Exploring the deep south of The Riaus - Day Three, Singkep

It was to be another wet day when we got up at Ocean Bay Resort after a sound night's sleep. The mission was easy - a mere 38km to Tg Pinang, the largest town and ferry centre of Bintan. Trouble was that we were not sure what to do after that as the information we got about connecting ferries to Galang Island, and onward to Tg Batu, Kundur as well as the ferry to Dabo, Singkep was not current.  One thing for certain was that Christoph needed to return to Singapore from Tg Pinang by hook or crook, as he had to catch a flight with his family to Germany to spend Christmas with his mom the next day.

We gathered all ready to roll at 7am for the complimentary breakfast at the restaurant but the staff were nowhere to be seen until ten minutes later. Half boil eggs and toast, with coffee/tea were on offer and that didn't excite anyone. But it provided the much needed prelude to a better breakfast 6km down the road, where the famous Bintan Otak Otak awaited us (grilled fish pate in banana leaves) at Cahaya Warung. As it was still pouring and my cheap rain coat had disintegrated the day before, I managed to buy another rain coat for US$1 from one of the staff. It obviously was used and smelled of dried fish, but beggars can't be choosers.

The 6km ride to our Otak stop was very pleasant and the rain trickled down much to our joy. Crossing the familiar bridge at Kawal, I immediately steered everyone right to Otak paradise. These were going for $1 per dozen and is like spicy fish pate, grilled to perfection. Even Storm Storm like it!

There is much to photograph here as this is a major fishing town and bustling. Even though we wanted to spend more time, we had ferries to catch at 11am and so, we gobbled down our too many Otaks and rode off.

Despite the hotel staff telling us earlier it was downhill all the way to Tg Pinang, we found that wasn't so. I have learned that info given by people regarding directions should not too be taken too literally. The ride was actually tougher than yesterday especially when nearing the town. There were some rather steep climbs that were very challenging. Traffic certainly was much heavier as well. I had wanted to arrive there at 1030am so that we could make it on time for the 11am so there was some pressure to press on. Fortunately being the Dream Team, we ate up the miles in quick time and arrived at the Ferry Terminal after going illegally against traffic at the final stretch.

We discovered that we were too late for Christoph as his ferry was actually 1015am but there was another one at 2pm so that was good. After making sure he got sorted out, I rushed to the domestic terminal to see what our options were. It was already 1110am and the ticket sellers were shouting "Dabo! Dabo!"and there was a boat leaving at 1130am. The Galang ferry was due to leave 1230pm. I consulted the rest of the team if they were game to go deep south and cross the equator. It was a unanimous, "Lets Go!!!", Dabo Singkep here we come. I just love the wonderful spontaneous spirit of the Dream Team.

It was hard to say goodbye to poor Christoph who had to leave us, and we exchanged hugs. But because we had a ferry to catch, we had to rush our bikes though the gates and all this rushing was rather fun as we were just travelling on a wing and a prayer. As this was a long 3.5 hr boat ride, wise Matt got us some packet lunches and coffee to go, with dessert to boot.

For some reason, the ferry was late and we were approached by an Indonesian journalist on the jetty She was curious to know where we came from and asked us many questions. I supposed we were not a common sight and attracted a lot of attention with the Riau islanders. Once again, the porters took our 4 bikes and loaded it on the roof of the ferry like that have done it for years, and we were off.

There must have been at least 100 people on this ferry and we found ourselves booked on the first row. Mistake - all the boxes and goods were packed there. The boat was surprisingly stable and fast. There was a music DVD featuring an Indonesian singer with bad teeth and I wondered how he got all the ladies. It didn't help that his dismal performance was on the repeat button. Fortunately, better entertainment was found on the roof deck where the amazing view of blue skies, white clouds and misty islands simply took our breath away. Darren played with the stitched function of his camera and this is the delightful result.

When we arrived at the destination, everyone was in a hurry to exit the ferry except us. I asked, "Is this 'Dabo?" and the crew replied, "Bukan, ini Jago!" For a moment, I was in a panic as I wondered if we caught the right ferry only to find out later that Dabo was a good 28km south of the island. The ferry stopped here as the waters were too shallow. Travelling on a wing, or rather a hull and a prayer cannot get more exciting.

