Batam is part of a group Islands in the South-east part of Indonesia in the Riau Archipelago. Batam is however the most popular of all the Islands in the Riau Province and is largely responsible for the millions of tourists that visit Indonesia every year. Not far from Singapore, the small Island boasts of wonderful seafood, amazing nightlife and some stunning malls that offer products at a shockingly low rate largely because the Island is classified as a free trade zone area.
In the tourism world, Batam has proven to be a force to reckon with and continues to grow in stature in the tourism sector with an annual tourist visitor population growing each year. Tourists who visit the Island never regret the experience as there are a host of things to do and places to visit. Some of these places have been discussed below to help potential travelers make the best choice in terms of where to visit and what to do in Batam.
Batam Bridge
The Balerang Bridge is undoubtedly one of Indonesia’s most important bridges, linking the Island of Batam, Rempang and Galang together. The Bridge consists of a chain of six astounding bridges of various architectural designs, making transportation between the Islands possible. The name of the Bridge Belareng was obtained from the Island itself as the entire landscape of Riau is known locally as Balerang. Due to the unique and grandiose nature of the bridges, they have become one of the main attractions in Batam, with tourists from other parts of Indonesia making their way to the area to see the amazing six chain bridge that links separated Islands together.
Batam Cable Water Ski
The Batam Cable Water Ski is the ultimate place to have fun in Batam especially for the lovers of water and jet skiing. The cable water ski is located within the Waterfront City Resort in the Riau Islands of Batam and is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Island with an annual tourist population exceeding a million. The resort also has comfortable accommodations for tourists who may want to spend a night or more than a day at the resort.
Galang Refugee camp
The Galang refugee camp is one of Indonesia’s most historic sites, where an important part of the history of Indonesia lives on in memory. The camp was responsible for housing Indochinese refugees between 1979 and 1996. The refugee camp is situated on the Riau Islands of which Batam forms part and lies precisely in Galang. Overall, an estimated 250,000 Indochinese people were believed to have passed through the camp during its active years. After the closure of the camp in 1997, it was transferred from the UNHCR to the Indonesian state and today serves as a very important historical site in the history of the country. Tourists who wish to learn more about Indonesia and the history of the country would find the camp an important place to visit.
Mall Visit
Batam has some of the finest shopping malls in Indonesia, making shopping on the small Island city one of the most popular activities to engage in. From tourists to residents, it is easy to go out and find people touring the wonderful shopping malls in the city. The most popular of these malls are the Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall, the Mega Mall and the BCs Mall. More uniquely, the malls in Batam have prices of their products amazingly cheap compared to malls in other parts of Indonesia, making shopping in the city a must for tourists and those who would like to save cost.
Golf Courses
If there is one sport in the world Batam is famous for, then it is the sports of Golf. The small island boasts of seven luxurious and international standard golf courses which are up there with the very best in the world. For tourists who are avid fans of the golf game, there is no justifiable reason not to visit any of the seven golf courses on the Island and enjoy a game with other tourists from different countries. Beyond the golfing, it serves as an opportunity to meet and interact with people from other countries and get to know about other cultures. The seven golf courses are Taering Golf and Country Club, Southlinks Golf and Country Club, Indah Puri Golf Resort, Tamarin Santana Golf Club, Padang Golf Sukajadi, Batam Hills Golf Resort and the Palm Spring Golf and Resort.
Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Temples
Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya is the biggest Buddhist temple in entire South-east Asia, occupying 4.5 hectares of land. The temple is also home to some of the tallest and biggest Buddha statues in Asia and was built in 1991 to serve as a major religious and worshipping centre for Buddhists. The white temple aside from its religious role is also a major tourist destination in Batam. Tourists who visit the city usually make their way to the large temple to satisfy their curiosity. While the temple is open to the populace for public viewing, it is done under strict supervision, with a caretaker at the temple usually leading visitors on the tour of the temple.
Amazing Seafood
As an Island, seafood is one thing you would expect Batam to have in abundance while also being experts at its preparation and surely the small Island doesn’t disappoint when it comes to that. The city offers delicious and incredibly cheap seafood, which are sold in restaurants across the city. The price of seafood there is less than half the price in other parts of Indonesia and even neighboring countries. What is more exciting, Batam is an expert at preparing seafood and the taste of the seafood here is comparable to none even at their low prices. The most popular restaurants known for serving delicious seafood include the Rezeki Seafood Restaurant, Harbour Bay Restaurant and Sei Enam Seafood. You simply cannot visit Batam and return without tasting their ever delicious seafood.
Golden City Batam
If you ever ask anyone who lives in Batam for tourism ideas and places to visit, the Golden City might be the first place they would suggest to you, and rightly so because it has earned the right to be called Batam’s finest tourist destination, an all in one park where everything about fun, entertainment and site seeing can be found. The park is located in Bengkong, Batam and is arguably the most patronized tourist attraction on the Riau Islands. The park boasts of so many attractions such as Go-Kart rides, paintball games, an illusion room, a number of amazing seafood restaurants, parks and gardens.
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