From Singapore Rolling Down to Batam Island

Motor scooters are in plague proportions, every taxi driver has one hand always pumping the horn, and roads that begin as autobahns all of the sudden flip into pot-holed tracks. Hey, Mates, I don't think you're in Singapore any more.

However you're solely 20km away, on Indonesia's Batam Island, and it's only taken you an hour journey to get right here on the Batamfast ferry from Singapore's Harbourfront.

Common ferries shuttle Singaporeans to Batam to purchase low-cost clothes and layer cake, and convey Indonesians to Singapore to buy cellphones that work. There are massive, excited, chattering crowds, competing with the Indonesian music blared out by the onboard TV within the nook of the ferry. The trip itself is an experience.

The city of Batam is the richest and quickest rising city in Indonesia. Manufacturing and engineering have drawn in firms from all over the world and the industry has drawn in people from throughout Indonesia.
Opposite the Central Ferry Terminal are the Hypermart and the Mega Mall. Amid the red soil of new building sites, new housing is being thrown up everywhere.

The coast of Batam, like that of its subsequent door neighbor Bintan, is dotted with resorts. Singaporeans flock to Batam for weekends of golf and women, we had been told. Rainforest is being sacrificed for golf courses and beaches privatized.

Locations You Just Have to See in Batam

Nagoya Batam

In case you're the kind who is more drawn to highly urbanized sites, then you definitely will undoubtedly love Nagoya. This place is the leisure and business center of Batam. Right here, a whole lot of eating places, retailers, dance clubs, spas, karaoke clubs, cinema, bars, plazas, Batam hotels, and music lounges can be found. Among the widespread shopping centers in Nagoya include Nagoya Hill, BCS Mall, the DC Mall, Megamall, Kepri Mall and Robinson & Ramayana.

Turi Beach Resort

For those who're looking for less energetic pursuits, you can spend a few nights on the east side of the island at Turi Beach Resort, on a quiet, un-crowded seaside with a pleasing pool (and an average restaurant by Indonesian standards, it must be said) then on the town at the Novotel Batam, comfy and generic on the inside, apparently gaudy on the outside.

Barelang Bridge

An appropriate route for the morning tour is a trip to the Barelang (Batam - Rempang - Galang) region. All it takes is a car of course. Motors can indeed however for the convenience of rental car is advisable to use in Batam. And do not forget to prepare food and drinks  so stopped on the grocery store that's passed during the trip went to Barelang, which should be go through from the Nagoya is Panbil Mall, here are the Ramayana and KFC for lunch options, Kepri Mall with Carrefour and Top 100 Tembesi with top 100 supermarket.

The journey will be fun later. The primary sight that must be enjoyed is an excellent perspective of the first bridge with metal rope components exactly as we often see in American films and Hong Kong. Apparently there are also available in Indonesia, Batam exactly. Ease the first place visited was the Melur beach. Entrance is just ten thousand rupiah per car. From there, the location of the seashore is barely about 500 meters.

Completion of Melur seashore trip, simply across the junction the place the shingle seashore was the site of the former Refugee Camp Vietnam. About twenty thousand tickets per car. Nicely after this that rarely exists elsewhere, specifically to visit dragon fruit plantation. The original planting dragon fruit from Taiwan was later cultivated in many areas in Barelang.

At late afternoon after completing three of this unique place. On the way home you can enjoy the sun set over the ocean horizon line.

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Shopping in Batam Baloi Area

Baloi Batam is a second largest business district in Batam, located adjacent to Nagoya, In this area there is the oldest supermarket in Batam (TOP 100) where you can find imported goods at affordable prices. BCS is the newest and other shopping center in that area and an also international golf course SouthLink (about 10 minutes from BCS). Hang Nadim International airport only 30 minutes from BCS Mall. There are many shopping and tourist places (like the Toa Pek Kong) in the region to visit.

Batam City Square: the second largest mall in Batam

Batam City Square Mall is a large mall and is one of the center of tourist visiting in Batam Area. This huge mall opened in 2009 and has been a pleasure center in which buyers have 5 levels to shop and you can watch movies in there with ticket fare only about SGD$3 , they have 4 cinemas. This mall also has a karaoke lounge, Timezone arcade and bowling.

What to buy: a lot depends on what you like to buy, buying local and international goods is cheap here because Batam is the Duty Free area.

Warning: you cannot buy pirated DVD and also Cigarette here then bring to Singapore because pirated DVDs and CDs will earn you quite a fine by Singapore’s customs officials, sometimes up to $1000.  Chewing gum is still technically illegal in Singapore, although customs officials usually won't make a fuss about a pack or two.

Kampung Souvenirs: Souvenir Shop Local and Crafts

One of the souvenir shops and handicraft stores in Batam and if you have a Day Tour Package in Batam, then your tour guide will take you to the store that located in this Baloi region. These stores mainly sell local handicrafts and souvenirs like key chains, wallets, mini bags, gloves, Indonesia assorted cakes and sweets and desserts local handwoven items.

What to buy: if you are buying a lot of local handicrafts such as batik sarong  Indonesia or any kind of woven fabric or mini purse or wallet. You can bargain here to make the price go down.

