Versace Mansion in South Beach begins tours

A fountain in the courtyard of Casa Casuarina.

For years, the iconic South Beach mansion best known as the place Gianni Versace lived and died was open only to the privileged few.

Before the designer’s death more than a decade ago, his celebrity friends stayed so often, rooms were outfitted with them in mind. After Versace’s murder and the house’s sale, it become home to another mogul with A-list friends.

But, slowly, 1116 Ocean Drive has opened its doors, first as an invitation-only private club, then allowing non-members to stay in its ornate rooms, and now to the masses -- or at least anyone willing to plunk down US$65 for a tour.

“It was just kind of a domino effect,” said Elisa Brinkworth, a spokeswoman for Casa Casuarina, as the 2,415-square-meter estate is allied. “The more people you let in the more that wanted to come in.”

The possibility of touring the villa and enjoying a meal there afterward -- or if you’re lucky enough, to stay in one of its 10 suites -- doesn’t come cheap. But it offers visitors a glimpse of a truly special place long kept from the pubic.

Outside, tourists flock to the cast-iron gates, taking pictures all hours of the day. It is not until you enter, though, that you truly sense its magnificence.

Pass through the limestone arch, into the courtyard of Casa Casuarina, and the fuss all makes sense. The trickle of water from a fountain, the shift of clouds above, the tickle of Atlantic breezes -- the simple beauty of each is enhanced by the home’s lavishness.

A lion rug in the Safari Room at Casa Casuarina

Every inch of this place, every detail, is full of thought and history and detail. And yet it feels intimate and generally not over-the-top.

Modeled after Alcazar de Colon, the Dinican Republic house built by Christopher Columbus’ family in 1510, Casa Casuarina is a three-story, Mediterranean-style home surrounded by a high wall on a fashionable stretch of Ocean Drive.

It was built in 1930 by Standard Oil heir Alden Freeman, later became a hotel, spiraled into disrepair, and was one point a hostel where rooms went for as little as $1 a night. Versace bought it in 1992, along with a hotel next door, and did massive renovations to make the estate what it is today.

The purchase of the neighboring hotel made room for Versace’s pool, a centerpiece of the tour, made of more than a million Italian mosaic tiles and 24-karat gold pieces. Its design was inspired by a Versace scarf and was created in Italy, broken down, shipped in numbered sections and reassembled here.

Versace’s touches are everywhere, often in the form of his Medusa head logo, which is seen in gold, on gates and railings, in stone mosaics even on shower drains. And, of course, visitors will want to know where he spent his final moment that Tuesday in July 1997, which staff prefer not to speak about. He was shot by a serial killer who later committed suicide.

“We don’t like to talk about it, but it happened by the steps,” Brinkworth says. “We try to live out his legacy rather than his death and, obviously, when people come in the house you’ll start to see the beauty he left behind. It kind of takes away from the tragedy that happened outside of the gates.”

The home is no longer owned by the Versace family; it was sold in 2000 to telecommunications mogul Peter Loftin, who has slowly made the estate more public while maintaining all of the Versace touches.

The home is full of tapestries, sculptures and paintings. The smell of fresh flowers and sound of classical music fills the air. The roughly hour-long tour includes the central courtyard, dining room, lounges, the pool and a look at a marble toilet with a golden seat, billed as one of only three in the world.

While the downstairs of the home is exquisite, whether it’s worth the price of the tour depends on your interest in art and architecture, your desire to gain access to an exclusive place, and your level of disposable income.

Upstairs is off-limits to tourists. To get a glimpse, you must be a club member or a paying guest. But it, too, is stunning and steeped in a history dotted with familiar names.

There’s the bathtub -- the only one in a house full of showers -- put in for Madonna. There’s the uppermost area of the house, the observatory, where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reportedly enjoyed a three-hour dinner before getting engaged. There’s Versace’s sprawling cedar closet, one filled more recently, the host says, by Paris Hilton.

The name-dropping here doesn’t stop. The Wedgwood Suite was Cher’s favorite; the Safari Suite was Elton John’s. A photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton hangs in a cigar lounge; mentions of recent guests are made effortlessly.

Just stepping out on one of the balconies facing Ocean Drive and throngs of tourists makes you a celebrity, albeit briefly, too.

