The first time I saw Kepri Coral Island, I was enthralled. How can this island paradise exist so near to Singapore and we have little information about it? Before too many tourists arrive at the island, you have to see experience the amazing clear waters, sea creatures and LIVE coral. Beautiful and clean, Kepri Coral features a dome village which you can stay in on the island itself. Though you are "roughing it out" on the island, the dome is well appointed with aircon, comfortable beds and a western sitting toilet ensuite.

A short one min clip of how beautiful the sea off Kepri Coral is. Pristine and untouched, with live coral, beautiful sea creatures and such gorgeous sea life. I'm so surprised that a sea so close to Batam can be so clear, clean and unpolluted. Kepri Coral is just an hour away from the last island of Batam.

From the dive cam of a friend who dived into the water just off Kepri Coral Island - you can see the Live Coral teeming with different types of fish. My favourite would be the clown fish and the gorgeous star fishes and huge clams. Long video and very relaxing indeed.

The easiest way is to take a tour package from Soon Travels. This has to be the most cost effective and easiest way to get to Kepri Coral Island. For a minimum of 4 people to go, you can jio your friends or bring your entire family there. It's beautiful and you can enjoy the many activities on the island. A tour guide will meet you at the terminal in Batam, and bring you to Kepri Coral, explaining some of the sights you will see along the way.

​Soon Travel
50 Tanah Merah Ferry Rd, Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, #01-11, Singapore 498833
Tel: +65 6970 0490
Email: enquiry@soontravel.com.sg
Web: http://www.soontravel.com.sg
Whatsapp: +65 8168 7449

This package excludes terminal fees and sea port tax of $29 both ways.

KEPRI CORAL PACKAGE ( Min 4 to go )
Weekdays $142  / Pax
Weekends $147 / Pax

This includes 2 way ferry to Batam, all land transfers, 2 way ferry to Kepri Coral Island, one night stay in a dome ( 2 to a dome ) and all the activities on the beach and floating platform off Kepri Coral. This also includes breakfast, buffet lunch and dinner. If you get hungry in between, there is a restaurant on Kepri Coral as well as a minimart well stocked with instant noodles, coffee, tea, ice cream and toiletries. 

The full package and details are in the pdf document below, click to download!

Click on read more to view more photos of the activities as well as how to get to Kepri Coral Island from Singapore

After looking at photos of Kepri Coral, we were really excited to be finally heading to the beautiful island off Batam. Booking was really easy, all we had to do was send pictures of our passport via whatsapp to Soon travel. At the ferry counter, we provided our booking code and paid the seaport tax and were on our way to Batam on Batam Fast ferry. The ferry was really fast, and we landed in Sekupang Ferry Terminal in just 40 mins!

Out of immigration, we saw the tour guide in a red T-shirt waiting for us. He brought us to a mini van with the other tourists and we were on our way, passing all six bridges of Batam! The journey took about an hour, and was fun and comfortable. Why fun? The tour guide made it interesting, with a commentary of the sights we saw.

Before we had time to do more selfies, we arrived at the floating platform right in front of Kepri Coral! This is also where we would have lunch, which is timely, because I was starting to feel hungry. The ferry took just 30mins!

I was eager to go onto the island, but the activities on the floating platform beckoned. Lunch is also served, with fresh seafood  caught from the sea that surrounded us. The toilets were modern, which meaans you can sit, but there are no hot water heaters on board, so if you do go on the banana boat / snorkel / dive, bear that in mind.

My girlfriend decided to try the banana boat while I sat on the speed boat to capture the action! She had so much fun and so did I - and I stayed dry! She also tried snorkeling and she was amazed at all the sea creatures she could see while snorkelling. 

So, the reason we had such a pretty video of the seabed was one of our group members went diving! How glorious. He's got his certificates so he's allowed to go diving - make sure you get all the relevant training and certs if you want to go diving at Kepri Coral. A dive master showed him the suits and equipment, and in no time at all, he was off exploring while we went into the underwater viewing chamber to see what was out there.

The underwater viewing chamber was beautiful - and so real. Having previously been to the largest Aquarium in the world at SEA Aquarium in Sentosa, Singapore, I was still enthralled by the natural sea life swimming around. There is really no substitute for nature. There was also a shark enclosure so we got to feed the sharks! 

After all the activities, we were feeling hungry and the timely lunch was served.

Lunch was really yummy with the freshest seafood! I'm missing Kepri Coral Island in Batam while creating this post! After lunch, it was time to explore the island, and we got onto the same ferry that brought us over and headed to the island!

Look at how beautiful the island is. The beach had fine white sand and the swimming pool was a welcome touch, for those who are afraid of swimming in the sea. Sitting by the poolside with the balmy breeze was also a pleasure, but I didn't have much time to sit by the pool and get a golden tan, for the rest of the island awaited.

Wait till you see the mangrove forest which they wove footpaths through, the whole experience was magical. The staff mentioned that at night, you can even spot fireflies.

The sand was so white and powdery! We had buggies to bring us around, so it was literally a breeze to tour the island. A mini farm is still being curated, so when it is ready, you will get to see ducks, geese, chickens and more. Perhaps they will allow visitors to feed the animals too.

We passed a dome village and I was really excited about that. You are able to stay in a dome, complete with aircon and the ensuite western toilet, so while "roughing it out", you get all the luxuries you are used to. The dome has a skylight where you are able to open and close easily, allowing you to watch the stars at night.

