Batam Basic Information

Below is a list of Batam useful data that can assist you when you’re planning a holiday or trip to Batam Island.

Get in

All Batam ports, namely Harbour Bay (Jodoh), Batam Centre, Nongsapura, Sekupang and Waterfront City (Teluk Senimba) are visa-free and visa-on-arrival ports of entry

Populations & Topography

Batam’s population is presently about 1 million, of which approximately 86% are Indonesian, and 13% ethnic Chinese. The remaining 1% is made up of expatriates from varied international locations from across the world. Batam is a reasonably low-lying island, with only a few large hills; it does not have any mountains like in other parts of Indonesia. It has a few rivers and several man-made lakes that are used for city water supply. Batam covers an area of 415 sq. km (160sq miles).

Climate

As Batam is located approximately 1 degree north of the equator, it's a tropical environment, with a year typical temperature varies of 24 deg C to 35 deg C . The monsoon season is from November  to February, throughout that period it might rain quite closely on almost every day basis. The climate is very humid, so it may well to take some precaution getting used to it if you are from a cooler climate.

Language

The main language spoken on Batam is “Bahasa Indonesian” or Indonesian language. English can be broadly spoken, so you should not have any issues being understood, as most taxi drivers, hotel workers, restaurant workers, and many others, can speak English very well. Several Chinese dialects are also spoken, as there may be plenty of ethnic Chinese residing in Batam.

Time Zone

Batam time is UTC / GMT + 7 hours or EST - 11 hours. It is minus one hour difference to Singapore time.

Electricity Supply Voltage

In Batam, the electrical supply voltage is 220 volts, 50 Hz single phase power. The plugs and sockets used are 2 pin or 3 pin, and use the British customary of plug. Plug and socket adaptors are available in shops, you will get multi-mixture plug adaptors which can take almost all sorts of plugs from the different standards across the world. In case you have appliances from the USA (which use 110 volts) you must purchase a small transformer adaptor to use here.

Currency

The currency used in Batam is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) and is usually abbreviated to Rp. It is available in notes of Rp1,000, Rp5,000, Rp10,000, Rp20,000, Rp50,000 and Rp100,000. Singapore dollars (SGD) and United States dollars (USD) are also widely accepted in most of the motels, shops and restaurants. Money changers, banks and hotels can exchange foreign forex for Rupiah, you normally get one of the best fees from the money changers. Credit cards are widely accepted in accommodations, retailers and eating places in Batam.