A view of the Atlantic Ocean is seen from the rooftop of Casa Casuarina.

The bedrooms share many of the characteristics of downstairs -- elegant chandeliers and moldings; thick, rich drapes and bedding; and artwork on the walls. But they also often offer stunning views -- in the foreground, a fountain spouts water into the pool, and just off in the distance, behind the palms, soft ocean waters lap ashore.

The style of each suite is very different, though they may share the fact that they’re all out of your budget.

Three of the 10 rooms go for $1,200 during the peak winter season, plus 13 percent tax and 22 percent service charge. The others climb in price, up to the owner’s suite, which goes for $10,000 nightly. Prices are cheaper in summer, when the blistering heat chases many tourists away, and for members.

There is no way to sugarcoat the price, but it is worth noting that you could stay in one of the cheapest rooms and have room for several and that, given the exclusivity, a lower-end room could be considered a deal compared with other pricey South Beach hotel suites. In the Parrot Suite and the Wedgwood Suite, there are two full-sized daybeds in addition to a queen, meaning it could comfortably sleep four.

And, it is an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Those who take the tour may stay for breakfast or lunch, depending on the time of day. But it, too, will come at a price. My colleague and I had salads, pasta and a bottle of water. It was sumptuous, but the tab was about $120.

No one expects the Versace mansion to be cheap; they do expect it to be special. And it delivers. In here, everything seems different, and a Tuesday afternoon is transformed from mundane to magical.

If You Go...

CASA CASUARINA: Gianni Versace mansion, 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; http://www.casacasuarina.com/ or 305-672-6604.

Call for tour reservations. Tours typically offered every other day during the peak tourist season, with times varying morning and afternoon.

Cost: $65. Those who take the tour can enjoy breakfast or dinner at Loftin’s 1116 Ocean, the in-house restaurant, at an additional cost.

Lawang Sewu: Ahaunted, sad place

The internal courtyard is attractively framed by galleries and cloisters.

Looming magnificently and yet sadly, over a major traffic island in central Semarang stands the building known as Lawang Sewu.

Lawang Sewu has many tales to tell but today it is quite tragically neglected and wasting away. This grand building stands empty and, in parts, is desperately dilapidated.

It was built by the Dutch in the mid-19th century as the headquarters for their Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij, or the Dutch Indies Rail Company. In its day it dominated the surrounding area with its high towers and sprawling footprint but in the war years of the 1940s it seems the Japanese made particularly nasty use of it.

Interrogations were apparently held within the confines of the building and many of the victims were even killed by the invaders inside its walls. It is from these more gruesome aspects of the building’s past that ghost tales arise.

There are tales told of headless ghouls wandering the corridors and of a young Dutch lady who killed herself in the building, for reasons unknown. But perhaps the design and current condition of the building allows for the embellishment of these tales.

The building is known as Lawang Sewu, which can be translated as the Building of a Thousand Doors. There are a very great many doors in the building but it is unlikely that there are actually a thousand. It is true though that there are long corridors with numerous doors and rooms along them. It is but a small stretch of the imagination to imagine ghosts and ghouls weaving their way between these rooms and through these doors.

Sadly it is a greater stretch of the imagination to conjure up images of what the building must have been like in its heyday. Today it is a dark and evidently sick. Its white walls are faded throughout; blackened by pollution and neglect. Rendered walls are cracked and any wall paper has long since fallen away to reveal the red bricks beneath. Mould and weeds grow over much of the building and mice and rats are the chief residents.

But even with all this neglect and terrible dilapidation there are parts of the building that survive and give hints at its former, undoubted glory. Take for example the main and central entry point into the building. Stepping into the building from here one is confronted by a monumental and powerful staircase that would not look out of place in an ancient castle or cathedral.

Light streams down onto this great stone staircase, colored by the glass through which it filters. Incredibly, given the extent of neglect and damage, these huge, high windows remain intact and what a wonder to the eye they are!

Arriving at the right time of day, it is possible to see these stain-glass windows in a wonderful riot of color. Light streams through, bringing them to life with their vibrant colors, which are perhaps accentuated by the grey stones of the staircase, and neglected walls that surround it.
The Dutch cities of Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam are depicted in the glass. Coats of arms sit at the tops of the windows and beneath these are two large, full-length female figures whose flowing robes are detailed and rich in color.

