Batam
INTRO
Luxurious beach resorts, wild nature, great seafood and duty-free shopping: to name a few of the attractive features of the Indonesian island, Batam. A fast developing industrial zone, providing typical Indonesian entertainments and exotic vacation places, Batam is a most wanted destination for those seeking relaxing and unique experience among Asian's lands.
City Profile
City: Batam
Country: Indonesia
Area: 415 square km
Population: 713.960
Towns: 4
Language: Indonesian
Rating:
LOCATION
Batam is one of the largest island of the Riau Archipelago and is located at only 20 km south of Singapore. This strategic position makes it easily accessible by air and water and thus a desired tourist and business destination. The island is a free trade zone, which contributes to its attractiveness to both private and company customers.
TIME TO VISIT
Situated on the equator, Batam as the whole Indonesia has a typical equatorial climate. East and West monsoons change the humidity by bringing dry air between June and September and occasional rains from December through March. The weather is constant and change with only a few degrees throughout the whole year. The average temperatures vary between 23-28 C and consequently the ideal time to visit the island would depend on your personal plans and free time.
POPULATION
The native inhabitants of the island have Malay origin and exceed 700,000 people. However, the rapid development of the area has contributed to many ethnic groups moving from all over Indonesia to Batam in search for better future. Despite the fact that there is a variety of ethnic backgrounds, the basic cultures continue to be Malayan and Islamic. The official language on the island is Bahasa Indonesian but many people now understand and can speak a little English as it is basic for the business communication.
TOWNS
The island of Batam consists of four major cities. Each of them plays its role in both the tourist and business reality of the island.
- Nagoya is the original centre of Batam that is characteristic of the present life of the local people. The city is abundant of shopping, nightlife, karaoke bars and restaurants. It is also the trade and business centre of the island.
- Nongsapura is the main tourist area on the island. It is a lovely resort, which main purpose is to provide pleasure and leisure activities such as golfing, sunbathing, seafood restaurants and many other entertainments. It is a luxurious place with fancy hotels and extravagant atmosphere.
- Batam Centre is a comparatively new commercial area, where all the government offices and ferry pier are located. Places of interest found here are the newly-opened shopping mall, Mega Mall, the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya temple, the Batam Central Mosque and a huge telecommunication tower.
- Sekupang is the main ferry stop for almost all the ferry companies. This is the place where taxis for every destination can be found as well as hotel and ferry counters.
SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Most of the attractions that the island of Batam has to offer to its visitors include fine beach resorts, natural wilderness, breathtaking landscape and exotic nightlife. Apart from the typical luxury, however, there exist several places that are among the landmarks of the island and are worth visiting.
- Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple is a major attraction in Batam as being one of the biggest Buddhist temples in South-East Asia. Located in Batam Centre the temple hosts one statues of Buddha as well as two other statues of the Goddess of Mercy. There is a souvenirs shop and a restaurant within the temple's district.
- Vihara Buddhi Bhakti temple is a typical Chinese temple in the town of Nagoya. At present it is used by the locals for their daily prayers and religious rituals.
- Waterfront city is among the nicest resort areas on Batam Island. It is situated on the west coast and it mainly attracts visitors from Singapore. The resort is famous not only for its beaches but also for the variety of sports and water sports that are available there, including water skiing, bungee-jumping and many others. Most of the hotels offer spa treatment and massages that continue to astonish their guests.
- Vietnamese Refugee Village can be visited for free in Pulau Galang. It was the home to many Vietnamese refugees who escaped from their county between 1972 and 2001 and sought shelter in Batam. The Indonesian government allowed them to live in the region, where they developed their own town by building a school, hospital, cemetery and temples. What is left of their lifestyle can still be seen almost intact in the area.
- Jembatan Barelang Bridge is actually a chain of bridges that connect the islands of Batam. The view from all of them is magnificent and many tourists visit the bridges exactly for the sake of aesthetics and in order to take some pictures of the nature on the island. More info on: http://www.nowpublic.com/barelang_bridge_batam
AIRPORT or FERRY
Reaching Batam is possible by either flying there from Jakarta or by using the ferry services that provide transportation from Singapore.
- Hang Nadim International Airport is a small airport located at the east side of the island and serves maninly domestic flights to and from other Indonesian destinations. The airport is at only 30 minutes drive from Nagoya, the capital of the island. The easiest way to get to the city centre is by taking a taxi. Taxis from the airport are not metred but the drivers have a list of destinations for fixed prices. More info at: http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/riau-archipelago/hang-nadim.html
- Penguin Ferry is the most frequent ferry company that operates between Singapore and Batam every hour for a price of $ 30 and additional 3 dollars for insurances. There are four ferry terminals in Batam, the major one of which is Batam Centre. The journey takes about half an hour. Upon arrival you may be confronted with taxi drivers trying to offer you a ride to the city centre. Bargain the price before you agree to it. More info at: http://www.singaporecruise.com http://www.batam-center.web.id/feature_schedule.html
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Several means of transportation are available in Batam:
- The local buses operate in fixed directions and can be stopped on the street as a taxi. Make sure that the bus is going into your direction before you take it.
- Damri buses are the cheapest, though unreliable from a frequency point of view, way of getting around. Fares: Rp.1000.
- Taxis are metred but you should better negotiate the price in advance because most drivers don't use the metre. Unless you tell the driver you don't want to share the cab, he will pick up other passengers. Prices for shared taxi vary from Rp. 2000 to Rp. 3000. It is also possible to hire the car for the whole day. Prices: around Rp.150 000-200 000 per day.
- Ojek is another cheap means of transport, namely a motorcycle taxi. Bargain the price before you get on. It is usually around Rp. 2500- 3000 for short distances.
HISTORY
The settlement history of Batam as well as that of its adjacent islands goes back to 231 A.D. as some Chinese chronicles state. The region had been under the influence of different kingdom, beginning with the Malacca Kingdom from the 13th century. Later, in 1824 the Dutch and the English split the area and ruled it until it became under the power of the Riau Lingga Kingdom. The trajectory of the Batam history absolutely changed its way when in 1969 the island became a base for the oil exploration of a state-owned oil company. Two years later it was designated an industrial area and since the Batam Authority was formed in 1975, it has continually grown into a duty-free zone with expanding industrial business and great seafood for its visitors.
CITY LINKS
- Batam Post, A Daily Newspaper in English: http://www.batampost.com/
- Batam View Beach Resort: www.batamview.com
- Useful Tips: http://wikitravel.org/en/Batam
UNIVERSITY LINKS
- Batam International University: http://www.uib.edu/