Batam
Table of Contents: Cities / Other destinations / Culture and History / Talk / Travel to Batam, visa requirements / Visa Flights to Batam, airtickets By boat / Get around / Batam attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Batam nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Stay safe / Get out / Contact / Telephone numbers / Postal services More from Riau Islands: Batam, Bintan, Karimun, Kundur More from Sumatra: Aceh, Kerinci Seblat National Park, North Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, South Sumatra More from Indonesia: Bali, Java, Kalimantan, Komodo National Park, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara, South East Sulawesi, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Western New Guinea More from Southeast Asia: Borneo, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, One month of Southeast Asian diving and culture, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands, Thailand, Vietnam More from Asia: Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Southeast Asia |
Batam is a small but busy island in Indonesia of 45km x 25km and nearly a million people, hundreds of multinational owned factories, towns, shopping centres and gateway to the Riau Islands.
Cities
- Nagoya (Lubuk Baja)
- Nongsapura
- Batam Centre
- Sekupang
- Jodoh
- Telaga Punggur
Other destinations
- Rempang Island - rural island dotted with coastal villages on stilts
- Galang Island - location of former Vietnamese refugee camp
Culture and History
Located only 20km from Singapore and 25km from Johor in Malaysia, Batam is Indonesia's equivalent to China's SEZ's (Special Economic Zones) - a place where the nation's economic planners test new economic policies and ideas. The island is an industrial hub with electronics factories, a large and growing ship repair industry and an even larger oil service sector. Quite a few expats head there for work, and pubs and golf courses have sprung up to serve them.
Most tourists, on the other hand, come from nearby Singapore and are mostly interested in prostitution and illegal casinos. Unless you have a particular interest in these, you're better off going elsewhere, such as Batam's more resort-y neighbor Bintan or the peacful capital city of the province Tanjung Pinang.
Talk
Bahasa Indonesia, which is spoken throughout Indonesia, is modeled on the version of Malay which originates from Riau on the Sumatra mainland and the Riau Islands. In fact, Riau Malay is regarded as the purest form of the Malay language and visitors from Malaysia will find the Malay spoken here very similar to Bahasa Malaysia, which is the version of Malay spoken back home.
Travel to Batam, visa requirements
Visa
For detailed information on visas, please refer to the Indonesia page. All Batam ports, namely Harbour Bay (Jodoh), Batam Centre, Nongsapura, Sekupang and Waterfront City (Teluk Senimba) are visa-free and visa-on-arrival ports of entry.
Flights to Batam, airtickets
Batam's airport is the Hang Nadim International Airport (BTH). Nearly all flights are domestic where you can get direct connections to Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Pekanbaru, Jambi, Palembang and Bandung. Indonesian carriers Merpati, Indonesia Air Asia, Riau Airlines, Kartika Airlines and a host of others provide the links.
There are also two weekly flights to Johor Bahru in Malaysia by Riau Airlines (Batam airport office Tel: +62-778-761551; Johor Bahru airport office Tel: +60-7-599 4500 Ext 1113). Flights every Friday and Sunday, RM76 one-way from Johor Bahru before taxes. Flights depart Batam at 1100 while on return flights, they depart Johor Bahru at 1315.
If you want to catch flights from Singapore's Changi Airport, you must be on a ferry to Singapore at least three hours before departure time. See "By boat" section below for details.
By boat
The main ports on Batam are Batam Centre, Sekupang, Waterfront City, Nongsapura and Telaga Punggur. Harbor Bay is now the main international ferry port for those heading for Nagoya, replacing the old Batu Ampar ferry terminal. Batam Center Ferry Terminal has the most frequent ferry connections to/from Singapore and Johor Bahru. Sekupang, with ferries from Singapore is best used for those catching domestic connections to the Sumatra mainland and the Karimun Islands. Waterfront City and Nongsapura mostly serve adjacent resorts while Telaga Punggur is the main ferry terminal for boats to and from Bintan
- To/From Singapore: Ferries departing from the Harbourfront Ferry Terminal go to Batam Centre, Sekupang and Waterfront City (Teluk Senimba) while ferries from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal serve Nongsapura.
- From Harbourfront: Ferry operators include:
- Penguin (Tel: +62-778-467574 in Batam Centre; +62-778-321636 in Sekupang; +62-778-381280 in Waterfront City; +65-62714866 in Harbourfront). S$16/20 one-way/return. Virtually hourly ferries to Batam Centre and Sekupang, fewer ferries to Waterfront City.
- Dino/Batam Fast (Tel: +62-778-467793/470344 in Batam Centre; +62-778-325085/6 in Sekupang; +62-778-381150 in Waterfront City; +65-62700311 in Harbourfront). Also hourly ferries to Batam Centre, fewer ferries to Sekupang and Waterfront City.