On other parts of the windows are details that are indicative of the colonial and mercantile origins of the building. There is a representation of a steamship riding the waves presumably between Europe and the Indonesian archipelago. Central to all of the windows is a single wheel, seemingly emerging from clouds. This alludes to the building’s railway connection.

Lawang Sewu stands magnificently overlooking a major traffic in Semarang city center.

Little else, though, is left in the building to suggest its original purpose. Rooms that were perhaps once busy offices are now empty and look forlorn. In parts, temporary columns have been installed to keep roof from falling in. The neglect is wretched and one wonders how long a building can survive in such a state.

The neglect is made all the more sad, even shameful, considering the quality of the building’s design. Its open galleries and ground floor cloisters are solid and fortress-like but there are subtle details too within the building. The stain-glass windows are an excellent example of this but elsewhere there are fine architectural touches.

Turning a corner the visitor arrives at a dark hole that runs between floors. Nothing can really be seen in this black hole but shine a light down it and what is revealed is a beautifully detailed cast-iron spiral staircase that is probably more than 100 years old; today though it is disused and covered in a thick layer of sooty dust.

Many of Lawang Sewu’s legendary doors have been lost and those that remain nearly all seem to have been stripped of their locks and handles. The empty, high-ceilinged corridors of the building no longer echo with the voices and hubbub of offices workers; instead only the voices of curious visitors are heard and many of these visitors come because of the building’s reputation for ghosts.

But tales of ghosts and ghouls should not be what this great building is all about. Bandung has its Gedung Sate, a great building that has become a symbol of that city. Semarang should have Lawang Sewu as a living and actively used building and symbol of its status.

Some say that the ghost-stories associated with the building deter people from renovating and bringing it back to use and life. How silly this does seem?!

Restoration of historic Arizona mission advancing

The White Dove of the Desert is living up to its nickname again, its west tower refurbished, resplendent in a dazzling white finish once more.

The tower at Mission San Xavier del Bac emerged just before Christmas from the scaffolding that restoration workers had being using - like a butterfly shedding its cocoon, said architect Bob Vint, who spearheaded the five-year, $2.5 million project.

the inside of San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, Ariz.

Now, it's on to restoring the east tower of the 226-year-old Roman Catholic church, which is still an active parish for southern Arizona's Tohono O'odham Indians. Its towers are visible for miles, and the restoration is intended to ensure that the structure remains intact.

"The interior of the mission is what it's all about," said Vint. "All of this exterior work is being done to protect the interior."

The mission, sometimes called "the Sistine Chapel of the United States" and the "White Dove of the Desert," is considered the finest example of Spanish colonial architecture in the country. The walls of its Byzantine-influenced interior are ablaze with frescoes, a religious gallery of work painted directly on its walls by missionaries two centuries ago.

The watercolor portraits and statuary were restored a decade ago by a team including some of the world's top art conservators.

In all, 300 angels and more than 100 saints are represented in watercolors, sculpture or bas relief highlighted in a profusion of gold and silver leaf.

For both Vint and Danny Morales, whose family company, Morales Construction & Builders, has done work at the mission for more than half a century, San Xavier's restoration is the project of a lifetime.

"This place doesn't get tiring at all," said Morales, 47, who has spent most of his time for the past 28 years on many of those projects. "You always learn something. We've been here so long, but we still constantly learn something."

His 75-year-old father, Sonny, has been doing masonry-related work at the mission since 1947, and his son is the family's fifth generation to toil there.

The San Xavier del Bac Mission is seen in Tucson, Ariz.

Repairing San Xavier's exterior has been a painstaking task requiring the removal of concrete applied during earlier renovations - most recently in the early 1950s. Concrete trapped salt-crystallizing moisture inside the adobe brick walls over the decades, causing the brick to deteriorate.

Morales and his crew employ a technique long used by Spanish, Mexican, Italian and Egyptian artisans.

After raking out the deteriorated brick and replacing it where needed with new adobe brick, they apply layers of a lime and sand mortar, mixed with a glue made from prickly pear cactus juice.

The moisture in the slow-drying mortar must evaporate sufficiently before adding subsequent layers. A mortar whitewash is painted on at the finish.

