Foreplay - Bar, Live Music, Club - Batam
By
Tibs
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Foreplay is a bar/live music lounge/nightclub located in the heart of Kampung Bule in Nagoya, Batam. It is the most upmarket venue in this area, and the only one with a first drink charge (Rp100,000 every day and any time, even when it is empty). Considering this expensive entrance fee, I was expecting the place to be modern and exciting but I must say I was disappointed. I visited a Wednesday and it was rather quiet with only a few tables occupied. It is small and dark, and it looks rather old. Most of the people inside were either waiters or hostesses paid by the management. The band was playing mostly depressive love songs that seemed to put everyone to sleep. Thank God once in a while the DJ was playing more upbeat techno.
Nightlife in Batam - Overview: Batam is a small island in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) located about 45 minutes from Singapore by ferry. With a population of 800,000 souls, it is the home to a small community of expatriates , most of them working in the Oil & Gas or in the High Tech manufacturing. Unlike in other parts of Indonesia, you'll find that Batam is rather well organized and clean. Close to Singapore and very little traffic. NEW REVIEW October 2016: 18 Best Hotels Near Batam Nightlife and Spas The Indonesian island of Batam has long been one the best kept secrets as a low cost getaway for Singaporean local and expats. The island has seven golf courses, several resorts and the costs are a fraction compared to Singapore and Bali. There is also an expat entertainment area like Blok M / Kemang.
Kampung Bule is the main area for expat-oriented nightlife in Batam (Bule = white foreigners, Kampung = neighborhood). It is located in Nagoya, about 10 minutes by taxi from the Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal . It is also sometimes referred to as NED (Nagoya Entertainment District). Need a Hotel? Please Read: 18 Best Hotels Near Batam Nightlife and Spas . It is a small red-light district with only a few streets and not more than 40 bars, nightclubs and massage parlors. I find Kampung Bule to be quite boring to be honest as almost all the venues are identical (which is not surprising considering they are owned by a handful of individuals).
In September/October 2016, I stayed over a month in Batam in Nagoya Mansion Hotel . As they have an interesting monthly rate at Rp6,500,000 for a studio, it can be an interesting option for long-stay guests. For shorter stays though, I don't really recommend it as it is a bit far from everything with barely any food/shopping options very nearby. I've compiled below a list of 18 hotels that are each conveniently located near Batam nightlife . Most of them have either an in-house nightclub, a bar, a karaoke, a massage parlour or a fully-equipped spa. They are all girl-friendly or guest-friendly. I am indicating an approximate price in brackets. You can check the updated rate by clicking on the link provided. I make a small commission from Agoda if you book using my links, but this does not affect the price you pay. If you want to compare the hotel rates between Agoda and other booking engines, please consider using hotelscombined.com . I also get a commission i
F1 Club & KTV is my favorite nightclub in Batam. It is located on the basement of Planet Holiday , one of the largest and most famous hotels on the island. In the same building, you also have Planet 1, a head-shaking techno disco similar to Newton , a billiard center and a big karaoke. F1 is built in a L shape with a bar occupying the whole left side. In the middle, you have a stage for live bands to perform and sofas just in front. It is not so big so you should make a table booking if you plan to visit on a weekend night (during the week it is much more quiet). They have a live band every night until 2am (Top 40 and Indonesian songs), followed by a DJ playing party anthems/EDM until 5am. There are quite many girls, most of which I believe are working in the karaoke. There might be a few normal ones as well. I also saw at least 2 ladyboys. No entrance fee. A whisky coke cost Rp112,000.
Square is a high-end nightclub and karaoke located inside the I Baloi Hotel in Batam . It is about 10 minutes away by car from Kampung Bule in Nagoya and 5 minutes from BCS Mall by foot. Along with Titanium , Square is one of the favorite nightlife venues in Batam among the local elite (a lot of Indonesian-Chinese inside). It is clean, modern, with a proper lighting and sound system, similar to the one you could find in Jakarta. There is a bit of a naughty side as usual in the karaoke (lady companions), but it is rather discreet. Plenty of normal girls visit Square, but I wouldn't go as far as saying it is a pick up place because most of them are visiting with their own group of friends.
HH Discotheque in Planet Hotel 3 has to be one of the loudest I've ever been to in my life. I went inside for only 20 minutes, but my ears are still ringing from the noise until today. HH is one of the many ecstasy-oriented nightclubs in Batam, along with Planet 1 , Planet 2 Newton and Pacific . They all have pretty much the same concept: Total darkness, aggressive techno music and drug dealers ready to serve you. There are also prostitutes naturally. On the day I visited (Friday), it was quite busy but not as much as Newton. I ordered a regular beer which I was surprised to pay a whopping Rp75,000 (considering I had already bought a Rp30,000 entrance fee with no drinks). A few seconds after I sat, a security guard came to ask me if I wanted girls or ecstasy. I said no, then a waiter also tried. Later, a girl came to my table, introduced herself and asked me for drinks. She left immediately after I told her I didn't want to buy her anything. Anyway the club wa
Pacific Disco is the nightclub inside Pacific Hotel in Batam. This 4-star property is located just 3 minutes from the Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal and 10 minutes from Kampung Bule in Nagoya. It is famous for being oddly-shaped like a cruise ship ( look at the pictures here to see how it looks like ). The disco is on the ground floor, near from the entrance. There is also a karaoke on the 2nd floor and a spa called Octopuss that offers extra services (last floor). Pacific Disco is normally busy on the weekends, particularly with Singaporeans. Their number has been reduced though in recent years. The place is very dark and loud, similar with other venues like Newton Hotel . Most of the girls inside are prostitutes who will ask you for ecstasy instead of lady drinks. Drugs can be bought very easily, even from the security or the waiters.