Riau Archipellago

Riau Archipelago with Tanjung Pinang as the capital city Is blessed of a lot potential tourism objects, beautiful beaches, and culture attractions. It is located at the crossroads of one of the world’s oldest and busiest maritime routes and well reputes as an ideal stop over for trade and commerce. Riau Archipe¬lago was once home a sea gypsies cruising its rich mangroves forest and waterways.

Moreover, it was on this island that the Sultan of Malacca found refuge from Portuguese attack in the 16th century, mapping tales of the legendary importance when Bintan thenceforth grew as the center of the powerful Johor Riau Sultanate.

Riau Islands can easily reached by air or sea from Jakarta and Pekanbaru directly. Batam and Bintan have international shiplines and flight. It is only 45 minutes away from Singapore by ferry.

Perahu Naga (Dragon Boat) Festival in every October covers a distance of 400 meters with both domestic and foreign contestants. It is held along the Tanjung Pinang coast facing Penyengat Island. It features cultural performances, swimming contest and traditional diving challenge.

Tanjung Pinang. Tanjung Pinang is a busy town on Bintan Island, now as a capital of Riau Archipelago. It has a Museum on Jl. Katamso. A large section of the old part of the town was built in traditional local fashion, on stilts, over the water. Tanjung Pinang City is located at about 10 km from the airport. This town also has 2 ports, Sri Bintan Pura in Tanjung Pinang and Sri Bayintan in Kijang. Tanjung Pinang Serves flight to Pekanbaru and Natuna.

Batu Bedaun Beach. Batu Bedaun Beach is very famous among the teenagers in Dabo Singkep. The beach situated 20 km from Dabo. This white sandy beach is very clean, with blue sea and small wave.

Daik. Daik is a small town but has many historical relics of Riau Lingga kingdom as in the Penyengat Island. We can reach the town by speedboats from Tanjung Pinang. In Lingga Island there are also many variation of tropical plantation and marine water fish species that cannot be found in other pla¬ces. Other interesting objects is Mount Daik with 3 peaks.

Senayang Island. Senayang Island. Boat cruising touring the waters between the islands is among potential attractions. Some real and thrilling adventures are available since there are many islands surrounding Senayang and excellent packages include cycling, bush wacking, swimming, snorkeling and diving.

Tambelan Island. Tambelan Island is about 200 km away from Tanjungpinang. There are only six villages, which are spread over a few islands, with a total population of about 4,000. As is to be expected, the environment here is largely unspoilt, and the scenery is truly magnificent. One of the most interesting of natural attraction in this island is watching turtles laying their eggs in great number that protected by local peoples.

Bintan Island. Bintan Island. International investors have developed many new hotels, integrated world-class resorts, international golf courses on the island of Bintan. Other deve¬lopments include industrial parks, medical, commercial and banking facilities that are readily available to any visitors. During your visit to Riau Archipelago will not be bored or uninspired because there are many other interesting places like Pasar Ikan (Fish Market) where fresh, cheap seafood and ve¬getables are sold. There are also the Akau (Night Market), Pelantar (Water Villages) and shops selling local handicraft, natural attraction like watching the turtles laying their eggs or fishing on the Kelong.

Trikora Beach. Trikora Beach is about 40 kilometers south of Tanjung Pinang on the eastern side of the island. Good beaches are also found on the islands of Terkulai and Soreh, about an hour away by boat.

Natuna Archipelago. Natuna Archipelago is a part of the vast province, which embraces all of the islands off the Riau mainland. The main island clusters of the Natuna archipelago are: Anambas, Natuna, South Natuna and Tambelan. Matak Island at present serves as a base for offshore oil exploration. Colourful co¬rals and reef fish are found in the waters surrounding these islands. South Natuna comprises the islands Serasan, Panjang and Subi. The surf is strong on these islands and the scenery impressive. The Tambelan Islands are accessed by boat in 6 hours from Pontianak in West Kalimantan or from Tanjung Pinang in 16 hours. Turtles habitually come to some of the beaches to depo¬sit their eggs in the warm sand. There are probably more turtles than people on these islands. Natuna is located in area of South China Sea with the geographical location passed by international shipping and coast lines. Natuna’s Ranai airport has length of 2,550 metres and Matak airport with length basis of 1,700 metres. Natuna’s seaport are Lampa (100 x 10 sqm) and Penagih (50 x 8 sqm).