The tower's original projections - all its cornices, balusters, balustrades and volutes - were restored, eliminating alterations. The bell tower floor was lowered several inches to its original height, removing concrete and rocks added years ago. Mesquite was used to replace soft pine wood supports, door jambs and stair edges.

"We brought it back to the way it was originally, by the use of old photos and a lot of research," Morales said.

"If you look at both towers, you can just see how the white has brought out the mission," said Margie Butler, a guidance counselor at the San Xavier Mission School and a Tohono O'odham tribal member. "It's so bright and clean, to have it look so nice again."

Visitors keep asking how long it will be before the faded, drab-looking east tower is refinished, Butler said. "I am really happy with what I see ... and how beautiful they have brought it back. The White Dove of the Desert - how it stands out."

Initial design work has begun for restoring the east tower, which is expected to take less time and cost about $1 million less because it has no roof, dome or lantern. The Patronato San Xavier, the mission's nonprofit support group, has received a $150,000 matching grant from Arizona State Parks.

Vint has said the building is the only one of its type in the United States.

Likewise, the restoration project is unique in the nation, he said. "I think there's nothing else like it."

---

If You Go...

MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BAC: 1950 W. San Xavier Road, San Xavier District, on Arizona's Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation south of Tucson, a little less than a mile off Interstate 19 exit 92 and about 20 minutes from Tucson International Airport or 520-294-2624. The church is open daily, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Mass celebrated daily at 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.; Saturday, Sunday vigil, 5:30 p.m.; Sunday Mass, 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m.

Romance, serenity at the Water Palace

Culture: A view over the ponds of the Soekasada water palace, with the garden compound in the background.

If you're hungering for a taste of history, art and culture, you will get a good dose in Karangasem regency, in the eastern part of Bali, which is rich in examples of the island's cultural heritage.

Taman Soekasada or "The Water Palace" in Ujung is one of Bali's finest such cultural treasures.

It is, in short, an astounding architectural and cultural jewel not to be missed.

The 12-hectare water palace complex some 5 kilometers south of Amlapura, the capital of Karangasem, is ringed by an ornate fence.

The three big pavilions float on a serene lotus pond, connected by bridges, creating an intriguing and romantic atmosphere.

The palace was designed and constructed under the patronage and protection of Karangasem's last king, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karang Asem, in 1926.

The late ruler, a learned and well-traveled man, modeled Soekasada on the Versailles Palace in France.

It was originally intended as a meeting place and guesthouse for delegates of the Dutch government and dignitaries of other countries visiting tropical Bali.

Serenity: The still waters of a lotus pond in the Soekasada water palace, East Bali, surround one of the pavilions.

The wide windows of the pavilions look over the palace waters, testimony to the late ruler's passion for harmonizing nature and art. As a culturalist with an international perspective, he blended traditional motifs with modern materials, and balanced Western-style geometry with a Balinese sense of place and symbolism. To ensure his cultural vision materialized, he personally oversaw work at the construction site.

A visit is memorable: Take in the exotic blend of western and Middle Eastern architectural styles enlivened with intricated Balinese carvings, or stroll under the Middle Eastern flavored archways held up by elegant Italian columns, or pause a moment in a walkway shaded by frangipangi and mango trees.

The highest point in the park affords a marvelous view over the distant Lombok Strait and the lush green hills of Mt. Rinjani in Lombok. The view north is a breathtaking panorama of rice terraces set against the backdrop of the mighty Mt. Agung.

Soekasada sustained severe da-mage during the eruption of Mt. Agung in 1963 and the earthquake in 1975.

Because of the future of Bali's rich art and cultural heritage lies in its past, intensive restoration work was carried out from 2000 to 2004 by members of the Karang Asem court.

Thanks to these efforts, one of Bali's finest examples of its cultural heritage has been saved.

Getting away from it all in West Sumatra

Imbulun Sangir Waterfall

West Sumatra's natural beauty has long had regional cachet, even dating back to the early 1900s during the Dutch Colonial era.

It abounds with mountains, valleys, rivers, springs, caves and forests. One regency in the province, Solok Selatan, or South Solok, has them all. Recently we traveled through Solok Selatan for five days to see for ourselves how the natural beauty was standing up.

