South East Asia has a plethora of beautiful places to visit. With the likes of Bali, the world famous Angkot Watt in Cambodia, the pristine islands of Philippines , family friendly places in Vietnam and so many places to visit on a trip to Thailand ranging from temples to hills to beaches to islands. So, why Batam Riau then?
Speaking of the Batam Riau Islands here – to be honest- it is quite unheard of, isn’t it? Well, it sure is. As a tourist spot, it is relatively new to the ones we all know, especially in Indonesia. The one that we all know is Bali. But anyway, Batam Riau also turns out to be one of the fastest-growing tourism spots in Indonesia. Why? It is the closest vacation spot in Indonesia from Singapore. Speaking of which, let me explain all about it in this travel guide to Batam Riau.
One of the reasons for its growth in tourism is because of its location. Batam lies just about 20 kilometers from Singapore. Its main source of income is industrializations. Since Indonesia has a wide supply of natural resources, it’s a goldmine for various businesses and manufacturing giants.
But over the time period, it is also being recognised for its favourably tropical climate. And of course not to mention- dozens of beaches around.
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How to reach Batam Riau?
As per our travel guide to Batam Riau, you can easily reach here from Singapore. If you’re asking this, then I assume you haven’t been around Indonesia much. So considering you are from a country elsewhere, here’s the best way to get to Batam Riau: Take a flight to Singapore first and get to Batam on a ferry.
In fact, it would be great to put up Batam on your ‘To-visit list’ when you are touring Singapore. From Changi Airport- Singapore, it is around an hour’s drive to make it to the HarbourFront Centre. You can either take a taxi or the MRT Train. I’d suggest taking the taxi as its the quickest way and definitely more convenient. Now if you look up for HarbourFront Centre, it’s a mall.
A part of the mall by the waterfront is dedicated to travels with a harbour for ferries and cruises on one side. Now to make it to Batam, there are some ferry companies (Like BatamFast and Majestic) from which you can choose for your journey. They differ a little in prices depending on which time you visit. All-in-all, it is around a one-hour ferry ride.
Now, you’ll see a number of ports in Batam that you can reach from HarbourFront. Select the one that is closest to the resort you decide to reside in during your stay in Batam. Another way to reach Batam is to take a flight from Jakarta (Capital of Indonesia) directly to Hang Nadim International Airport- Batam. Unless you are a resident of Jakarta, I’d suggest taking the ferry- it’s a more rare experience.
The Best time to visit Batam
As per our travel guide to Batam Riau, generally the best time to visit here is from February to August. There are only two seasons with little variations- the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season is from February to August and the rainy season from October to January. Though the rainfall is comparatively high during the rainy season, the temperature remains the same during both the seasons throughout the year. Yep, I have lived in Batam for about 8 years and the place does remain hot and humid all year round. Even the rain droplets are warm when it rains cats and dogs here.
On the other hand, speaking of peak times of tourists, there isn’t much to say. There are a lot of places to accommodate so that shouldn’t be a problem at any time. However, one thing I can advise is to stay off the road in the evenings of Ramadhan .
The majority of the population here celebrate Ramadhan. Hence, the evenings during this usually result in heavy traffic all over the city. Apart from that, if you’re at a particular spot already, you shouldn’t face any problems.
Why Batam Riau’s worth visiting
Apart from Batam being so near to Singapore, another reason why it’d be worth visiting is for its peaceful environment. Singapore’s attractions always seem to be flocking with hundreds and thousands of tourists every single day. Be it a weekend or not, even with the ever-increasing sky-high prices for every service that you get.
With all that going, if you consider yourself a traveler, then answer this: what’d make a difference between you and the rest of those common travelers? If Singapore is the place where people around the world go to, where do Singaporeans go to for a change? Believe it or not, when the weekend comes up, a lot of Singaporeans end up on a lot of first-class resorts and hotels in Batam, even shopping malls! Even if it’s for a day or two.
It gets them off the hustle-and-bustles of their busy lives. So if you’re looking for a place to stretch your legs, why not take a step up and visit Batam Riau? Because ultimately, you can enjoy the same facilities provided by a resort in Batam for a much lesser rate- probably better facilities! Whilst thousands pay for a stay in Singapore, stand apart and make a stay in Batam with much lesser rates.
Thus, as I said earlier there aren’t that many tourists coming to Batam as compared to Singapore (obviously), and hence you shall have all the peace and privacy you want here.
Nongsa Point and other paradises
Speaking of peace and private spaces, one of the best resorts that can give you more space- literally- is Nongsa Point. This resort covers acres of land over a hilly region and its own coastal spot. The resort has its own beach, yacht harbor and chartering services, and dozens of stays. What makes it so special here is that the stays are provided in individual large well-furnished chalets built discretely. The entire hill is covered with dozens of these chalets
Most of them have spacious balconies with ocean views and the place is pleasantly quiet. Now, like Nongsa Point, there are a lot of other resorts out there in Batam. This is just one of them. Apart from accommodations here, there are some other places that you can visit in Batam Riau for a change. One of them is the Barelang Bridge.
That would be all you need to know about Batam. Another thing to keep in mind is communication. Not many speak English here, or generally in any part of Indonesia. It isn’t entirely necessary to know the local language, but little basics of Bahasa Indonesia might come handy at some time.
Apart from that, you’re good to travel. Now, go and have a great time! 😉
Author Bio
This is a guest post by Maddy. In his own words :“Hi there! I’m an 18-year-old dude who loves to travel. Well, still too young for that, but I travel around whenever I get a chance- and I never miss out writing on any of ’em!”As per our
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