- Indofalcon (Tel: +65-62783167 in Harbourfront). This company does not operate to/from Sekupang
- Berlian/Wave Master (Tel: +65-65468830 in Singapore)
- From Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal: Ferries operated by:
- Dino/Batam Fast (Tel: +62-778-761071 in Nongsapura, +65-65426310 in Tanah Merah FT). Several ferries daily to/from Nongsapura.
- From Harbourfront: Ferry operators include:
- To/From Malaysia: Ferries link Johor Bahru with Batam Centre. There are virtually hourly departures betweem 0750 and 1840 from JB to Batam, and between 0750 and 1720 from Batam to JB. Tickets cost RM60/95 one-way/return before taxes to/from JB. For more information, call Tenggara Senandung (Tel: +60-7-2211677) in Johor Bahru. Ferries also operate between Batam Centre and Tanjung Belungkor in Johor.
- To/From Bintan:
- The main port for ferries between the capital city of Riau Islands Tanjung Pinangat the islandBintan and Batam is Telaga Punggur at the southeastern end of Batam:
- Baruna (Tel: +62-778-479162 in Telaga Punggur; +62-771-28578 in Tanjung Pinang) and Sentosa operate speedboats between Telaga Punggur and Bintan's main town Tanjung Pinang virtually every 15 minutes during daylight hours.
- Tickets cost between Rp35,000 and Rp38,000 excluding port taxes. Frequent speedboats also run between Telaga Punggur and Tanjung Uban on the western part of Bintan. Getting there/away: Official taxis from Batam Centre to Telaga Punggur cost Rp65.000. On the reverse way, it Rp. 60.000. You can try and bargain for a lower rate with taxis outside the port area. Passenger vans run between Telaga Punggur and Jodoh/Nagoya.
- Boats to/from Tanjung Pinang also call at Sekupang at the northeastern part of Batam when going to or coming from the Sumatra mainland such as to Dumai and Pekanbaru, as well as Karimun Island. These are however not as frequent as those leaving from Telaga Punggur. To get to Sekupang, please see following section.
- To/From Sumatra mainland, other Riau Islands: Batam's main domestic port is Sekupang, where you can ferries to/from the Sumatra mainland and other Riau Islands west of Batam. You can also use Sekupang for ferries to/from Bintan but the bulk of ferries to that island leave from Telaga Punggur (see "From Bintan" section above). Getting there/away: Numerous taxis make the run between Sekupang and Nagoya. There is also a public minibus service between Sekupang and Batam Center as well as Nagoya.
- To/From Karimun Island: Regular ferries operate between Tanjung Balai on Karimun and Sekupang. Some of the ferries originate from the Sumatra mainland or Kundur Island. Boats also stop at Tanjung Balai when going from Sekupang to Sumatra or Kundur.
- To/From Dumai: Several companies, including Dumai Express operates several ferries daily to/from Sekupang. Most of these ferries originate from Tanjung Pinang, the main town on Bintan, and also make a stop at Tanjung Balai on Karimun Island after making a stop at Sekupang.
- To/From Kundur Island: Several ferry companies run daily between Sekupang and Tanjung Batu on Kundur. These ferries also make a stop at Tanjung Balai on Karimun enroute.
- Other ferry destinations include Pekanbaru, Selat Panjang, Bengkalis and Tanjung Buton in Riau, and Kuala Tungkal in Jambi province.
- From other parts of Indonesia: Pelni ships which serve various ports throughout Indonesia call at Sekupang.
Get around
There are plenty of taxis in Batam but none of them charge using the meter. There is no standard price for the taxis in Batam. The taxi drivers are desperate for customers so you always have the bargaining option. I simply made the price half and sometimes even less. They may ask you about Rp. 100.000 but simply say Rp. 40.000 or Rp. 50.000. and then walk on if they dont agree. they will automaticaly come to you. In fact I went about 5 places in Batam for about Rp. 200.000. The taxi conditions are not that good so don't expect seat belts and a smooth ride.
Sample fares for reference: Telaga Punggur to Batam Center (Rp. 60.000, 25 min). Nagoya to HarbourBay ferry terminal at Batu Ampar (Rp. 20.000, 8 min).
Mikrolet (minibuses which operate on fixed routes. They carry six to eight passengers and charges per person vary with the distance, known as Angkutan Kota / Angkot in Bintan or Metro Trans in Batam is another choice. Fixed route plies between Jodoh and Telaga Punggur.
Recently, Batam local government (known as pemerintah) started a bus service known as "Bus Pilot Project". The blue colour bus plies between Batam Center and Trayek Batu Aji for Rp. 3.000. Buy your ticket from the personnel before boarding.