First Factory Outlet: Factory outlet for some well-known clothing brands

Finally, a factory outlet store that sells Ralph Lauren not only products but also other export products such as Nautica, Ann Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and many more. Factory outlet that located in this Baloi  Batam will be a shopping paradise as you will be able to buy a wide range of export overrun shirts, t-shirts, jackets, shoes, bags and other goods and the price is pretty cheap.

What to buy: depends on what you like. You can buy shoes or bags or T-Shirts are export overruns or slightly damaged products made by Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Dolce and Gabbana, DKNY, Ann Klein and many other brands.

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A Little Story about Batam

Batam is one of the many islands in Indonesia, noted as one of the youngest province of the provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang. Batam’s sea geographically located at Malacca Straits and Singapore Straits, with an area of 1570.35 km ², because Batam is an island so it’s land area  only 715 km ² or 115% of the area of Singapore in a whole. Batam have tropical climate with a temperature of 26-34 degrees Celsius, and is 160 m above sea level with the terrain is hilly and undulating.

Batam is referred to as its Singapore-Indonesia is one of the largest industries in Indonesia, with a population growth tends to be relatively stable, Batam itself centered on the city of Batam Centre which consists of 12 districts. Batam itself covers more than 400 islands with its 329 islands have been named among the islands that are included in the frontier country.

Batam Island is based on the geographical borders:
                              North side: Adjacent to the Strait of Singapore   
                              South side: Bordered by District Senayang
                             West: Bordered by Karimun
                             East: Bordering the North Bintan district

Because the Batam region lies in the busiest International shipping lanes in the world and only 12.5 nautical miles or about 20 km from Singapore, it become the gate traffic for tourists from abroad through domestic or international ports like Sekupang and Hang Nadim International Airport, making it as capital for the government to spur the development of the region in all aspects of life, then the government develop Batam island by Batam Industrial Development Authority.

Since twenty years ago, a small island Batam is located in the northern Strait of Singapore, has grown very rapidly in the most unexpected by people. Even at tahun1970an very few people know of its existence.

In the 1960s, Batam appointed as Logistics Oil Base that originates in the Sambu. Then, ten years later, defined as the Batam Industrial Work Environment with support from the Industrial Development Authority, known as Pulau Batam Authority Board, which is based on Presidential Decree no. 41 in 1973. Be continued with the legalization of government regulation in the 1980s, with 34 in 1983 which confirmed that the District Batam Municipality was upgraded to a Charge of running the Government Administration and Society and support the development of Batam Authority conducted.

In the late 1990s, based on the Act - Act 53 of 1999 then passed into Batam Municipality for the functioning of the Autonomous Region Government and Development in cooperation with the Batam Authority Board. Then, after going through the lengthy process for almost 2 years, finally issued Law - Law no.25 of 2002 on the establishment of the Riau Islands Province.

Under the leadership of Prof. DR. Ing BJ Habibie, who served as Minister of State for Research and Technology at that time, all parts of the island of Batam is expressed as a bonded area, thus further solidify its position as a more extensive area aimed at the export industry.

Until now, Batam is still trusted by third party as a destination for investors to invest and have the full support of the local city government.

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Asean Jazz Festival V Will Held in Batam on 22-23 June 2012

The development of Jazz music in Indonesia has grown with a very rapid progress. Evidently, another jazz event is held again in Batam on 22-23 June 2012. Yes, Asean Jazz Festival for the fifth time it's ready to be held. As in previous years, the venue took in Harbour Bay area, Batam.

The event is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and the Creative Economy wills also Choreography by composer Dwiki Dharmawan.

This time the Asean Jazz festival is a creative work that combines Indonesian music with foreign. There are 10 foreign jazz musicians will enliven Asean Jazz Festival, some of them, namely: Erik Hargrove (USA), Nathasa Pattamapongs and Arnat Lamwongsrikul (Thailand), Jerry De Leon and Sandra Viraj (Filipinos), Steve Thornton (Malaysia), Jeremy Tordjman (Francis), Kamal Musallam (United Arab Emirates (UAE), Carlos Kamil (Bogota Colombia), Radza RASC (Syria), Nasser Salameh (Jordan), I. Varella (Mexico), Jeremy Trodjman (Switzerland), and Ian Iron (UK ).

Indonesia top artists also warm the festival are: Dwiki Dharmawan, Tri Utami, Barry Likumahua, Andien, Dira Sugandi, Nita Aartsen, Ligro, Adi Darmawan, Agam hamzah, Gusti Hendy, Eugene Bounty, Zulhamsyah, Donny Sunjoyo, Dani Shah, Johnes Radianto , Adi Prasojo, Rio Moreno Quartet, and the Stars Indrianto.

In this Asean Jazz Festival  you will witness the marriage of music as a typical Malay Riau island like Kompang in Malay rentak (beat). There is also a blend of traditional angklung instruments with jazz, as well as mixing Minang music with a sense of jazz.