Our rental car set off on smooth asphalt roads from the Minangkabau International Airport leaving West Sumatra's capital Padang behind us. Just past the Bung Hatta Nature Park, we began the first real adventure: twisting and turning roads with plenty of rocky roadbed. But we had no excuse to worry: The lush vegetation and clean, fast-running streams caught our attention from both sides of the car.

The rain caught up with us when we made a stop at Kayo Aro Lubuk Selasih restaurant for lunch. It was still a long way to Solok Selatan. Another stop we made was at Di Atas Lake before reaching the border between Solok Selatan and Solok. Before dusk we arrived at Wisma Umi Kalsum lodging in Muaro Labuh where we stayed the night. We fell on a happy coincidence for we got the chance to enjoy rarely seen traditional performances like Rahab and Saluang Panjang after dinner, staged for some well-heeled guests staying at the modest inn.

Botang Liki river

Our first full day was devoted to exploring the awe and fun of the region's fast waters. Our first destination was the 15-meter-high Imbulun Sangir waterfall on the Batang Liki river located at the village of Lubuak Gadang, 161 kilometers from Padang. Then we ventured on to another waterfall 10 kilometers further upland, the Tansi Ampek in Sungai Lambai village. This waterfall is unique because it sits smack-dab in the middle of a tea plantation. To reach it, we had to walk single file along a narrow 100-meter path. Its waters feed at least 10 rivers in Solok Selatan, three of which have top-notch rafting spots. Tempted by the currents, we eventually tried this sport at the most famous of the three, Batang Liki. Lunch was served riverside once we finished rafting that watercourse. We continued on to Batang Sangir which had stronger currents. Generally speaking, Batang Sangir is rated five out of six for difficulty, six being most challenging. The last stage of the rafting session put us on the famous Batang Hari river, 79 kilometers from Padang Aro, the capital of Solok Selatan. This river marks the border between the West Sumatra and Jambi provinces.

The next day we shifted our attention from rafting to hiking. The Mitra Kerinci tea plantation was our starting point as we set out to climb Mt. Kerinci (3,805 m) the highest mountain in Sumatra. Most climbers ascend via the Kresik Tuo (old route) starting from Kerinci Regency in Jambi, but we had heard about a new approach. Upon arriving at the tea plantation, we spent half an hour just admiring the breathtaking scenery of the sea of tea bushes against the backdrop of Mt. Kerinci. Then it was time to drive to the base camp to start our climb. We met Hedi who recently led an 18-member team to open up the new route. "We've opened this new route called the North Route. Water supplies are more accessible from this route compared to the old way up from Jambi."

"Just 100 meters before reaching the peak we will cross the conventional route, the Kresik Tuo."

A tourist observes a stalagnite at Bukit Sungai Mintan.

We returned to our lodge before gearing up for the next adventure; going inside the Earth, or caving. Our destination this time was Bukit Sungai Mintan cave in Sangir Batanghari district. We drove close to the cave, then pulled off to the side of the road. Inside the cave we found underground rivers with moderate currents and many stalagmites and stalactites. There were even columns where the two formations had joined, in the cave's depths. Except for villagers, few people have explored this cave, apparently, which may account for its pristine condition.

Having roamed the cave, we returned to our lodgings and rested up. Our plan was to visit the hot springs Panas Sapan Maluluang in Nagari Alam Pauh Duo, 23 kilometers from Solok Selatan's capital. The spring, deep inside a rubber tree plantation, was accessible by car or motorcycle.

Legend has it Sapan Maluluang and its small pond about five by 10 meters square formed after a volcanic eruption. Billowing steam and the pungent smell of sulphur welcomed us as we approached. Too hot for a dip, the waters are said to be 100* Celsius. To test this, we took some eggs, put them in a plastic bag and placed it in the pond. Voila! In less than 10 minute, our boiled eggs were ready to eat.

Solok selatan residents hold a ritual to greet new planting season.

Our next treat was a walk to Ngalau Indah and a rubber tree and coffee plantation. Several smaller caves in this village were worth the visit. Though as not as pretty as the first caves, these were interesting because residents were using them to breed swallows and sell their highly prized nests.

