ABOUT BATAM

Batam island located in the east of Karimun and Bulan Island, west of Bintan Island, north of Rempang Island, and south of Singapore. Separates by Riau Strait (Selat Riau). The biggest community on the island is Nagoya. Other main communities include Sekupang, Jodoh, Sungai Panas, Batam Centre, Baloi, Batu Ampar, and Bengkong.

Takes about 20 km (50 Minutes) from Singapore and 25km (100 Minutes) from Johor in Malaysia, Batam is Indonesia’s equivalent to China’s SEZ’s (Special Economic Zones) – a place where the nation’s eco-nomic planners test new economic policies and ideas.

GOOD PLACE IN BATAM

Barelang Bridge, (Separated from BAtam, REmpang, GAlang) which is bridge’s name that connected islands, Batam Island, Tonton Island, Nipah Island, Rempang Island, Galang Island, Ga-lang Baru Island. Known as by the local people ‘’Jembatan Barelang‘’ or known as ‘’Jembatan Habibie‘’, because the devel-opment of this bridge initiative by him. Barelang bridge has been become Icon of Batam, and known as Batam Island Landmark.

Barelang Bridge is Pilot Project within newest technology involved more than a hundred Indonesian engineers without influenced by other country. Build to develop Industry area Otorita batam (OB) as regu-lator Batam island Industry. Development this bridge already used Otorita Batam budget funds amounts 400 Billion that build within 6 years (1992 – 1998). Six bridges are vital project as trans Barelang track connection along 54 kilometers.

Vietnam Village, is an evacuation camp its about 80 hectare that built several decades ago when the sibling war was hap-pening in Vietnam in 1975. This evacuation camp raise around 250.000 displaced people from Vietnam, because they were blurred from their country and there a ton of threats from the war itself. Then PBB by UNHCR decided Galang Island, Indone-sia became an evacuation camp for displaced people. Atmosphere of this place offering something different from the others place.

What we can see there?

Humanity statue Tinhn Han Loai, Quan Am Tu Vihara, Vietnam Village Museum, Hospital, Prison, Cemetery, and Ship statue. Welcome to Batam, when you visiting Batam you will be greeted a giant word in center city and Batam Government. This word planned to greet every tourist who goes to Batam, especially for foreign tourists.

The word is ‘’WELCOME TO BATAM ‘’, located in Clara Hill and its around 200 meters from Agung Mosque, DPRD Batam building. 300 meters from Dataran Engku Putri and close to

the office of Batam Mayor. If America has ‘’HOLLYWOOD ‘’ then Batam has it too.

It becomes a Landmark too so it often to be background of photo-spot, overall the length is around 120 meters. Every font is around 10 m x 5 m and the weight is around 4,5 ton. This location became a destina-tion when tourist visits Batam, beside of visiting Barelang bridge.

Every tourist who comes by International Ferry terminal will be greeted directly by this big word. And the local people also decides this location as good spot to relax at the end of week. There are a lot of snack sellers for every tourist who visits. For your information it was finished in 2010 and it has been exist till now.

SHOPPING, beside of visiting beautiful places or enjoying cul-inary. There is one thing you could not skipped by tourist when visiting to a destination, it is SHOPPING.

Batam is shopping heaven on earth. Batam is close to Singapore and Malaysia. It was became main gate every kinds of import things. Since pointed as an area Free Trade Zone (FZT). It gives beneficial and free of PPN, Tax, even Ex-cise tax. That’s way Batam is shopping heaven on earth who likes shopping.

ABOUT BINTAN

Approximately 1,140sqkm in size, Bintan Island is located 50km southeast of Singapore. The largest island within the stunning Riau Archipelago, the island is well known for its rich historical past as much as its legendary beaches and natural beauty. Situated at the centre of the crucial Indo-China trading route, it has been in the midst of several power struggles throughout history.

Takes about 120 minutes from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal Singapore to Sri Bintan Pura Tanjung Pinang, 60 minutes to Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal. About 165 minutes from Stulang Laut Johor Bahru to Sri Bintan Pura Tanjung Pinang

The island is truly a unique paradise. Simple life, beautiful beach, friendly people which bring us the leisure. Gives the refreshment to our mind and body. Tanjung Pinang, Kijang, Kawal, Trikora Beach, Senggarang, Tanjung Uban and Lagoi / Bintan Resort sites, are places that should not missed when you are in Bintan.

GOOD PLACE IN BINTAN

Desert Bintan, known by local people as ‘’Bukit Pasir Desa Busung‘’ . At that time it was bauxite mining and active to ex-port, and any source said it exported to Singapore for recla-mation project. Then it closed and this place left well enough well alone. No more mining activities.

Then, many tourists decide to stop at this spot and take a picture. Slow but sure this place become a hit on Instagram.A ton of instagrammer take their picture there. Even this desert made by mining activities but it looks like natural and it has beautiful view.

This desert look pretty broad, from a distance it looks fine sand and when you are getting closer it’s a gravel, and when the spring comes the color goes to yellow. We are going to feel at the truly de-sert.

This dessert covered up with many trees by the side of it and also there is some tares. Easy to find this spot its located at the curb between Tanjung Ubang – Tanjung Pinang. By using car it takes only 15 minutes. Spend the time at this place in the evening is a good choice isn’t it?

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva or known as thousand faces of Vihara statue located in hill km14, this places was built in 2010 and do-nation from kinds Singaporean. He donated his land to this build-ing. The function of this building is for saving monk statue/arahat. Arahat means a man who reaches spiritual chastity to follow Bud-dhism.

By first entering this place we will greeted by 2 giant statues with spooky face, as though both of them are guard this Vihara. Mostly every statue there has giant size and imported from China with tall range about 1,8 m – 2.0 m. The total of them around 500 statues of Buddha’s student.

If we observe the statues in detail as though they would like to communicate with us. And they have different expression each other. There are consist smile face, angry face, and funny face. FYI, this Vihara opens at 08.00 till 16.00 WIB.

Penyengat Island is a small island that is approximately 6 km from the town of Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands province. This island measures approximately 2500 meters x 750 meters and is ap-proximately 35 km from the island of Batam. This island can be reached by using a boat or better known by pompong boat. By using pompong boat, it takes approximately 15 minutes’ drive.

Penyengat Island is one of tourist attractions in Riau Islands. One of the objects that can be seen are Sultan Riau Great Mosque that have been made ??from egg whites, the tombs of the Kings, the tomb of the national hero Raja Ali Haji, the Palace complex and blockhouse Office at Kursi Hill. Penyengat island and Penyengat Island palace complex has been nominated to UNESCO to be one of the World Heritage Site. Penyengat island is the perfect island to be visited to enjoy the Malay cultural heritages.

In the reign of Sultan Riau, this island was used as headquarters ground in Malay land. It can be seen from the many historical relics of the past. Aside from being the headquarters of the government, the island was also being a fortress forefront in confronting the Dutch attack.

The evidence from the center of defense during the war is can be seen from the presence of a cas-tle on the hill. The hill is known as Bukit Kursi. As a center of defense, it has some cannons that facing to the sea. The cannons are very strategically located, which can be use at any time when the enemy ap-proached.