & Deluxe Villa

Deluxe villa

Most rooms has balcony facing the sea.

View from balcony

As mentioned earlier, Turi Beach Resort has a very natural feel. So much as that this place does not have any lifts.

Please pray for the church camp committee for God's direction on which hotel He wants us to take, the right agent to work with and for better quotations.

Amazing Race - Batam: Turi Beach

Our last stop of the day, Turi Beach Resort.

I decided to visit this resort cause it was the first resort AS tried to sell me. He did such a good job that I almost want to go there for a holiday immediately. Its suppose to be a beach resort with a "Bali" feel.

We did not consider this resort seriously initially cause we thought we may not be able to fit into the hall. After talking to my "room mate", who assured me the hall is big enough, I die die also must take a look at this place, just to be sure.

Turi Beach Resort indeed stood out from the rest of the hotels for having a very natural feel to it. Built on a slope leading down to the beach, we moved from the lobby down to the hall.

My "room mate" was right, the hall is big enough for about 200pax. Satisfied that the hall is big enough, I immediately request to take a look at the rooms....

Free form pool, in front of the beach

Rooms are in huts on slope overlooking the sea.

Lets check out the rooms....

Amazing Race - Batam: Novotel

We met our Roadblock at our next stop, Novotel.

Novotel is a hotel in the city. All amenities are contained within the building complex, no resort feel at all. Rooms are normal and small.

Security here is good though. This is where the Indonesian Presidents stay when they visit Batam.

We were suppose to have lunch @ Novotel on the house. However, the hotel rep was caught up in a meeting all the time we were there and refused to meet us.

Bottomline: No free meal for church group unless we put a deposit.

Our agent, AS was very upset but managed to arranged for lunch at a seafood kelong instead. This is the kelong where we will have our lunch during our city tour.

Finally, lunch... I was totally famished. But what a lunch we had. It was a 6 course lunch for just the 4 of us LOL.

30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Matthew 6:30-32

Before our next stop, we went by the shopping mall we would be going to.

Amazing Race - Batam: Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn has only suites. One bedroom and two bedrooms suites.

Pool view from room's balcony

Next stop.... Novotel

Amazing Race - Batam: Holiday Inn

Free form pool that can be seen from most rooms' balcony

Indoor pool

Tea Tree Spa, one of the best spas in this region has its home at Holiday Inn

Amazing Race - Batam: Holiday Inn

15/10/2003

We left our Pit Stop @ Harris for our next Route Marker @ Holiday Inn just a stone's throw away.

We were welcomed like royalty, with cold towel and a welcome drink. A team of 3 from the Singapore Sales Office showed us around.

Holiday Inn is a very beautiful 5 * hotel.

Lobby

Terrace Cafe

Amazing Race - Batam: Harris

15/10/2005
After a good night sleep, we had our breakfast on the house and started our day with a tour of Harris itself.

Breakfast wasnt impressive, but after last night's dinner, everything will pale in comparison.

Our room when we checked in

View from our balcony the next morning

Physically, Harris is not an impressive resort. It is not really new, the structure is quite dated. It is the friendly staff and service that impress me most.

Harris is run like Club Med, there is a Club Med feel to this place. Not surprising since the GM was formerly from Club Med. He runs the place friendly and family-like. This is one resort where you will see the GM often.

During dinner last night, he went round the tables to say Hi. After our tour, when we were having their famous aloe vera juice on the house, he sat and talk to us. He actually offer to let us try the spa but our tight schedule doesnt allow : (

Harris housed us knowing that we are here to check out other hotels and that we wont be booking them, simply because Harris is fully booked June 2006!

Next stop... Holiday Inn

Amazing Race - Batam

As most of you will know by now, my team and I is in charge of organising 2006 Church Camp.

My team members are Ramesh, Susan Lim, Christine Bong and as of yesterday, Stephen Koh. Camp advisors are Janet Chew and Jimmy Teo (Thanks for sharing your years of experience). Our pastoral advisor is our Senior Pastor, Rev Kenny Chee.

This is intended to be a newbie camp committee, with the exception of Stephen, all of us have no or little church camp organising experience.

This weekend, Stephen and I went on an inspection visit to Batam, hosted by AS, the first and only agent so far who responded to my request for quotes.

Stephen going with me on this trip was indeed God sent. While he "entertained" the agent and the hotel representatives, I could concentrate on observing the premise and taking photos, asking questions when I needed to clear doubts.

On Friday, we met 6.15pm at Singapore Cruise Centre @ HarbourFront for the 6.30pm ferry. By the time we cleared customs, we were missed our check in and watch our ferry left without us : (

We had to go back out to change the tickets to the next ferry leaving @ 7.40pm, arriving at another terminal further from Harris, where we will be spending the night.