It was nearly 4pm when we disembarked at Jago. Most of the passengers have gone save for a few stray taxis who missed out on their customers. A quick chat in my basic Bahasa revealed that the ride to Dabo was very hilly. Thus, we opted to play safe and decided to taxi into Dabo. The friendly driver wanted US$12 for the trip to town and he had an old Toyota Kijang wagon. If all 4 foldies could fit into the back with us inside, he got a deal! Miraculously, we all fitted in nicely and one more reason why travelling with foldies really rock! Roslan assured us here in this island paradise, there were no baddies. Singkep is one big friendly kampong.

Big and steep hills greeted us as we left Jago and the poor Kijang struggled to climb them, which confirmed the rightness of our decision. The evening drive was beautiful as we skirted the beautiful coast and coconut lined beaches. Roslan dropped us at the Armanda Hotel, opened just 2 weeks ago. It was the glitziest joint in town and we were thrilled that it only costs US$18 night.

However, one of the male staff tried to pull a fast one on us, demanding an extra US$10 as police protection money cum photocopy charges. I told him to go fly a kite and clean my chain, as we are not newbies to Indonesia. That really got me a bit upset and it actually made me want to leave on the next ferry, but I'm glad we didn't. Matt knocked some sense into me that we took so long to get here, the least we could do is to explore the island.

Our rooms were most impressive! Though ours was a bit small, it was brand new, had icy cold aircon and we were surprised to see this in the avant garde design bathroom.

A quick shower and we made our way to the jetty just ten mins walk away to capture the most spectacular of sunsets. It was magically to just soak in the the glorious hues and the living art of a changing sky and setting sun.

Dinner was taken at Charlie's, a simple warung, just by the jetty. Charlie the owner spoke perfect English and we enjoyed our humble meal of Nasi Goreng there. Our conversations soon attracted the ear of an attractive middle age China businesswoman sitting on the next table who later on struck up a conversation with us. We learn that Ms Jiang lives in Singapore and was in Singkep to check out the mining scene. Both Matt and Darren could converse with her in fluent Mandarin, while KC and I nodded politely. She later asked for our mobile phone no.

Later on as we were strolling back along the jetty, 2 young Indonesian girls on a scooter greeted us with bright smiles and also asked us for our contact. Darren reckoned it must be his multi-tanned legs that looked like a layered cake, that was attracting all these damsels on this splendid island. What a privilege it was to be riding on the coat tails of such good looking guys in the Dream Team.

We checked out some of the shops after dinner and finished off with the Rolls Royce of ice creams - Magnums. These sold for half the price in Singapore! Our last stop for the night was to have coffee at Smoky Joes. Well, that is our nickname for the coffeeshop as everyone was puffing away. My life must have been shorten by a few weeks!

We retired still in a state of amazement that we have actually crossed the equator, and ended up in the remote island of Singkep. What a wonderful day it has been indeed, adventuring with the Dream Team though we missed our German member.


Useful note - Ferry leaves Tg Pinang daily at 1130am for Jago, although they say its Dabo. The cost as at Dec 2012 is RP148,000 (US$15) per person and makes one stop. It takes 3-3.5 hrs. Water is provided but would be good to take some snacks. 

Daily ferry leaves Jago for Tg Pinang at 730am. There is also another ferry that leaves from Jago to Batam at 8am, probably Telaga Punggur, but I have to confirm that.

Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Spore has daily connections to Tg Pinang at 850 by IndoFalcon.

Exploring the deep south of The Riaus - Day Two, Bintan

The start of a long ride is always a cause of celebration and great anticipation, and today we were riding the East coast to West Coast of Bintan Island, 2 times the size of Singapore. This was clear when Christoph and I, who are usually the first ones down, were the last ones to meet and we were five mins before 7am!

While the gang were busy loading up the foldies, I went for a quick recce around town and we ended up near the jetty area once more. This time at a Roti Canai (pancakes) restaurant, Suka Ramai, run by an Indonesian Indian. While the food was good, we got overcharged again at US$20! This was getting to be a bad habit as it should be half of that. Well, this made us determined to enquire before ordering the next time.

