20 kilometres away from Singapore as well as a favoured retreat for stressed-out Singaporeans, is your island of Batam. Unlike Bintan, Batam got its start an industrial centre, where many local and multinational companies settle their regional production operations. As a result, apart from business travellers, few individuals knew much relating to the island. Before 10 years however, as international resorts and hotels began flocking to your island, Batam quickly became often known as ‘that unspoilt vacation getaway noone knows about yet’, a reputation still it carries today, even as luxurious hotels spring up and word of its attractions flee and spread surrounding the region.

When comparing the two islands, share many physical characteristics along with its sister island Bintan - long beaches, clear waters, and all. Also like Bintan, Batam is well know because of its excellent watersports and its well-tended golf courses, an explicit attraction for international visitors. What i mean between Bintan and Batam is because unlike the previous, Batam consists of a wealth of budget accommodations, varying from motels situated in town to the rustic chalets because of the beachside. The range of accommodation choices makes the island a precise favourite of independent travellers who choose to eschew package tours and jaunt around on their own.

Another area in which Batam differs from Bintan posesses the activities available outside the resorts. Batam is a duty-free haven, and thus the most well-liked activity is usually to loves retail therapy in Nagoya, the island’s main town. Nagoya offers plenty of little stores peddling everything from spirits to electronics at cutthroat prices. Visitors from Singapore and Malaysia who quake at today’s sky-high retail prices often nostalgically compare the value of goods sold here to those they purchased in ‘the good old days.’ Then there is certainly Batam Centre, the island’s response to Singapore’s Orchard Road, where the largest shoppinge centre - the Matahari - sits, along with banks, atms, along with such necessities of life. Another popular attraction in Nagoya is your Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist Temple, though the locals don’t think of it as such. Many people still pray here everyday, paying little mind to camera clicks and whispers of the visitors. It is considered among the list of largest Buddhist temples under the region, which is a rising number of remarkable for being in-built a staunchly Muslim country. The temple draws many thousands of devout worshippers from totally the region to pray and study.

Another sight sometimes visited is the controversial Dewi Kuong Imra monument. This statue is really a tribute to the Buddhist goddess of prosperity and is located at the KTM station in Tanjung Pinggir. Much of the problem surrounding it depends upon civic pride, as its massive 26 metre height causes it to be taller than the Garuda Nusantara monument at Batam’s international airport. Independent of the shopping and sightseeing, there are also a good amount of clubs, discos as well as other gloomy entertainments available, mostly to cater to the fair-sized enclave of expatriates stationed on the island. As you’d expect because of an island, Batam also features a considerable amount of excellent seafood restaurants. The really adventurous may even contemplate a visit to the highlands, where the temperature has is not similar to 16ºC to 26ºC and has been known to drop about 8ºC while in the night.

The easiest approach to getting to Bintan and Batam should be to make the water crossing from Singapore. Ferries to Bintan are available thrice-daily out of your Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and dock at the Bandar Bentan Terminal. Ferries ply every 30 minutes during daylight between Harbour Front Ferry Terminal and either Sekupang or Batu Ampur on your north coast of Bintam. You would want a visa and passport, depending on your country of origin, so it’s best to check first with all the Indonesian embassy prior to going.

For More Information , Visit Batam Hotel Website

None: Indonesia's Secret Island-Holiday destinations - Batam Island (last edited 2011-10-28 16:25:17 by jimmywhite1970)