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Batam today...
Today
Batam is home to more than 1.3 million people and complete with an international airport, major sea port, bustling tourist and business centers, Batam has become one of fastest-growing tourist destinations and the fastest expanding economic zone in Indonesia.
One of the spurs of this development was the construction of six bridges to connect the islands south of Batam. Construction started in 1992 with the bridges gaining names from fifteenth to eighteenth-century rulers of the Riau Sultanate. In order to develop new bridge technologies for the Indonesian market, each bridge employs a different variation engineering and over time the bridges have grown more into a tourist attraction rather than a transportation route. Traveling from the first bridge to the last takes about 50 minutes covering some 50km's.
Pualu Galang is the largest of the interconnected islands and during the 80's came to prominence as a Vietnamese Refugee camp where some 250,000 refugees were processed. On the sunset seaboard of Galang you will find us, the Barelang Boat Club.
Planes, trains and... motorcycles
At any of the entry points into Batam you will find outlets for Duty-Free goods but in fact the entire island is duty free and so there are great bargains to be had in all the shopping outlets and malls. There are many banks in Nagoya, and you can easily find a money changer or a cash machine that accept Visa or MasterCard.
Ferry services frequent Batam, Singapore, Johor (Malaysia) and other Riau islands, such as Bintan and Karimun. Batam has five ferry ports with regular ferry service running during the day from all of them.
- Harbour Bay
- Batam Centre
- Nongsa Point
- Waterfront City
- Sekupang
Airport
At 4000m in length, the runway is the second longest in Southeast Asia and was originally developed as an alternate airport for Singapore's Changi, Hang Nadim has facilities sufficient for Boeing 747s, Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s. In all, there are some 10 airlines operating out of Hang Nadim connecting all major points in Indonesia and Malaysia. BP Batam, the airport operator, will build a new terminal in 2017 adjacent to the existing terminal. The new terminal will be capable of handling up to 8 million passengers and eventually with both terminals operational, will have a capacity of 16 million passengers per year.
Taxis
are the easiest way to get around the island, public transport is safe but truly for the adventurous.
Motorbikes dominate the roads and the whole world is moved by scooters! Despite the seemingly chaos, most drivers seem to practice Asian-style patience and speeds are low.
Main areas
Nongsa
Located on the northeast corner, Nongsa is the main luxury tourist area on Batam, and about an 40 minutes drive from city areas. There are several upscale resorts in Nongsa including Turi Beach, Nongsa point Marina, Batam View Hotel and the newest comer to the group, Montigo Bay.
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Nagoya
Whilst Nongsa caters to upmarket resorts, Nagoya is the nerve center of Batam. Here you will find a concentration of malls, shophouses, hardwares and restaurants.
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With a mix of old and new, Nagoya is the island’s center for local entertainment, shops, food stalls, nightlife, restaurants and many hotels. Harbour Bay is the ferry port of Nagoya, and from here you can catch a ferry to Singapore, a 35-minute ride.
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Batam is a colourful place with a great ethnic mix. Indonesians are very creative and not just in an artful way. There are creative solutions for all sorts of things. Take for example, when Soichiro Honda invented the humble Honda Cub C-70 he had no idea that his little scooter would contribute so much to the economies of Southeast Asia. In Indonesia everything moves on a 'Honda'! It's the world on a motorcycle... and Batam is no different!
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The native people of Batam are of Malay origin, but with the rapid growth and development of the area various ethnic groups from all over Indonesia have come here in search for jobs and a better life. Bahasa Indonesia is the dominant language used, although English is commonly used in business communication. Despite its steadily increasing sophistication, Batam retains a spirit of being young, brash and new, and has many of the elements of a modern “Gold Rush” town.
Riau is well-known for its fresh and delicious seafood. Prawns, live fish, lobsters, clams and shellfish are cooked in a variety of styles. A local specialty is the “gong-gong” conch shell dipped in a spicy sauce. The island is awash in seafood restaurant, especially in Nagoya, Batu Besar, Batu Merah and Telaga Punggur. A favorite place to eat is in one of the island’s many “kelong” restaurants – built over the sea on stilts. Other traditional Indonesian food, like Padang style, in readily available all over the island.
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