GETTING AROUND

TAXI SERVICE
Taxis provide the main form of public transport on Batam. Fixed price taxis are available on arrival at the ferry terminal and at the airport. Price range from Rp. 30.000,- to Rp.200.000,- depending on the distance.
Avoid the touts outside the terminal or at the road, taxis can also be flagged down on the road almost anywhere. Bargaining is roquired before you start. Taxi rates are not used. Large numbers of share taxis ply the roads on Batam. Just flag one down, tell driver your destination, and hop in with other passenger if he is going your way.
Price are Rp. 5000,- for short trips and Rp. 6000,- to Rp 10.000,- for medium trips,
and for long trips you must charter. If you foreigner you must tell driver how much you are paying and you aren't chartering the taxi.

BUS SERVICE
There are public buses only two route on Batam
- Sekupang to Batam Centre ( and return route ) every 30 minutes
- Batu Aji to Batam Centre ( and return route ) every 30 minutes
Operation Hours.: 06.30 WIB - 17.30 WIB
Price Ticket....: Rp. 3000,- per one way

METROTRANS

PASSANGER MOTORBIKE (OJEK)
Passenger Ojek ply the roads in the towns on Batam. Its hard to tell difference between an ojek and a private motorbike. Just put your hand out, if it stops it's on ojek. Bargain over the price and hop on the back. Price depending on the distances.


BOATS RENTAL
A modern sailing boat can be chartered for day trips from WFC and NPM

SAMPAN/PANCUNG
Sampan/Pancung (small open boats with outbond motors) depart from wooden jetty just near ferry domestic and international terminal Sekupang to Belakang Padang and Sambu island.
Operational hours: 06.00 WIB - 19.00 WIB another time must chartering
Prica ticket.....: Rp. 10.000,- per passenger
.................: Rp. 80.000,- chartered Read more...

GETTING TO BATAM

BY AIR LANE
You can go through it by using air lane and sea lane. Almost all of the air lane operators in indonesia catering route to batam. Some of them cater direct flight to Batam ( i.e from Medan, Pekanbaru, Padang, Bandung, etc.), and some other take transit first in Jakarta (i.e from Bali, Surabaya, Semarang, Yogya, etc.). All planes arriving and landing at the Hang Nadim Airport of the longest apron in Indonesia.


BY SEA LANE
Domestic Ferry from Kuala Tungkal
from Jambi
from Dumai
from Tanjung Pinang
from Tanjung Balai Karimun/Selat Panjang/Bengkalis/Dumai/Buton
via Batam Jet (0778 327726) and Dumai Express (0778 427666)

Domestic Ferry/PELNI from Jakarta :
from Medan :

International Ferry from Malaysia :
from Harbourfront Singapore by Batamfast Ferry Service

from Tanah Merah Singapore by Batamfast Ferry Service Read more...

PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR VISITOR

1. Most Batamese refrain from displaying affection in public(embracing or kissing)
2. Lunch break : 12.00 WIB to 13.00 WIB on Sun - Thu
11.30 WIB to 13.30 WIB on Fri (Muslim Praying) Read more...

USEFUL CONTACTS

EMERGENCIES

BIG CITY POLICE (POLTABES)....: 0778 458110/081364780101
LUBUK BAJA SECTOR POLICE......: 0778 457212
BATU AMPAR SECTOR POLICE......: 0778 432573
BATAM CENTRE SECTOR POLICE....: 0778 468318
SEKUPANG SECTOR POLICE........: 0778 321744
KABIL SECTOR POLICE...........: 0778 311110
TANJUNG UNCANG SECTOR POLICE..: 0778 393162
BELAKANG PADANG SECTOR POLICE.: 0778 312254

OTORITA BATAM HOSPITAL........: 0778 322122
AWAL BROS HOSPITAL............: 0778 431777
BUDI KEMULIAAN HOSPITAL.......: 0778 454044
HARAPAN BUNDA HOSPITAL........: 0778 458808
ELIZABETH HOSPITAL............:
CASA MEDICAL HOSPITAL.........: 0778 371002

FIRE..........................: 0778 113
INFORMATION...................: 0778


PUBLIC SERVICE

POST OFFICE...................: 0778 462033
PHONE OFFICE/TELKOM...........: 0778 147
ELECTRICITY/PLN...............: 0778 123
WATER/ATB.....................: 0778 467111

IMIGRATION OFFICE.............: 0778
CUSTOM OFFICE.................: 0778
QUARANTINE OFFICE.............: 0778
HANG NADIM AIRPORT............: 0778 761507
SEKUPANG DOMESTIC TERMINAL....: 0778
T.PUNGGUR DOMESTIC TERMINAL...: 0778
SEKUPANG INT'L TERMINAL.......: 0778 322555
BATAM CENTRE INT'L TERMINAL...: 0778 430995/467816
NONGSA INT'L TERMINAL.........: 0778 761777
WATERFRONT INT'L TERMINAL.....: 0778 381109 Read more...