Will show also collaboration between the ASEAN Jazz Band musicians which hope will tighten the relationship of inter-country musicians of Southeast Asia. At the end of the Festival presents "Jam Session" as the tradition of Jazz will be retained and an opportunity for young musicians to share the stage with seasoned musicians.

Like the title in previous years, the event Asean Jazz Festival has been able to attract and increase tourists from Malaysia and Singapore to enter Batam and Riau Islands. The strategic location is expected to be a booster of cross-border traffic or cross border visitor.

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Tua Pek Kong Batam Twice Survives Raging Fire

Batam people are generally more familiar with Buddhist Vihara Budhi Bhakti as the Tua Pek Kong. One of the oldest monasteries in Batam, located in Windsor, District Lubukbaja.

The atmosphere of the past will be felt when we visited the Buddhist Vihara Budhi Bhakti. Buddha Vihara Budhi Bhakti is different from most of the monasteries. In this monastery there are three religions (Tri Dharma), namely Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism who perform religious rites in it. Although in the same temple, but worshiped different Gods.

The main building is a place of worship Taoists and Buddhists, where the altar there were Toa Pek Kong statue of the god, the god Kwan Kong, and god Lupan Sien Sen for Taoist religion. While there is a separate altar statue of god Sakyamuni worshiped by Buddhist. In a separate room there is also a statue of Kwan Im Goddess and Buddha Maitreya.

For adherents of Confucianism, where concentrated in a separate building that is located in a building that was once the entertainment stage. Historically, Buddhist Vihara Budhi Bhakti had moved in four different locations. Starting from simple Tua Pek Kong temple measuring 3 meters x 3 meters in rubber plantations, precisely in the foothills of the National Camp (now PT Mc Dermott) built by Li Lim in 1953 ago. The building was made of grass thatch-roofed wood.

Three years later (1955), Tua Pek Kong temple was burned simple. After that, there are 20 households in the village residents who were mutual aid to build the temple.

Over time, Batam continues to grow. Industry started to go. 1968, Tua Pek Kong temple was moved to Jodoh street. In a plot of land under rubber because of the location of the foothills of the National Camp will be built PT Ingram.

After that, the Tua Pek Kong temple was moved to the location Samyong Market (now Tanjungpantun Market) where that location is the center of Batam's shopping and residential communities.

In the new location, Tua Pek Kong temple occupies an area of 300 square meters. But still made of wood and tin roof. Consists of four main buildings, where the main prayer area of 4 x 5 meters, the two buildings that serve as a resting place, and the stage that serves as a place of entertainment stage if there is a big event these days.

Until sometime in the late 80s, came the great fire which destroyed all the buildings in a mate. However, strangely the only two places of worship which stood intact, that is Mosque and Tua Pek Kong temple that is still intact.

Several years later, Tua Pek Kong temple then moved to Windsor until now.

Establishment of Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery in Windsor cannot be separated from the contribution of foreign tourists who pray in this temple. From the beginning until now Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery in Windsor is never devoid of tourists visiting foreign countries, especially the tourists who want to pray at this temple.

After that, the Batam Buddha disciples hand in hand to build Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery to be like this now.

From time to time, Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery continues to grow. Places that are still used as a spacious garden occupied with statues of gods artistically constructed by several sponsors. Like the statue of Kwan Im Goddess, Kwan Kong, Buddha Sakyamuni, miniature Admiral Ceng Ho and his ship.
Many tourists are posing against the backdrop of the statues. Broad field, located in the middle of an area of 1.7 hectares land. Activities such as gymnastics Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu training were held in this field.

The Rousing Fireworks.

Ahead of Chinese New Year, rushing at the Buddha Vihara Budhi Bhakti is more crowded than a typical day. Walls and fences painted like new. Not to forget the typical Chinese New Year decorations, the lanterns. Hundreds of small and large size lanterns hung either indoors or outdoors that is created with a rope and electrical cord.

Dozens of large incense colored dragon motif planted in front of the main building, the smoke that continues to soar nose ambushed upon entering the gates of the monastery which is also known as Tua Pek  Kong  Bio. Meanwhile, in the main building, light of the candle and the light of lanterns together so as to make the red bias effect. Moreover, objects that exist in the worship space were also dominant red. No wonder, if the monastery is the dominant color of red paint.

Seven days before Chinese New Year, when the moon has revealed it’s fully form, thousands of community Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism (Tri Dharma) that the average is Batam Chinese clan flocked to the temple to pray. Of children, teenagers, to older people, men and women. They rejoiced, prayed a prayer, prayer of hope and prayer of thanksgiving in the presence of the gods.

Fitted peak at midnight the parking area will be full of vehicles and the community will thronged Buddhist monastery for prayer purposes. The more nights, the more solid oratory and altars are also filled with fruit or pastries that come courtesy of the disciples.

Not only marked by devotion and prayer to the gods and the ancestors of course, the night also marked by festive fireworks. When the clock was nearly 24 pm, officials set off fireworks from the front door of the jumbo size of the main building. BANG... BANG...  explosion loud and the sound is also typical of the attention people are across the street in front of the monastery.

The sky, colorful, lots of people who capture the beautiful moments with a camera phone. Each pause the sound of fireworks to applause and cries of the compact.

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