Batam: a place where business meets leisure

    Looking from the tall towers of Singapore across the straits of Indonesian territorial waters, you will see the two islands of Batam (Batam) and Bintan (Bintan), belonging to the province of Riau. Located close to Singapore as well as Johor Bahru (Malaysia), the islands offer a completely different atmosphere compared to the environment of a busy city, and therefore, have long become a favorite vacation spot for residents and tourists from neighboring countries.

    Batam Island is today Indonesia's third busiest port of entry after Jakarta and Bali. In recent years, the island has become a popular destination for tourists not only from Singapore and Malaysia, but also from other countries in Asia and Europe, who come to the island to play on first-class golf courses, amazing sailing trips, duty-free shopping, rejuvenating and revitalizing SPA treatments, relaxing beach holidays, mouth-watering fresh seafood dishes or for other tourist pleasures.

    Batam is an ideal place for business events and meetings. It also has the Sumatra Convention Center (SCC), which has a 1,064-seat equipped hall with a fixed stage and an outdoor area that can accommodate up to 15,000 people. Thanks to its marina, Batam has recently become a springboard for yacht tourism in the enchanting tropical islands of Indonesia.

    The famous object of pride, which visitors to the island should definitely see, is the Barelang Bridge. Located about 35 km from downtown Batam, the bridge connects the island to several smaller islands to its south: Taunton, Nipah, Sekotok, Rempang, Galang and Galang Baru (which are collectively known as the Barelang Bridge Islands). The bridge itself is a chain of six bridges and connecting roads, which together stretch for 715 km.

How to get there

     On a ferryboat: Regular daily comfortable ferries connect the Singapore port of Tanah Merah and the Malaysian port of Johor Bahru to Batam.