Things to Do in Batam in March

Palms rustle outside the room. The scent of boreh scrub and floral oil hangs heavy. After the massage they serve lunch, maybe asam pedas fish stew, sharp and tangy, in a garden that feels miles from traffic.

Ferry to Penang, then on to Bukit Merah. Salt breeze gives way to damp forest and the low calls of orangutans. The sanctuary keeps them semi-wild; you watch from a boardwalk as youngsters swing in and elders peel fruit with deliberate fingers. Add George Town for hawker lunch and shophouse murals.

Start at Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya, golden Buddhas gleaming, incense curling to the rafters. Move on to Barelang Bridge, rusted fortifications and fishermen casting below. Between stops, charcoal-grilled satay, smoky and sweet, eaten standing up.

Soak first, warm milk laced with lime and cloves, then hour upon hour of reflexology and nail work in a hushed, dim room.

Timber restaurant above the tide. En-route you will pass banana fritter stalls, the sweet oil smell drifting through the window. Once on the pier the sea breeze cuts the heat. Fish arrives steamed or chili-slathered, caught that morning.

She meets you in Nagoya or at the ferry terminal, air-con already running, and threads calmly through motorbike swarms. Solo women and families like the quiet competence.