Karimun Island. Karimun Island is one of the most important islands in the Riau Archipelago, due to its thriving economy and proximity to Singa¬pore. Tanjungbalai Karimun is a medium-sized town, with a large Chinese community and shops selling a large variety of imported items. Lies in a shipping line in Malacca Strait and Singapore, Karimun gateway can be passed by international ferry from and to Malaysia and Singapore.

Sea Gardens. Sea Gardens with beautiful corals and fish are found in the waters around the islands of Mapor, Abang, Pompong, Ba¬lang and Tanjung Berkait.

Batam Island. Batam Island is a very strategic island designated as a center of industry, tourism and trade. It lies close to Singapore. The Nongsa recreational region has international hotels, four golf courses, a marina sports facility and a forest reserve. Batam can be reached in two hours from Tanjung Pinang by ferry and in about half an hour from Singapore.

Pulau Penyengat. Pulau Penyengat (Stinging Island) When people found on the first time, Penyengat Island was an island with many stinging bees it is six kilometers from Tanjung Pinang, can be reached in 15 minutes by boat. The seat of the powerful Bugis viceroys of Riau during the 18th century, Penyengat still bears the traces of its illustrious past. Ruins, abandoned for almost 70 years, were recently restored. The old ruler’s palace and royal tombs are among the legacies left by the Riau sultanate. Still in use is the old viceroyal mosque, the Mesjid Raya, there is also a newly built cultural center for stage performances of Malay music and dances.

Nongsa Beach

Nongsa Beach lies on the Northeast Side of Batam Island. It has become the island's most popular tourist area. Beautiful resorts, golf courses and a marina extend along the beaches of Nongsa. The natural beauty of lush jungle, seafront scenery and charming culture provides and idyllic respite from urban life. Visitor from Singapore find great convenience travelling to Batam. In Nongsa, on the northeastern corner, are safe sand beaches with new luxury hotels; a very good place for a swim.

Getting There. The frequent ferry crossing from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore take 25 minutes to reach Nongsapura, Nongsa Beach's own ferry terminal. International and acclaimed golf resorts such as Palm Springs, Tamarin Santana and Tering Bay are within 10 minutes drive of the ferry terminal.

Where to Stay. Many types of accommodation you can choose for a place to stay. As are the four-star resorts Turi Beach Resort, Nongsa Point Marina, Batam View, Purajaya, and others.

Moving Around. Most of the places you are likely to want to visit in and around Nongsa can be reached by walking or you can use taxis and ojeks

Other Things to See or Do. The Nongsa area is still populated by many quaint Indonesian villages. One can see the culture and way of life through organized walks and bicycle rides through these areas.

Dining Guide. Theres also the seafood restaurants in kelong style, built on pawls above the water, are very popular that serve local foods and fresh seafood to choose from. Live lobsters, clams and shellfishes are cooked in a variety of styles to satisfy anyones taste buds. All you have to do is take a walk through the 'live' fish tanks then pick and choose what you would like to have served up on your table. Theres some local shellfishes that are a 'MUST TRY'.

Souvenir Tips

• There are a lot of souvenir shops along the road of Nongsas.
• Duty free items are plentiful; you can purchase from the well stocked stores at the ferry terminal or save a dollar more and shop In Nagoya.

Travel Tips

• The best time of the day to visit is in the late afternoon and evening.
• Nongsa and especially the Island Barat Turi Beach Resort is the best place to watch the sun go down over the horizon of the Singapore skyline.
• Toilet facilities can be palatial in the major hotels, but primitive to say the least at some of the Pujasera. We let you know whether to take an emergency toilet roll or pocket pack of tissues with you just in case!
• If you do decide to use an Ojek the old rule applies " negotiate the price before you engage the driver and avoid arguments and bad feeling later.
• If you decided to walking around Nongsa, be aware that the street layout can be quite confusing and its a good idea to know how to ask for and understand directions in Indonesian.
• Most food courts, pujaseras and many restaurants have hand wash basins away from the toilets with liquid soap supplied. Look for them and use them.