Most hotels run shuttle buses during the day to the ferry ports and to the main shopping mall. It seems that none run a shuttle to airport. You can find a free shuttle bus (yellow in colour) from Megamall Batam Center to the major hotels in Nagoya.
The Kijang, which is generally everywhere in Indonesia, is strangely absent in Batam. Your hotel may be able to arrange a car and driver for you, but be prepared to pay Rp 1000.000 or more, which is almost double the rate in Jakarta.
Batam attractions and sightseeing
There are some places in Batam that are quite beautiful and not-to-be missed.
- Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple
City tours
One favourite activity is cycling and the perfect route is the string of islands to the south of Batam which are linked by a good road and series of bridges.
Good restaurants and cheap meals
Batam has plenty of eating out choices, including great Chinese seafood in the outdoor food courts, such as the Windsor and Nagoya Food Courts and A1 Pujasera. - For seafood over the water, try Rejeki Seafood at Batu Besar, 4km past the airport.
Batam nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
City authorities claim that Batam's tap water is drinkable. Most people choose to stick with bottled water anyway.
One interesting note about Batam - since it is a duty free zone, you can generally get Heineken and other imported beers for nearly the same price as Bintang.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
Much of Batam's accommodation is located in Nagoya.
Hotel Grand Majesty is really good. It is located in Jodoh nearby Nagoya. And its pub D'Brix is the best pub in town. And you can easily go to Nagoya via taxi at about 10,000 to 20,000. Dont take the taxi from just in front of hotel as seeing you coming from a big hotel drivers charge you more. Just walk a little and then take a taxi in not more than 25,000. I took it for 10,000. but it depends upon your bargianing power.
- Panorama Regency Hotel, Jalan Raja Haji - Sei Jodoh Batam - Indonesia, ☎ +(62-778) 433555 (fax: +(62-778) 433777), [1]. The Planet Holiday Hotel in Batam offers quality accommodations and world-class facilities to meet the needs of both business and leisure guests. Best rates on official website start at SG$85 (US$54).
- Planet Holiday Hotel, Jalan Raja Haji - Sei Jodoh Batam - Indonesia, ☎ +(62-778) 433555 (fax: +(62-778) 433777), [2]. The Planet Holiday Hotel in Batam offers quality accommodations and world-class facilities to meet the needs of both business and leisure guests. Best rates on official website start at SG$85 (US$54).
Stay safe
Batam is generally safe during the daytime hours, but at night if you are in the entertainment areas of Nagoya you should exercise caution. Do not walk alone at night, if you want to leave somewhere and it is late, find someone else who is leaving or about to leave, or stay until it closes and then all go together. If you really have to get back to your hotel call the hotel and have them send a car to pick you up. As the taxis are not regulated or owned by a central group (like Bluebird in Jakarta) you may not be safe hiring a taxi off the street either. Walking in groups or two or three is probably okay but do not get into discussions with the locals as you may be asking to have your wallet or purse taken from you. If this happens, dont chase, just walk back to where you were or to the hotel and report to the police later. I do not remember having seen any police in Batam, I know they are there as I saw the Police Station, very nice too, but didnt ever see any police or police cars.
Traveling safe is another matter. The roads around Batam are ok, but not maintained to the highest standard. The taxi drivers in particular delight in driving as fast as they can and the really like to overtake on a curve or bend. If you feel at all uncomfortable ask the driver to slow down, tell him you are not in a hurry, usually they are ok, although we did have to yell at one in Indonesian a few times to get him to drive safely.
Get out
Batam, with its good ferry connections, is an excellent springboard to the other Riau Islands such as the capital Tanjung Pinang and Bintan Island and the Sumatra mainland. Good air connections also make Batam a good place to get cheap air tickets to Jakarta and other parts of Indonesia.
Contact
Telephone numbers
The country code for Indonesia is 62. The area code for Batam is 778. To call Singapore from Wartel phone shop, please dial 007-65 follow by the phone no.
Postal services
The General Post office (known as kantor pos in Bahasa Indonesia) is located at Batam Center, not far from the ferry terminal
More from Riau Islands: Batam, Bintan, Karimun, Kundur More from Sumatra: Aceh, Kerinci Seblat National Park, North Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, South Sumatra More from Indonesia: Bali, Java, Kalimantan, Komodo National Park, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara, South East Sulawesi, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Western New Guinea More from Southeast Asia: Borneo, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, One month of Southeast Asian diving and culture, Paracel Islands, Philippines, Singapore, Spratly Islands, Thailand, Vietnam More from Asia: Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Southeast Asia |
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