With full stomachs but with a somewhat bitter after taste, we rode out out of Tg Uban. It was delightful to see school kids going to school, some walking, some cycling and shops slowly opening one by one. It was impossible to get lost as there is only one way out and it was going to be a long 80+km ride to Trikora Beach. The cool morning air and quiet roads helped us warm up quickly and we settled into a good pace. It was a most pleasant start to the day and even the hills that came our way were just right. After an hour and 22km, we stopped for a drink break at a small sundry shop. It was timely as Darren's FD needed some adjustment and there, I had an encounter with a rather fierce native. No wonder he is in a cage!

The turnoff to the Bintan Resort section of Bintan came quickly at the 24km mark or so. The northern bit of Bintan has been segmented and used for hi-end tourists, and the locals need a special permit to cross into there. The likes of Club Med, Banyan Tree et al are here so not exactly the playground for "lowly" bicycle tourists like us. Our lunch break #1 came at 42km mark where we nibbled on Nasi Goreng and crackers but drank buckets of fresh lime juice with ice, cham (mixed) with Teh Botol (Indonesia's fav bottled tea).

At the 46km marker, we veered off the highway left towards Berakit, the northern part of Trikora Beach. This is a beautiful 16km stretch that is challenging due to its many hills but superb quiet country roads. I found myself playing sweeper, not by choice and enjoyed the momentarily solitude. As my small wheels spun quietly beneath me and the open green fields passing slowly by, it was certainly one of those moments that made me burst out in delightful praise.

The gang was waiting for me at a mosque and we bunched up again for the next 4km ride to the beach. One of the joys of touring I appreciate is the numerous opportunities to show care and concern for one another, and this is what makes any trip so meaningful.

It was fantastic to see the beautiful coastline and we stopped at our usual drink stop to say hello to Mak Chik, a motherly Malay lady who ran the small provision shop business. She greeted us ever so warmly.

Our stop here got extended when the afternoon rains started to seriously unload. I took the opportunity to do a bit of manipulation on Christoph who had some back pain due to a previous injury.

This wasn't the only problem Christoph had as when we were leaving, he discovered he had a rear puncture. So what was to be a simple change of tube so we thought turned into a tedious Sherlock Holmes drama. The newly changed tire starting getting flat again some 5km down the road. Close inspection could not reveal anything. Matt tried, Darren tried and I tried but we could not see or feel anything. Eagle eye KC however pulled out a small black sharp plastic bit that got embedded in the tire. This really slowed us down an hour or so, but with the rains, we were not in a hurry to be on the road. Even Storm Storm our little Lego friend seems to have got some bike trouble.

Sometimes, there are days when the rains just do not stop and this was one such day. So with raincoats on, we just pretended to be all weather interceptors on a most important mission and kept going. It was really great fun riding in the rain, and we really felt like naughty little boys on their bikes playing in the wet. All of us managed to climb the steepest hill of Bintan and I was not surprised. This was after all the Dream Team. However when the heavy thunderstorms proved too much, even the Dream Team had to take shelter in a Warung.

Shivering and soaked, we warmed up by drinking lots of hot coffee/tea and Mee Bakso! We must have waited for over an hour and demolished 6 bowls of Bakso, 2 plates of Mee Goreng and countless hot and cold drinks. As the rain was still relentless and it was already 4pm, we grudgingly pushed on for the last 5km to reach Ocean Bay Resort.

This would be my 3rd time in this beautiful hotel on wooden stilts out in the sea. The rooms are organised together out on the water and about 100m from the main reception/dining area. We could walk there but of course, we chose to cycle to our room.

However, I can't helped noticing it was getting rather worn out. Tracy, the excellent marketing manager, had also left so the service was rather dismal. The rooms were also looking very tired and debris from the thatched roof were found on our beds. Anyway, we were just happy to get out of the rain and change into dry clothes. One thing that did not change is the excellent view from our window.

The resident shark was still there in the enclosure and I can't help feeling sorry for that magnificent creature.

We enjoyed a nice seafood dinner and just marveled at the magic of being out in the sea, with the rain still pouring. Wary of getting overcharged again, we were careful in ordering our dinner and did very well indeed enjoying a most sumptous meal with lots of Bintang beer.

