A Helpful Guide to Getting In and Around Batam, Indonesia

Let's say you've already reserved a hotel in Batam, Indonesia for your upcoming visit. Before you pack your bags, book island tours, and make a list of key attractions to visit, read this article first. Here, we're giving you very helpful tips on traveling to and around the island.

Getting to Batam

Ferry

This is the most popular and convenient form of transportation to and from Batam. The island has 5 ports that serve not only parts of Indonesia but also Singapore and Malaysia. From Singapore, a trip usually takes about 1 hour, while travel time from Johor Bahru in Malaysia is about 1 1/2 hours. Operators that you can book include SINDO Ferry (www.sindoferry.com.sg), Batam Fast (www.batamfast.com), Wave Master (www.wavemaster.com.sg), and Falcon Travel (http://www.indofalcon.com.sg/).

Plane

If you easily get seasick, an alternative way to get to the island is catching a plane to Hang Nadim International Airport. Most flights here are domestic, to and from destinations such as Jakarta, Pontianak, Pekanbaru, Medan, and Yogyakarta. Your airline options are Garuda Indonesia, Aviastar, Citilink, Express Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, and Wings Air. If you're coming from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, you can also book an international flight with Firefly or Malindo Air.

Find Your Way Around

Taxi

Flagging down a cab is the fastest way to get around Batam. There are plenty of taxis here, but note that not all of them are licensed, and there are many that don't have meters. Rules of thumb: Licensed ones have yellow plates. If ever you hail one without a meter, the first thing to do is haggle the fare to avoid an overly expensive ride.

Mini-bus

If you want a more affordable ride to the major parts of Batam, then a mini-bus, locally known as Metro Trans, is the perfect choice. While taxi fares from one key area to another usually start at IDR 20,000, a mini-bus ride will only cost you IDR 3,000 to IDR 12,000.

Bus or shuttle

Buses are a fairly new addition to the local transportation system of Batam. Tagged as “Bus Pilot Project”, the blue-colored line runs from Batam Center to Batu Aji or Sekupang. A ticket costs around IDR 4,000. If you're going to your accommodation from Batam Center, you may grab a free shuttle bus ride (yellow-colored) at Mega Mall.

Hotel service

It goes without saying that when choosing an accommodation, the list of available transportation facilities and services should be given attention. That is if you want a more seamless and hassle-free vacation. A great choice for a hotel in Batam is TuriBeach, which offers city and airport transfers, shuttle service, and car rental assistance.