Apparently, they have a king sized bed, double beds and some domes will even allow 3 beds in the dome. Extra charges apply if you want to stay alone

My favourite experience on Kepri Coral Island is the mangrove forest. The owner of the island was tending to the mangrove forest when I arrived, and he reminded me of Tarzan, swinging from tree to tree. The mangrove forest had a magical quality which made me think of fairies and the like, and he told stories of how he would catch crabs at the forest too. You can see the crab he caught in the gallery above. At night, fire flies would emerge, and you will be forgiven for thinking you must have arrived at fairyland.

More photos at Tarzan's hut and their own vegetable garden. Families would definitely enjoy this as the treehouse is built in a very natural manner, around a tree. No trees were harmed in the making of the treehouse. Lots of instagramable seats and spaces too! Go wild at Tarzan's hut!

Soon Travel Package for Kepri Coral Island includes:

• 02 Ways Ferry ticket from SIN-BTM-SIN
• 02 Ways Ferry tickets Batam - Kepri Coral Island – Batam
• 1 Night accommodation with breakfast
• 1 x Buffet Lunch in Island
• 1 x Dinner at Island
• Free 1x Banana Boat, 1x Snorkeling, Swimming pool, WaterBike, Canoe
• Free facilities in Island such as Underseaworld, Fish feeding, Shark Feeding, Tarzan Hut, Hammock, Bean Bag, Long House, Chess, Dominos, Soccer, Volly Pantai, Fat Boys, Mangrove Tour
• Guide Assistance
• Land transfer with Air-conditioned bus

Excludes:
• Singapore PDF (Passenger Departure fee) of S$7/pax, Surcharge of S$15/pax & Batam Terminal Fee of S$7/pax payable 
by Cash upon collect boarding pass.
• Personal Insurance, room service, optional tour, porterage fee, VISA fee, and all expenses of purely personal nature

Soon Travel
50 Tanah Merah Ferry Rd, Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, #01-11, Singapore 498833
Tel: +65 6970 0490
Email: enquiry@soontravel.com.sg
Web: http://www.soontravel.com.sg
Whatsapp: +65 8168 7449

Why join a tour when I have been to Batam so many times? I was curious about what I missed in Batam, and I get to stay at a better hotel for less! The hotel room at Nagoya Hill Hotel with breakfast for two and the ferry tickets cost more if I were to buy my own. Plus, this tour is free and easy for the first day, so I could do all my shopping, massage, hair colouring, etc before the city and shopping tour on the second day.

I went to Harbourfront Cruise Centre #03-41 to collect my boarding pass, and the process was fast. I had to pay for for the Passenger departure tax and surcharge of $22 per person here, as stated in the e-voucher.

It was too early to check in as the hotel was full the day before, so we went for an early lunch in the hotel - I've heard quite a lot about a halal dim sum restaurant, so I was pleasantly surprised that it is located within the hotel!

The food was great, and the service was fantastic too. I loved the little touches like the tea pot design, the changing of plates and having both chopsticks as well as fork and spoon laid out on the table. Look at the prices of the food - so affordable! Coffee shop prices in a beautiful banquet restaurant. Hover over for captions!

Built for a Japanese Cruise company and named Orient Venus in 1990, it was last deployed by a Turkish Cruise Operator who renamed her Aegean Paradise and sailed to the Greek Islands. Now bought over by New Century Cruise Lines, she has become a casino ship off the island of Batam. Beginning her cruise ship life at 3 stars, she was renovated to 4 stars by the Turkish Cruise Operator.  Retaining her former glory, she boasts of a swimming pool, a jacuzzi pool, hair salon, massage center, a pool bar, a karaoke lounge, one restaurant and one live entertainment lounge.

More information at: Wikipedia

 First you get your tickets from The New Century Tours Counter, from anyone in a red shirt with the words "Soon" with the chinese character that means "Smooth Sailing'. After collecting your tickets, you wait for the departure of the Batam Fast Ferry. It takes 30mins to arrive at Nongsapura Ferry Terminal in Batam. 

After you disembark from the first Batam Fast Ferry, you will embark onto another smaller ferry. Those who want to go to Batam, please note that you are unable to enter Batam, you will need to go back to Singapore and get another Ferry to Batam. 

The smaller ferry will take you to Aegean Paradise, where your cruise adventure begins. This takes about 15mins, and the smaller ferry with berth alongside with the cruise ship, allowing you to board.

If time taken is not a problem, the easiest and cheapest way is on the freego bus.

Once at the Tao Yuan Airport in Taiwan, go to B1 bus terminal by following the signs. Most people only speak mandarin so be prepared to wing it and use sign language or show the hotel name written in Mandarin to the ticket seller.

The freego buses are one of the cheapest options at the airport, and when I heard it will drop passengers off at their hotels, I was even happier!

Very cleverly, a Taiwan Tour Operator printed the map with his advertising for freego buses, and apparently, he is from Hong Kong and speaks Cantonese, English and Mandarin. I'm intending to call him after I arrive at the hotel to find out more about the tours.

So now, I am off on a grand adventure, in a city with the old chinese words on all the sign boards, alone and armed with google, wish me luck!

The food was so delicious I forgot to take a photo of the menu. The prices are much lower than that of other budget airlines, and more yummy on Thailand Airasia, probably because the food is cooked and prepared in a Thai kitchen. The spices and taste of my yellow noodles was out of this world fantastic and very authentic as well.
I usually don't travel on Airasia as it is more expensive to do so than on other budget airlines. However, I missed my flight to Bangkok and the next plane on Jetstar would have cost me $300! I went to all the counters till I tried Airasia, and it was only $114. Almost the same timing as Jetstar's just slightly earlier, which is even better for me so I didn't have to wait that long.

So note to self and friends out there - if you miss your flight, check around for the best last minute deal, it may belong to the airlines that you think will be the most expensive!

Note to self: Airasia food is really yummy, authentic, and super low priced compared to the other budget airlines!