After dinner, we enjoyed just lazing in front of our 5 rooms looking at the stars as the rains cleared. It was brilliant to be able to see them sparkling, something that is not possible in the city. We enjoyed experimenting taking night shots with our cameras and I came out with this which I liked.

As there were no internet, no TV, no music but just the sound of lapping waves and a nice cool sea breeze, we were more than ready for bed. I slept with my room door wide opened to enjoy a constant flow of fresh air and dozed off in no time. This was easy as we had hit over 80km, rode through many challenging hills and were feeling pleasantly worn out.

Feeling very happy and satisfied at the wonderful day of riding with such great friends, I slept with a very grateful heart.

Of Bikes, Boats & Bakso

Darren made this excellent video of our ride that captures the adventure we experienced so well. *Bakso is a form of delicious Indonesian meatballs and noodles that we love!

Exploring the deep south of The Riaus - Day One, Batam

Storm Storm and Ollie riding along the streets of Tg Uban

Do not eat here! Seriously overcharged... 1.5km out of Batam Centre towards airport.

Best hotel in Tg Uban

Steamed German Bratwurst

The lure and charm of the 3000+ Riau Islands of Indonesia proved irresistible again. Singapore was considered part of this region for hundreds of years, being part of the Malay Kingdom under the rule of the Johor Sultanate that had its base in Bintan island. The Anglo Dutch Treaty of 1824 however ceded Singapore and the north to the British while the islands south of Singapore all the way to Java came under the Dutch, changing the political, economic and cultural dynamics of the region forever.This eventually birthed the new nations of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia some 70 years ago.

A team of 9 seasoned and respected cyclists was put together to do a super tour of Batam, Bintan and the Barelang Highway, for a ride called the BBB Dream Team Adventure. Unfortunately, 2 of the folks, Papa and MK fell sick and CW & RL had to pull out last minute. This disappointed us to no end, but like in anything, I believe everything happens for a reason when the Almighty holds our lives in his good hands. 

The 5 of us met bright and early at Harbour Front and hopped onto the 840am ferry to Batam Centre. An hour later, we were in the Riaus! The original plan was to have met Mike Khor of Wheelospher fame at the airport at 1030am but he was sick. We had the privilege to ride with this legend last year. After a quick morning tea of delicious Nasi Padang where we got overcharged, we rode our way through beautiful roads to the south eastern tip of  Batam,Telaga Punggur. This is the hop off point to Tg Uban, Bintan and other parts of the Riau if you want to do it at local prices.  

I was amazed at how bike friendly the local ferries are in the Riaus. I supposed when it is common to have people carrying bags of rice, boxes of supplies as well as the occasional chickens and ducks, bicycles are not a big deal. 20 mins later in a fast and bouncy boat, we made it to the small jetty of Tg Uban with dark clouds looming. Superb reseach by guru Chris Wee pointed us to the best pad in town, Hotel Persona in sleepy Tg Uban. It took ten mins to find the hotel and when we walked in, the heavens poured. We didn't mind it one bit as the reception we got was very warm and somewhat giggly. Our rooms were not flash but for 150,000rp or US$15 for a clean aircon room, we were happy as Larry.  

Despite the rain, we went exploring after a short rest. Two wonderful discoveries were made. Firstly, there is a delightful seafood restaurant at the Pier called Suka Ria that is owned by an elderly Chinese gentleman. Christoph's company used to have a factory nearby and he called the local manager who recommended this to us. Great food at unbelievable prices. US$25 for the 5 of us plus beer! 

The second discovery that blew us away was the Panjang Jiwo spa owned by Corry, just a 3 min walk from the jetty. Though it looked like a very simple set up, Corry worked in the Fullerton Hotel spa in Singapore! Needless to say, we had the best experience ever, all for US$8 per hour. I was so grateful I put up a simple website for her.

Tg Uban has a night market as well but we were too full from the huge dinner to indulge in supper and had an early night, feeling all excited for the long ride to the other end of Bintan Island. It was special to finally be in the Riaus, where time seems to stand still.


ps:  Forgot to mention that today 12-12-12 was Christoph's 46th birthday and what better way to celebrate it than cycling together with this great and wonderful friend.