BATAM

BATAM TOURISM OBJECTS

Batam is one of the 3,000 islands, which make up the Riau Archipelago and is closest to Singapore, which is only 20 km away or twenty minutes by air-conditioned ferry. It has a rapid-growing population of around 100.000. As the island develops into a major industrial and tourist area, it attracts an ever-increasing population from other Indonesian islands who see Batam as a haven of opportunity.

Once almost uninhabited, save for a few scattered fishing communities, Batam's history took a sharp turn beginning 1969, when it became support base for the State-owned 'Pertamina oil company' and its offshore oil exploration. In 1971 a presidential decree designated it as an industrial area and in 1975 the Batam Authority was formed. In 1978 Batam was established as a bonded area.

In addition to the oil support industries of Batu Ampar and a fast growing electronics industry, Batam now attracts increasing numbers of tourists. Many come from Singapore for a short holiday with friends and family, duty-free shopping and great seafood. The visitors to Singapore hope over for a day or weekend trip.

International standard hotels and numerous economy establishments cater to the expanding demand for accommodation. Business, as they say, is booming. An island two-thirds the size of Singapore, Batam progresses by leaps and bounds. Where virgin jungle once stood are now whole new towns, mosques, churches, temples and supermarkets, soon to be followed by reservoirs with enough water to supply a population of 800,000 and for industrial use, an airport-to become an international gateway - a fine telecommunication system, well equipped industrial parks, and the beginnings of a large new urban center.

Sekupang

At present, Batam's main entry point is Sekupang, where streamlined fast and air-conditioned ferries bring hordes of quests from Singapore and Malaysia. The twenty-minute voyage is enlivened with free cool drink and video show, although some prefer to stand on the top deck and watch the sights. Ferries shuttle daily every half-hour between Singapore's Finger Pier and Sekupang harbor, and during peak period, even more frequently. For travelers' convenience, there are hotel, taxi and ferry counters at the ferry terminal. Within walking distance from the terminal is Batam authority office.

Further down the road overlooking Sekupang harbor is Wisma Batam where we can see, upon request, an audiovisual presentation on Batam's development up to 2005. Batam's two popular FM stations, the Batam Zoo 1101.6 and Coast 100 are in the vicinity. Looking over the whole Sekupang and the hilly interior is the Hilltop Hotel. Popular with long-staying guests as well as tourists, this hotel is to be expanded and upgraded to new heights. Its restaurant serves fine Indonesian food and western specialties. In Sekupang try the Indonesian Delights, where regional Indonesian dishes are offered to the accompaniment of traditional dances.

Nongsa

Batam's northern coastal area of Nongsa, an hour's drive from Sekupang, is the main tourist attraction, where the resorts and golf courses are situated. Batams has best known; the Batam View and the beautiful Turi Beach Resort take pride of place as does the nine-hole Talvas Golf and Country Club. Besides catering to tourists, these hotels are also popular for small conferences. At the end of the promontory is the small Nongsa River, which is to be preserved in its natural state.

Hotel guests can take boat trips up the river and perhaps see birds and wild Monkeys, or take in the solitude of the quiet waterways. En route to the airport, just south of Nongsa is Batu Besar, a cluster of restaurants offering fresh seafood. Built on stilts out over the water, guests are assured of a cool sea breeze while dining, and drinking ice-cold beer or the cool juice from a large green coconut.

Nagoya (Lubuk Baja)

Nagoya is located halfway between Nongsa and Sekupang. Lubuk Baja, or popularly known as Nagoya is Batam's colorful and fast growing heart. Shops, stalls, footstools, nightlife, discos, music lounges, karaoke, restaurants and many small hotels make this busy community popular with the locals and the businessmen alike. Hunt here for bargains and Indonesian goodies. For a good time, Nagoya is the spot. Until the Batam Center is established, Lubuk Baja is Batams present center of business, trade and finance. Nagoya is Batam's entertainment center.

While resorts offer there is own brand of quiet evening music, Nagoya is definitely the place to go for nightlife. Bars are plentiful and disco lively. Shinta Nightclub has overseas cabaret acts and the Regina Palace is one of the favorite nightspots. Tired folk can enjoy a relaxing and stimulating massage in one of the many salons In Nagoya. Karaoke Lounges are big news, where guests can live out their singing talents in congenial surroundings.