BATAM AT FAST FACTS

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Located betwen at to 07' North latitude and 104o 07' East longitude. Located east of the island of Sumatera and south of Malaysia and Singapore.

AREA
715 sq km ( included Rempang and Galang islands )

CLIMATE
Tropical climate with warm weather all year round. Temperatures range from 21 to 34 celcius degree. Annual rainfall varies from 2.000 mm to 2.500 mm. In general throughout the region, being for wet dry season from November to April and another dry season.

POPULATION
729.000 ( until March 2008 )

PEOPLE & CULTURE
Although Melayu culture is predominant in the area, Tthe population is culturally and ethnically diverse, coming from all over Indonesia as well as overseas.
Batam is multiethnic island, the local inhabitants maintain their Islamic tradition. Daily life is punctuated by religious and mistical ceremonies represented by dances, music, and other forms art.

RELIGION
Islam is the majority religion but all other religion on practical freely e.g Catholic, Christian, Hindhu, Budha, Khong Hu Chou.

LANGUAGE
Bahasa Indonesia is the national languagebut but English is widely spoken. Batamese also speak various language an dialects.

GOVERMENT
The status of Batam a port of the work area of the goverment of Riau Islands Province ( Provinsi Kepulauan Riau ). The capital of the province is the city of Tangjung Pinang.

TIME
Eight hours ahead of GMT and hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time.

CURRENCY
The unit of currency is the Indonesia Rupiah indicated as RP. Foreign currency can be converted at banks and money changers.

ELECTRICITY
Voltage is 220-240 volts AC at 50 Hz cycles per second

MEASUREMENT
Metric System

TELEPHONE
Local calls can be made from public phones using coins ( Rp. 100,- or Rp. 500,- ) and prepaid cards. International call an be mode from phone shop ( WARTEL ) or at any Telkom Indonesia offices.
Indonesia area code
Batam area code.....0778

ENTRY REQUREMENTS
Visitor must be in possession on valid pasport or travel document with minimum validity of six monts beyond the intended visiting period.
Citizens of most countries do not require visas for social or business visit.
For a few countries need to provide visa on arrival ( VOA ) when arriving at imigrasi office at ferries terminal.


BANKING & GOVERMENT OFFICES HOURS
Mon - Fri: 08.00 am - 15.00 pm
Sat - Sun: Closed

DEPARTURE FEE/TAX
Domestic flight at Hang Nadim Airport
Domestic ferry at Telaga Punggur Terminal
Domestic ferry at Sekupang Terminal
Sekupang International Ferry Terminal Read more...

BATAM PRACTICALITIES

Batam is one of the largest islands of the Riau Archipelago in Indonesia, located east of the island of Sumatera and south of Malaysia and Singapore.
Batam island is separated from the island of Singapore by only 20 km by the Strait of Singapore. Batam island is 30 km lenght by 20 km width with a land area of 415 sq km. The maximal altitude is not higher than 160 meters

36 years ago, Batam hard population of only 30.000 people. in 2008. the official population reached 729.000 inhabitants with a density of 1000 people/sq km.
The siland gradually became a tourist destination not only from Singapore but also for Indonesians. Batam owes its name "boom city" to industrial, commercial, and residential growth.

Prior 1975 Batam was a sleeply backwater mostly covered with jungle and mangrove swamps. there were only a few Malay villages ( Kampung Melayu )along coast. The main industries were exporting timber and fish to Singapore.
Visiting Batam and other riau island was difficult because of restrictions remaining after the confrontation betwen Indonesia and Malaysia-Singapore during the 1960's.

The history of Batam is closely linked to the neighbor island of Bintan and the Riau Archipelago. According to Chinese chronicels, batam was already inhabited by 231 A.D when Singapore was still called Pulau Ujung ( Island of Ujung ). Located by the Kingdom of Malacca in the 13th century, Batam island was then governed by the Sultan of Johor until the 18th.
It is said that in olden times fishing villages facing Singapore sheltered the pirates who watched. The strait to attack and pluneder the commercial ships. Later, batam and the surrounding islands become port of Kingdom of Riau Lingga, which lasted untill 1911 when the Dutch colonial administration of Indies succeeded.

The inhabitants of Batam are of Malay origin, but to the growth and fast development, various Indonesian ethnic groups moved to the island in search of jobs and a better life. Traditionally most of population lived in the fishing villages, except the Orang Laut ( Man of the Sea )who still continue to line of boats and survive on fishing. Most of the fishing harvest is sold to Singapore.

Then in 1973 the batam industrial project was started and in 1978 the whol island was declared on industrial free port zone and Indonesia Goverment through Batam Industry Development Authority ( BIDA ) built up this region.
Modern development exploded during the 1980'swith the construction of higways, industrial, and housing estates, and modern towns. Visiting Batam become easy when visa restrictions were removed in 1983.

Read more...