Batam: Where Business Meets Pleasure

Looking out from Singapore's high towers across the straits to Indonesian waters, one will see the twin islands of Batam and Bintan in Indonesia's Riau Islands Province beautifully basking under the sun. Just a short ferry ride away from Singapore as well as Johor Bahru, Malaysia, these islands offer a completely contrasting environment from that of busy metropolitan Singapore, and have, therefore, long become a favorite getaway for those from residents and tourists to neighboring countries.

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The island of Batam today is the third busiest entry port to Indonesia after Jakarta and Bali. In recent years, the island emerged as a popular destination for visitors from not only Singapore and Malaysia, but also from other countries in Asia and Europe who flock to the island for its first class golf courses, splendid sailing experiences, duty free shopping, rejuvenating spas, relaxing beach resorts, mouthwatering fresh seafood, or just for various family fun activities. Surrounded by many beautiful islands in the Riau Islands Province and given its unique attractions and warm hospitality, Batam also welcomes Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) participants for business and convention activities.

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There are seven golf courses in Batam that already have worldwide reputation. These are Palm Springs Golf & Beach Resort, Tering Bay Golf & Country Club, Southlinks Country Club, Batam Hills Golf Resort, Padang Golf Sukajadi, Indah Puri Golf Resort, and Tamarin Santana Golf Club. Batam's own Nongsa Point Marina also has berthing facilities for yachts, sailing, as well as diving facilities for those wishing to explore Riau's many islands. An ideal destination for MICE activities, Batam also has the Sumatera Convention Center (SCC) that features a 1,064 seat auditorium with a permanent stage and an outdoor arena that can accommodate up to 15,000 people. With its marina facilities, lately, Batam has become the stepping stone for yachting into Indonesia's spellbinding tropical islands.

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An iconic landmark that is simply a must for those who visit the island is the architectural marvel of Barelang Bridge. Situated some 35km from the heart of Batam City, the bridge connects Batam Island with several small islands to its south, namely Tonton, Nipah, Sekotok, Rempang, Galang and Galang Baru (which, together are also known as the Barelang Islands area). Barelang Bridge itself is a system that consists of 6 bridges and connecting roads that together stretch across the total area of Barelang islands region of approximately 715 km square. On Rempang Island, there is the Melayu Beach which offers panoramic sceneries and relaxing ambiance and is frequently visited by both locals and tourists. Meanwhile, Galang Island is the site of the former Vietnamese Refugee Camp who came here during the second Indochina War in 1975.

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How to Get Here:

By Ferry:

There are frequent daily fast and convenient ferries connecting Singapore's Tanah Merah port with Batam as well as between Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and Batam. The journey from Singapore takes about 40 minutes, while from Johor Bahru it is around 90 minutes. The island of Batam has six ferry terminals; they are at Sekupang, Waterfront City, Batam Center, Harbour Bay, Nongsapura, and Telaga Punggur.

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Batam Center receives the most ferries from Singapore and Johor Bahru. Ferries to Harbour Bay carry passengers wishing to go to Nagoya, Batam's business centre, while the terminals at Waterfront City and Nongsa serve mostly tourists visiting resorts. At Sekupang are ferries that ply between Batam and the main island of Sumatra and to the Karimun islands. Telaga Punggur is the terminal for ferries plying between Batam and Tanjung Pinang on Bintan Island.

By Air:

Batam's Hang Nadim's International Airport, located in the eastern part of the island, connects the island with major cities across the country with domestic flights direct from Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Pekanbaru, Jambi, Palembang and Bandung. Among the Airlines that serve flights to, and from Batam are Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, Citilink, and Wings Air. In addition to the domestic flights, Malindo Air operates international flights from Subang Airport near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Batam.

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Lion Air and Citilink serve popular charter flights from China with destination Batam.

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