By the time we reached Harris, I was famished. We had a sinfully sumptuous seafood bbq buffet dinner by the pool. : )

After a long day and heavy meal, I looked forward to my hot shower and bed, to prepare us for a long day ahead tomorrow.

Barny You are Older Reloaded

After service yesterday, Aunty Mary bought me bday lunch, with Cynthia and XinNing at Cafe Cartel.



After lunch, we decided to visit the new National Library. I have actually explored it before during lunch as my office is nearby, so I played host.

I proudly show them the Retreat @ L10, one of 2 sky gardens. To me, they are just plants, thru the eyes of experts, it turn out to be a spice garden.


We decided to start from the top, Lee Kong Chian Reference Library L11.

The reference library is an architecture beauty. Two storey high ceiling with the Suntec - Esplanade skyline. Lots of space, spacious study tables and sofas. What a wonderful place to do some personal retreat!

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16)


My shepherds bought me lunch this afternoon at Kuishin-Bo. The shepherds indeed knows their sheep. Its a wonderful spread of Japanese food. Too bad I need to go back office : (

We had a good time of fellowship, talking about my pains as well as something close to me heart recently c".)

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Your Hidden Talent

You are both very knowledgeable and creative. You tend to be full of new ideas and potential - big potential. Ideas like yours could change the world, if you build them. As long as you don't stop working on your dreams, you'll get there.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Disclaimer: This is just for fun lah. Dont take too serious hor. I trust only His Word and claims His promise.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)

Barny You are Older

Today, Cynthia + the Bright Ones (Alvin, Jasmine, Justin, Sharon, Eilleen, Ramesh, WeiJian, XinNing) gave me a little surprise after Alpha.

When I came down, I was greeted with a very bright Sweet Secrets Tiramisu cake, my all time fav cake : )
With 9 burning candles on it, 3 big and 6 small candles, its a very bright cake indeed LOL

More sms greetings from Charles who couldnt join us yesterday and Wendy L. Winnie tag me and Mabel msn me happy bday, thats my first, new ways to communicate thanks to technology LOL

Adrian, You are Older

Sorry SamL have not been updating recently cause was feeling a bit down lately and didnt seem to have anything blog-worthy. Thats the perfectionist in me talking : )

Well today is my birthday.

Started off my day with 3 sms that came in one after the other. They were from my extended family in WRPF. Ad (representing the Yip family) Mrs Ong (representing the Ong family, thanks for the OP pouch) and Cynthia


Other sms greetings from Dr Sim, my shepherds Simon & Rinda, JoSeah, OCBC (ya the bank, some advert LOL) CC (who is on leave today), Lim Chee Guan, mythumb (who gave me Psalm 23, the Psalm the Lord gave me during my LiJiang trip as well as Silent Retreat), jasllq, PCK, Joshy (who thot i'm 39) and Barnabas Ramesh.



Turk Tay sms me saying I was on his mind and he is praying for me. I'm so blessed that God initiated a birthday greeting all the way from Turkey.


The guys from my dept are the best.



When I reached office, my 21 year old colleague happily n loudly greeted me "Adrian u r 36 today!" (I'm still known as Adrian in the working world. Y? cause "Adrian" is on me birth cert)

My next door neighbour in office gave me a pink Jim Thompson tie from Bangkok and God's blessing.

I have been quite stressed lately, resulting in me starting the week quite painfully with cold sore. It's gonna take a while to heal, so I wont be enjoying my meals as much. Anyway, my guys know I'm a Jap food freak so we went Sakae Sushi for lunch. We ate so much, almost enough to get a free discount card. LOL

In the afternoon, they surprised me with a very nice and nutty Hotel Intercontinental cake with the wordings "Adrian, You are Older" LOL
I was a bit worried for the cake cause there are like 9 burning candles on it, 3 big and 6 small candles.

They then shocked me with a present. It was a Braun Buffel wallet. That was one of three things I asked God for for my birthday this year. It was as good as me choosing it myself. : )

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Decided to meet some long lost friends for dinner this year, without telling them its my birthday. EW says cant make it, got bday dinner to attend. Interesting, someone else born on the same day.

So met KO only. Called to say I'm late. "Nevermind I got bday present to buy." I was thinking, "Good at least someone remembered" Alas, its for her colleague whose bday is today. So she also forgot.

After dinner, I told her about my bday n she went "I thot its your bday but wasnt sure" Well its a sign that I have been neglecting my friends.

When I reached home, checked my email. RT from Chicago sent me birthday greetings when GT, who introduced RT to me, forgot.

Well I missed some greetings from some friends but to those who remembered, thanks for remembering, you're definitely on my Christmas list. : )

Oh ya I have just been reminded, Jo elMo called me at 1am, trying to wake me up, but I slept thru his call c".)