Pa Auk Tawya Vipassana Dhura Hermitage

Unclaimed

This place is really peaceful and very big. One of the best places I'd been to in years. Keep in mind to be quiet and peaceful as to not disturb the monks and people who are attending the meditation retreat. My body couldn't handle the hike so I couldn't finish visiting the whole place.

A truly wonderful and beautiful temple. All so friendly and welcoming. If you are a westerner, please respect the code of dress. Shoulders and all the legs covered please. Both for males and females. Thank you

The trip from the city took about an hour. There was a gate and the gatekeeper let us in earlier, before the opening hour. The place so quiet and peaceful. If you still tranquility, this is the place, not to mention the views absolutely amazing. The perfect place to escape the weekly city buzz and hectic life.

About retreats: A very beautiful place to meditate in a quiet part of Batam. Monastic teacher and staff are kind, an active and generous sangha, rooms are comfortable enough for retreat, the meditation hall and the grounds are beautiful. The only thing I found difficult was the meditation hall was very hot (even with fans) and it made meditation more challenging than usual. We are also supposed to practice noble silence the whole time we are here (it's posted in the rules and on the walls) but this doesn't seem to be followed by many yogis or sayalays and is not enforced, so it can be noisy at times (outside of formal sitting meditation times). You're expected to keep your room clean and wash your bedding, but there are no cleaning/washing supplies provided. It would be good to be told ahead of time to bring your own if that's needed. Otherwise this is a good place to meditate (I'm not sure how quickly you can go deeply with the distractions though) and to observe and be part of monastery life.

Recommended to call first before visiting as there are visiting hours and meditation hours specifically defined. It's about a 1.5-hour drive from the city centre. Huge, quiet, and very peaceful temple.