In Batam, finding fresh seafood is no problem. Anyway that visitors find their way to, a seafood restaurant will have preceded them. Nagoya has many restaurants such as; Batu Besar, Batu Merah, Telaga Punggur. Late night ferries from Batu Ampar allow diners to eat at a Batam restaurant and return the same evening to Singapore. Genuine Padang food can be found at Pagi Sore restaurant in Nagoya.

Batam Centre

Batam Centre is face to Tering Bay; construction work on the Batam Center has already begun. To be the pride of Batam, the Center is a planned city with business district, hotels, shops and a marina. Indonesia's President Soeharto and Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew each planted a banyan tree on 29 November 1987, marking the close friendship between the two countries and the beginning of construction on Batam Centre. Later Prime Minister Mahathir of Malaysia to join them planted a tree. The first buildings are almost completed and will soon be joined by international hotels including a Sheraton and a Shangri-La.

Kabil

In the southeast of the island, Kabil marks the site of a major deep-water port already under construction. When completed, the Asia Port will accommodate ships of up to 150,000 DTW with a total wharf length of 5,000 meters. Together with its free trade zone status, Asia Port makes an attractive shipping proposition and is already drawing interested responses. Presently, lighter shipping berth at Batu Ampar and Sekupang ports in the north.

Speedboats may be hired here for our transfer to neighboring Bintan Island. Nearby, in direct contrast to the heavy industrialization is Telaga Punggur, offering a taste of old Batam. In the midst of a quaint fishing village are several more seafood restaurants, it is easy to while away several delightful hours here, eating and watching the passing parade of sampans and fishing craft as they go about their business.

Hang Nadim

Batam's busy regional airport is in the throes of major construction works. New runways accommodating large carrier planes such as the Jumbo Jet and the Airbus will be ready by 1993, when Batam will become an international gateway to Indonesia by air as it already is by sea. The airport provides connections to many Indonesian cities, including to Jakarta, Pekanbaru, Bandung, Medan and other secondary cities. Garuda Indonesia flies several daily flights to Batam, Sempati, Merpati, SMAC, Deraya and Airfast.

RIAU ARCHIPELAGO

Its waters are the backyard of native seafaring nomads who fish and trade for a living. Their traditional wooden sailing craft, called 'pinisi' still do the forested channels of these islands, along with other indigenous craft, fishing vessels and cargo ships which call at the archipelago's main town and Tanjung Pinang port. Tanjung Pinang lies on the largest island of Bintan archipelago. Once known as Riau, it was the heart of an ancient Malay kingdom. Today, Bintan is the latest hot spot of development in Indonesia's surging economy.

A master plan is underway to turn it into a major tourist destination. Barely an hour away from Singapore by ferry, tourist accommodation has begun to appear to take advantage of its gateway from it all appeal. It consists of Riau Archipelago, Natuna Islands and Anambas Archipelago. Originally part of Riau Province, Riau Archipelago was split off as a separate Province in July 2004 with Tanjung Pinang as its capital.

Anambas Archipelago, located between mainland Malaysia and Borneo were attached to the new province. By population, the most important Riau islands are Bintan, Batam and Karimun. Size wise, however, the sparsely populated Natuna Islands are larger.

Riau Archipelago with its thousands of island has plenty of scenic beaches and diving spots, among them Trikora on Bintan and Pasir Panjang on Rupat Island. The first is about 50 kilometers south of Tanjung Pinang on the eastern side of the island. Pasir Panjang, on the northern side of Rupat facing to Malacca Strait, is stretched out natural beaches are also found on Terkulai and Soreh islands, about an hour's distance by boat from Tanjung Pinang. One of the most popular beaches is Nongsa on Batam Island. From here one can see the Singapore skyline.

GENERAL INFORMATION OF BATAM ISLAND

Batam is one of the 3,000 islands, which make up the Riau Archipelago and is closest to Singapore, which is only 20 km away or twenty minutes by air-conditioned ferry. It has a rapid-growing population of around 100.000. As the island develops into a major industrial and tourist area, it attracts an ever-increasing population from other Indonesian islands who see Batam as a haven of opportunity.

Once almost uninhabited, save for a few scattered fishing communities, Batam's history took a sharp turn beginning 1969, when it became support base for the State-owned 'Pertamina oil company' and its offshore oil exploration. In 1971 a presidential decree designated it as an industrial area and in 1975 the Batam Authority was formed. In 1978 Batam was established as a bonded area.

