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Batam is an island city in the Riau Islands province of Indonesia, lying about 20 kilometres south of Singapore across the Singapore Strait and famous for the Barelang Bridge, its seafood and its easy ferry links. With more than a million people, it is one of the largest cities in the province and a busy industrial and trading hub.
Once a quiet island of fishing villages, Batam was developed from the 1970s as an industrial and free trade zone, and its population grew rapidly. The Barelang bridges later tied it to the islands of Rempang and Galang, where the Galang Refugee Camp recalls the Vietnamese boat people who sheltered there until 1996.
Weekend visitors from Singapore come for shopping at Nagoya Hill Mall, seafood at Harbour Bay, spa resorts and golf at Nongsa. Temples such as Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya, grand mosques, beaches like Tanjung Pinggir and the reefs of Pulau Abang round out a stay.
Barelang Bridge is the chain of six bridges linking Batam with Rempang and Galang islands, and its name joins the first letters of all three. The first span, a cable-stayed bridge, is the city's best-known sight. Come near sunset, when locals gather for photos and grilled seafood nearby.
The Welcome to Batam Monument spells the city's greeting in giant white letters on a green hillside near Batam Centre, a sign that newcomers spot from the road soon after arriving. It has become the island's favourite photo backdrop. Stop on the way between the ferry terminal and the city.
Galang Refugee Camp on Galang Island, south of Batam, sheltered around 250,000 Vietnamese and other Indochinese refugees between 1979 and 1996. Today you can walk past barracks, a church, a pagoda, the Nghia Trang cemetery and a museum of photos and boats. Allow half a day for the drive and visit.
Nagoya Hill Mall in the Nagoya district is Batam's best-known shopping centre and the heart of the old downtown. Its floors mix fashion, electronics, a supermarket and food courts, and the streets around are full of shophouses and eateries. It is a favourite with weekend visitors from Singapore.
Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya is a large Maitreya Buddhist temple in Batam, with a broad white colonnaded main building, spacious marble halls and large Buddhist statues inside, set in landscaped grounds. Dress modestly, remove shoes where asked and keep your voice low inside the halls.
Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah Mosque is a grand mosque in Sagulung, Batam, named after an 18th-century sultan of Johor-Riau. Its white domes, blue trim and tall minaret make it one of the island's most striking buildings. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times if dressed modestly.
Batam Great Mosque, known locally as Masjid Raya Batam, stands in Batam Centre near the main government buildings. Instead of a dome it has a distinctive pyramid-shaped roof, with a slender minaret beside it. Visit outside prayer times, dress modestly and pair it with a walk around Batam Centre.
Tua Pek Kong Temple in the Nagoya district of Batam, also named Vihara Budhi Bhakti, is a Chinese temple honouring Tua Pek Kong, a deity widely worshipped by Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Red tiled roofs topped with dragons and painted murals frame the entrance. Please visit quietly.
Nongsa Point Marina sits on the north-eastern tip of Batam, where a resort, a yacht harbour and a small ferry terminal face Singapore across the strait. The coast around Nongsa has beaches, golf courses and sea views. On clear evenings the Singapore skyline shows on the horizon, so bring a camera.
Tanjung Pinggir Beach lies on the north-west coast of Batam in the Sekupang area, a rocky stretch of shore where locals wade in the shallows, fish and watch ships pass in the busy strait. Across the water you can see Singapore. Come at low tide to explore the rock pools, ideally late in the day.
Harbour Bay is a waterfront district in Batam with a ferry terminal for boats to Singapore, a shopping mall and a row of seafood restaurants over the water. Chilli crab, grilled fish and prawns are the classic orders. Arrive around sunset to eat by the sea as the lights come on across the bay.
Pulau Abang is a small island south of Galang, within the city of Batam, known for coral reefs for snorkelling and diving and a fishing village of stilt houses. Most visitors arrive on organised boat day trips through the islands. Bring water, sun cream and your own snorkel gear if you have it.
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