Batam
Discover Batam
Batam is a small but busy island in the Riau Islands in Indonesia that is 45 km by 25 km, and has nearly a million people, hundreds of factories owned by multinationals, towns, shopping centres. Only 30 minutes by ferry from Singapore, it is a gateway to the other Riau Islands. An acronym of Batam, Rempang, and Galang Islands, this is a group of islands which are administrated as part of the city of Batam (this article only covers the rest of the islands other than Batam)
What to Experience in Batam
Taste of Batam...
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. Local best valued Indonesian food are Daun Pisang Resto, where travellers can taste mixed of archipelagos food. Another option is Nasi Padang Sederhana; both are widely loved by local and international travellers. City authorities claim that Batam's tap water is drinkable, but the rusty color puts some people off. It is wise to stick with bottled water anyway, about Rp10,000 for a 5-gallon jug. Carlsberg and Guinness are produced locally, as well as Bintang and Tiger beer. Most places have Heineken on tap. Imported beers, such as Corona are available, but prices are high. A normal draft beer should be no more than Rp25,000. Wine and liquor is available from the duty-free stores in nearly all of the larger malls, most bars and hotels. Batam Fresh Beer is the only microbrewery on the island, headquartered in Batam Center near the large mosque (behind Pondok Gurih restaurant). Price is Rp15,000 a glass for any of their beers (dark and light at 5 or 7% alc or green at 5%). Much of Batam's accommodation is in Nagoya. There are several resorts in Nongsa. Upon arrival in the ferry terminal (Harbour Bay or Batam Centre) you can go to the Hotel Reservation Counter, they will have numerous options for the 3+ star hotels in on the island.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsAll 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. For detailed information on visas, please refer to the Indonesia page. As often in Indonesia there is a first security check for entering the terminal, which implies some queuing. Batam airport has only toilets, ATM, money exchange and a few overpriced souvenir shops. For most foreign visitors though, the most practical way of getting to Batam will be to fly into Singapore (SIN) and catch a ferry from there. There is a shuttle service connecting Changi Airport with Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, taking about 20 minutes. If you want to catch flights from Singapore's Changi Airport, you must be on a ferry to Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at least three hours before departure time. Batam is one hour behind Singapore, so keep that in mind when planning your schedule. See "By boat" section below for details....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There are plenty of taxis in Batam, but there are no standard color schemes: however, licensed taxis have yellow license plates, while unlicensed ones do not (and are best avoided). As there are no meters, you will need to bargain with the drivers; the first price quoted is often silly, but if there are other taxis around, you can easily bargain them down. Sample fares for reference: If you feel more comfortable with metered taxis, there are a few of these taxis attached with it, but please ensure that you asked the driver to operate the meter before getting into the taxi, otherwise they will not operate it and may charge you more than the amount that you are supposed to pay. Fixed route plies between Jodoh and Telaga Punggur (Rp3,000-4,000). Sample fares for other destinations are as follows: The Batam local government (known as pemerintah) operates a bus service known as "Bus Pilot Project".
Where to Stay
Much of Batam's accommodation is in Nagoya. There are several resorts in Nongsa. Upon arrival in the ferry terminal (Harbour Bay or Batam Centre) you can go to the Hotel Reservation Counter, they will have numerous options for the 3+ star hotels in on the island. These may give you a slightly better value than booking directly with the hotel, so it is not a scam. In addition, however, there are budget options available such as family apartments. 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.
Money & Budget
The Indonesian rupiah may be legal tender, but the Singapore dollar (S$) is Batam's unofficial second currency. By law, all goods and services are required to be priced in rupiah, but Singapore dollars will often be accepted for cash settlements (though this is actually illegal). Credit card payments by law must be charged in rupiah. There are many malls in Batam offering a variety of stores and restaurants. Nagoya Hill Mall, in Nagoya, has a Matahari department store, Hypermart supermarket, ACE Hardware, and a Cinema 21. Restaurants include J.Co, KFC, A&W, BFC, Pizza Hut, Ayam Goreng Fatmawati, Solaria, Grandduck Chinese restaurant & newtown coffee at the top of the mall. BCS Mall in Baloi has a Golden Truly department store, a Gramedia and a bowling alley.
Language & Talk
Indonesian (Bahasa 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 quite similar to the Malay language and visitors from Malaysia will find the Indonesian spoken here very similar to the historical Bahasa Malaysia, which is the version of Malay spoken back home. Batam also has a large population of ethnic Chinese Indonesians, who also can speak Hokkien (Fujian), Teochew and Mandarin. There are also many migrants from various parts of Indonesia who speak many different Indonesian languages. 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.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
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, don't chase, just walk back to where you were or to the hotel and report to the police later. Traveling safe is another matter. The roads around Batam are OK, but not maintained to the highest standard.