Local Market (with Much Cheaper Stuff) Near Pasar Oleh Oleh & Kampong Lagoi @ Bintan Island

In close proximity to Pasar Oleh Oleh and Kampong Lagoi is a local market guaranteed to be wallet-friendly for any visitor who has a budget constraint! 

Firstly, walk out of the entrance of Pasar Oleh Oleh, turn right and turn right again at the next turn where you would be greeted with the content in the above picture. Continue further ahead towards the landmark of a 4-storey building. 

From my understanding, the local market was catered for employees of Bintan resorts; many of whom stayed in the nearby staff quarters. Although it was open to the public, most visitors of Pasar Oleh Oleh and Kampong Lagoi remained unaware of its existence.

These buildings must have housed staff who are of higher positions due to the existence of a luxurious item; air-conditioning units. 

Since it was shortly after lunch when i walked over, the neighbourhood was dead quiet; guess most occupants must be either taking an afternoon nap or returning back to work in the resorts.

We have reached the destination! There is no official distance given but i took around five minutes and i guess the distance between Pasar Oleh Oleh and the local market should be in the range of 300-400 meters. 

There was a Singapore style hawker center comprising of nineteen stalls in total, with eleven that were operational and selling a variety of Indonesian fare. Given my weak stomach, i thought it was best just to look around and not to eat. Prices were not indicated; therefore, i could not comment further on the pricing. 

Those who would be staying for a few days at Bintan resorts should seriously consider paying the market a visit in their first day as you could find easily find vegetables, fruits, eggs, cooking oil and even packets of sauces etc to whip up a good meal without costing a bomb! 

Need to get a SIM card to beat the crazy roaming and data charges? Get it in this market too!

Guess i stepped in too late as there were structural remnants of what appeared to be a wet section selling fresh meat and seafood! The view of people snoozing barefooted on the stalls would, however, definitely deter my mom from buying any raw meat.

Next to the market was a row of low rise shophouses; this was where i got my purchases of bottled water for less than S$1 each (i paid 5,000 rupiah)! A similar bottle of the same capacity (1.5 liters) had a price tag of S$3-4 within the resort!

Minimarts offering many items for sale at local prices! Do stash up on mineral water (as i mentioned previously), juices, milk, coffee, snacks, beer etc! Those who have forgotten to bring their anti-dandruff shampoo would be pleased to know that there were a few brands for you to choose from! 

Stroll across the small road to the 4-storey building in where you can find a few commercial entities like massage salons and spas. There was another D'Bintan Salon Day Spa?! Damn, are the rates cheaper than its branch in Pasar Oleh Oleh? 

Restaurant Kampoeng Nelayan - a typical air-conditioned seafood restaurant commonly found in Singapore. To dine in a more rustic environment, please click here. 

The good thing was that you can select the seafood yourself in the many tanks located next door; personally, i actually feel that it is cruel to pinpoint and end the life of a living creature that could likely be served as food on the dining table! I think i will turn vegetarian if i am ever stuck alone in an island! Anyway, pricing was comparable to Singapore with crabs costing S$50 a kilogram. 

Yet another small scaled supermarket but it was more tidy and spacious! A magnum ice cream cost 22,500 rupiah (approximately S$3 plus) at Pasar Oleh Oleh; in the local market vicinity, it was sold for 11,000 rupiah (half price at less than S$1.50)! 

Don't want to lug a whole pack of instant beverage back to Singapore or unsure on what to have? Select from the wide choices available in individual baskets (we should have this kind of concept in Singapore)! 

Mi-won kopi ginseng - 3-in-1 coffee lovers should get a few boxes of these rich ginseng coffee! With six sachets in a box, the price tag was less than S$2 (honestly, i could not remember). Other things worth buying include hair waxes; S$2 for Gatsby Mat and Hard etc! 

Time to go back as Mom's massage session was ending soon! On my walk back, i bumped into a few children on bicycles who had just returned from school. 

It was a picture of happy carefreeness that i am super envious of. 

Wtf,I think i am facing a mid life crisis! 

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Location

Near to Kampong Lagoi and Pasar Oleh Oleh

Map

A rough gauge of what i remember! 

How to Go?

Check out the last few paragraphs of my Pasar Oleh Oleh post.

Additional Information

You may read my posts on Kampong Lagoi and Pasar Oleh Oleh via here and here.