Over so soon? On our way back to Padang, we did the math. Five days were too few. Along the way we got the feeling we had glimpsed only a small sampling of Solok Selatan's beauty.

If You Go...

Solok Selatan is the youngest regency in West Sumatra. Home to more than 130,000 people, it is accessible with ground transportation from the Minangkabau International Airport in Padang.

You can take a public minibus or rent a car at the airport. The minibus usually charges Rp 50,000 (about US$5) and a rental car will cost you Rp 450,000 per day.

It takes 3 hours to get to Solok Selatan from Padang. If practicality and security matters, most travel agents in Padang can set you up with a tour package.

San Diego: SeaWorld, zoo, beach great for kids

I hate change, so for me vacation happiness means going to the same place each year.

Which is why I've taken my girls, aged 11 and 14, to San Diego for six years running over their spring break.

Whale show at SeaWorld in San Diego, Calif.

Our motto: See SeaWorld, and see a lot of it. But we also include the San Diego Zoo and the beach on our visits, a perfect combination for a family vacation with kids of any age, from toddler to teen.

Visiting SeaWorld requires planning if you want to pack in as much as possible. The park hands out a map with the day's schedule at the entrance and we find it's best to spend a little time using that to decide where to start. The 11-year-old, an avid Animal Planet watcher and bossy to boot, usually calls the shots.

First stop is the Shamu show, showcasing the big black-and-white orcas for which the park is famous. We find the earnest introductory narration a bit goofy. But when the big mammals start swimming, we're riveted.

The dolphin show is always fun. We listen to the same corny patter and old jokes every year and still thrill at the sight of the animals leaping and twirling above the water.

If we're feeling adventurous, we sit in the "splash zone" — the front rows where you're warned you may get wet. They're not kidding. Unless you have something waterproof to protect expensive cameras etc., you really should move. You may get cat-caught-in-the-rain drenched. We took a pounding at the dolphin show last year, but luckily, we had our official SeaWorld plastic ponchos at the ready.

The park also offers quieter attractions. The 11-year-old can spend half an hour leaning over the wall of the bat ray pool (stingers removed) reaching out to stroke their soft, velvety backs. Feeding the rays is fun, too, although it's definitely an odd sensation the first time you feel them suck the fish out from your fingers.

At night there's Sea Lions Tonight — running in the summer and during a few weeks in the spring — parodying the park's other shows with surprisingly irreverent wit.

It doesn't come cheap, although there are ways to pinch a few pennies from your travel budget. There are various offers available on the Web, including 3-for-1 tickets good for SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

After a day at SeaWorld, we're usually ready for the calmer pace of the zoo. It's always interesting to walk through the panda exhibit — they don't seem to do a lot, but they look good anyway — and we like to spend time wandering along the zoo's tree-lined pathways looking to see what animals may have come out of their lairs to take a look at the passing people.

The sea lion show here is an interesting contrast to SeaWorld, not many props and flashy tricks, but still entertaining. Watching a sea lion impersonate a seal and a swimmer were highlights for us on last year's visit.

And there are always stupid human tricks. On one visit, we spent some time looking for the zoo's Galapagos tortoises; all we could see were some big rocks. Then one of the rocks got up and we realized our mistake.

If you're going to the zoo, be prepared to walk. There are signs pointing out steep and less steep inclines and a bus for those who are not up to long treks. This year we were just about done when we got to the polar bears (they were doing some serious napping) and were more than ready to ride the cable car back to the park entrance.

Of course, San Diego is about more than amusement parks.

There's the historic Gaslamp Quarter, a mix of shopping, entertainment and restaurants downtown that makes a nice getaway without kids, if you have that option.

Another option is to take the ferry to Coronado and rent bikes for a spin to the famous Hotel del Coronado, site of the movie "Some Like It Hot" and instantly recognizable with its deep red roof.

And, of course, there are the beaches. We usually visit in the spring, when crowds are smaller but temperatures are also lower. But in any weather, it's cheap fun to take a long walk at the water's edge looking for shells, followed by a snack at a beach-side diner.

Every year we come back sun-burned, broke and resolved to return.

A change is as good as a rest, it turns out, even for someone who hates change.

___

If You Go...

SEAWORLD: 500 Sea World Drive. Ticket prices vary, single-day ticket for ages 10 and up, $65.