In addition to the oil support industries of Batu Ampar and a fast growing electronics industry, Batam now attracts increasing numbers of tourists. Many come from Singapore for a short holiday with friends and family, duty-free shopping and great seafood. The visitors to Singapore hope over for a day or weekend trip.

International standard hotels and numerous economy establishments cater to the expanding demand for accommodation. Business, as they say, is booming. An island two-thirds the size of Singapore, Batam progresses by leaps and bounds. Where virgin jungle once stood are now whole new towns, mosques, churches, temples and supermarkets, soon to be followed by reservoirs with enough water to supply a population of 800,000 and for industrial use, an airport-to become an international gateway - a fine telecommunication system, well equipped industrial parks, and the beginnings of a large new urban center.

Administratively, Batam enjoys a unique status under the Batam Island Development Authority (BIDA). The island is duty-free. The holiday market, this means duty free shopping in town, hotel shops and the ferry terminal. For the businessmen it means wide-ranging opportunities for investments. While all this change takes place, Batam has retained pockets of rural charm, peaceful spots with quiet beaches. Fishing villages supply delicious fresh seafood to visitors. White sand beaches are fringed with palms and kampung life carries on almost undisturbed. Batam makes a great break.

One of Batam's biggest attractions is the fresh and delicious seafood. Giant prawns, live still crawling crabs, live fish taken straight from nets in the sea, lobsters, clams and shellfish are cooked in a variety of styles and all delicious. Try the local 'gong-gong' conch shell where the succulent meat inside is fished out with a pin and dipped in a spicy sauce before eating.

The People

The native people of Batam are Malay origin, but with the rapid growth and development of the area various ethnic groups from all over Indonesia has come here in search for jobs and a better life. Traditionally, most of the people live in coastal villages, while the "Orang Laut" (sea people) continues to live on boathouses and boats and generally fish for a living. Some of their catches are sold to Singapore. 'Bahasa Indonesia' is the language used to communicate among the multi-ethnic population here, while many now also understand English, which is commonly used in business communication.

Culture

Even if Batam is multi-ethnic it is still the Malayan culture and Islam, which forms the root of the local culture. Both daily life and the ceremonies have religious and mythical elements, expressed in dance, music and other forms of art. Some of the most popular traditional dances are Jogi Dance, unique for Batam, Zapin Dance, which reflects strong Arabic influence, Persembahan Dance, to welcome honored guests and Ronggeng Dance, where the guests can be invited to come up and join the dance and song.The Mak Yong drama is a dance and song performance, which tells the story about a country named "Riuh", commonly believed to be the origin of Riau province name.

This country is governed by a wise and popular king, who one day to his surprise and embarrassment is told that his princess have given birth to an animal called "Siput Gondang" (the gondang snail). Upset by this event he orders the newborn to be expelled to the jungle. A couple of years later he is told that the snail has begun to grow, and he asks for the snail to be brought to the Royal Palace where the shell is broken. To his surprise and joy he can see a beautiful princess appear from the broken shell, and he names her Putri Siput Gondang (Princess Siput Gondang), celebrations are then held for seven days and seven nights.

But also other cultures contribute to the Batam community, and in the "Padepokan Seni" art center in Sekupang we can see arts and crafts from all over Indonesia, as well as various kinds of performances, which are staged every day for the visitors and tourists. Another art center in Sekupang is "Desa Seni", Indonesian art village, which main objective is to "maintain, conserve and develop the Indonesian culture", and also to manage the Cultural Institute where qualified instructors conduct various shows and courses.

History

The history of Batam is tightly interwoven with nearby Bintan Island and the rest of Riau Archipelago. According to Chinese chronicles Batam was already inhabited as early as 231 A.D. when Singapore Island was still called 'Pulau Ujung' (Ujung Island). It came Malacca kingdom under control from the 13th century, and later taken over by the Sultan of Johor who ruled until the 18th century. The coastal villages that face Singapore is said to have been a hideout for pirates who hijacked ships in the strait.

In 1824 the name of the island again appear in London treaty, which led to the division of the region between the Dutch and the British. Batam and the surrounding islands later became part of the Riau Lingga Kingdom, a situation that lasted until 1911, when the Dutch East Indies colonial administration took over.