BATAM

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 economic planners test new economic policies and ideas.

Large population of ethnic chinese Indonesians, who also can speak Hokkien (Fujian), Teochew and Mandarin. There are also large population of migrants from various parts of Indonesia who speak many different kinds of Indonesian

 GOOD PLACES 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, Galang Baru Island. Known as by the local people ‘’ Jembatan Barelang ‘’ and other name is ‘’ Jembatan Habibie ‘’, because the development of this bridge initiatived by him to give facility for 3 other islands that planned to develop become industry area in Kepulauan Riau

Barelang bridge has been become Icon of Batam, and known as Batam Island Landmark. If Jakarta has Monas, then people will regard Jembatan Barelang as Batam icon. And it has other name as Habibie bridge or One Bridge.

Barelang Bridge is Pilot Project within newest technology involved more than a hundred Indonesian engineer without influenced by other country. Build to develop Industry area Otorita batam (OB) as regulator 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 kilometer

Vietnam Village, is an evacuation  camp its about 80 hectare that built several decades ago when the sibling war was happening 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.

A half of them reached to Natuna Island, Tanjung Pinang, Galang Island and several others island in Riau island. Then PBB by UNHCR decided Galang Island, Indonesia became an evacuation camp for displaced people. At that time Galang island was empty without occupant. Then an evacuation camp was built completed with several facilities, barracks, hospital, Church, school. And prison.

Atmoshphere of this place offering something different from the others place. You are going to feel visit to the truly Vietnam Village as can as we see at Ramboo Movie. There are many houses without occupant and it has been left since long time a go.

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 meter from Agung Mosque, DPRD Batam building. 300 meter 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 meter. Every font is around 10 m x 5 m and the weight is around 4,5 ton. This location became a destination 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 culinary. There is one thing it could not skipped by tourist when visiting to the 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 Excise tax. That’s way Batam is shopping heaven on earth who likes shopping.

Kinds of things you can find out :

Electronic goods, it is like Mobile phone, Digital Camera, Laptop, Pc, and their accessories. Find them at Lucky Plaza and Nagoya Hill Shopping Center. A cross of Lucky Plaza.

Diversity of cheap bag, beside of electronic goods, you can also do the hunting for getting it. Along the Nagoya street there are a lot of shops who sells kinds of bag. The price start from by Hundred to Million, mostly they come from China and Hongkong.

Kinds of Perfume, you possible to find it too. Usually perfume shop side by side with Bag shop. They also come from China and Hongkong.