SAN DIEGO ZOO: 2920 Zoo Drive in Balboa Park. Ticket prices vary, single-day prices $35 for ages 12 and up.

HOTEL DEL CORONADO: 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado.

GASLAMP QUARTER: Downtown San Diego between Broadway and Harbor Drive.

Seeking some rest and recreation in the hidden corner of Batam

A little peace: Nongsa, on the coast of Batam Island, provides a place to get away from it all for a while, to enjoy comfortable resorts, water activites and restful ocean views.

Let’s start by being brutally honest: At first glance, Batam Island does not really appear a great vacation proposition.

Parts of the island are best described as an eyesore, with highly utilitarian industrial and commercial premises stretching over large swathes of the land.

And let’s be frank about the land itself, too – flat for one thing, with soil – exposed through the island’s numerous excavations – in an unappealing orangey-yellowish color that looks infertile and grubby.

Now we’ve got that out of the way, there is one more thing to add: Better things lie ahead.

As you travel from the island’s Hang Nadim airport to the area known as Nongsa, the industrial and commercial buildings – and that grubby-looking soil – gradually give way to dense thickets of shrubs and low-lying plants.

Keep going. This unkempt shrubbery then gives way to something else – to signs of humanity taming this wilderness and making it into something lovely and fresh. You have arrived at the dreamy vacation area of Nongsa, Nongsa is in the northern coastal region of Batam Island, with attractive inlets and beaches that add up to an idyllic and tranquil setting for some rest and recreation. There are golf courses here for those so interested, but it is much more the coast, the beaches and the resorts along the waterfront that attract visitors.

The resorts at Nongsa range from the pristine and ultramodern to the more traditional and tropical made from timber and bamboo with thatched roofs. Some of the modern architecture is impressive but those who find all that concrete and steel clinical and cold with may prefer the more “traditional” architecture with its natural materials.

Regardless of the style of architecture, the common theme here is the sea and the Strait of Singapore that Nongsa looks out onto. The shores and skyscrapers of Singapore are visible in the distance – no prizes for guessing why Singaporeans account for many of the holidaymakers.

Singapore is but a 45-minute ferry ride away, making it all too easy for those city-dwellers to escape their crowded city-state for the tranquility of Batam’s resort, the ferry dropping them at the very well-constructed and -managed ferry terminal known as Nongsapura.

Thanks to Nongsapura, getting to and from the resorts is easy and comfortable, with ferries setting off at regular intervals to destinations in both Singapore and Malaysia. These speedy ferries deftly negotiate busy waters, weaving around the huge cargo ships and tankers that pass through the strait. Before all that, though, comes the Nongsa River.

The Nongsa River connects the island to the strait. Like much of the rest of Batam Island, it is surrounded by dense vegetation, which lends it a distinctly wild air. Trips upriver to view exotic birds and wild monkeys are possible, although most people find it hard to drag themselves away from the coast.

One of those coastal attractions is Nongsa’s impressive and expansive marina open to private vessels. Otherwise, there are plenty of watery activities to help while away the holidays: fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and banana boating.

The downside of all these water activities is the water itself – or more particularly the clarity of the water. It is perhaps only to be expected that with this strait being a major marine thoroughfare – dozens of massive ships pass through the Strait and often time clouds of exhaust fumes can be seen belching from their enormous engines – the water is going to be on the murky side of pristine.

The problem of pollution is also evident in the work of the cleaners raking the beaches each morning, burying the less desirable offerings that have been washed up on the shore.

Never mind – there is no need to swim in the sea, as the resorts all have their own swimming pools replete with fountains and waterfalls, and a mix of depths to please everyone from children and the more serious swimmer. Given this, the sea may be better left alone as a backdrop for the resorts.

Otherwise, the environment in Nongsa is generally clean and well kept, creating great benefits for the local wildlife. In the thick lush forests, visitors can see exotic and colorful birds going about their business of foraging and nesting. At night, bats sweep across the sky, gorging themselves on the abundant fruit hanging from the trees.

Nongsa and its resorts may be quite different from the rest of Batam Island, but are created ideally for rest and recreation. The detail in the construction and management of the hotels and resorts means taking a vacation here can be very pleasing and satisfying – regardless of first impressions.