Batam is an ideal place for the day off. And maybe not weekend. The island offers many sports entertainment, opportunities to do water sports and relax in general. Most comes here just to sunbathe, admire wildlife, exciting landscapes and try exotic nightlife. In addition to this luxury, however, there are several places here that you should visit.
1) Nagoya
This is the main city of the island and the center of fun. It seems like, this is the second most popular tourist destination in the whole country, as it is very easy to get there from Singapore. May be!
Million (or even more) tourists arrive every year on Batam and, accordingly, visit Nago. Here and hotels on any pocket, and the best shopping centers, bars, and nightclubs, and offices of international banks. By the way, there is a nearby airport - Hang Danim Nagoya International Airport (Hang Danim) with the longest runway in Indonesia is 12 km from the city center. The city has good beaches, and several other historical monuments and more modern attractions.
For example, as the Chinese people live on the island, then there is a Chinese Temple of Vihara Buddhi Bhakti (Vihara Buddhi Bhakti) - One of the favorite tourist places. This is one of the oldest temples on the island. Local call him as tua pek kong. Gardens next to the bright temple are very beautiful, with stone sculptures of animals and Buddha. Very interesting sculpture of a traditional Chinese boat. In the pond, the temple lives turtles.
Incredibly beautiful buddhist Maha Vihara Duta Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya - The main attraction of Batam and one of the largest Buddhist temples of Southeast Asia. Inside the temple is the statue of Buddha and two statues of the goddess of mercy. Inside the temple complex you will find a store with Buddhist souvenirs and a vegetarian restaurant.
2) Mesjid Raya (Mesjid Raya)
Middle of Raya or Middle Agung (which is translated as a "Great Mosque") - a beautiful mosque located on the Batama. This mosque with a unique form of the dome - he resembles a pyramid. Near the mosque there is a tower with a height of 66 meters. In addition to the fact that this is a place of worship, it is now the most popular tourist attraction and a completely charming structure. There is a mosque on Jalan Engku Putri - find it easy. If that, 20 minutes drive from the airport.
The complex stands on an area of 75,000 square meters, and thus it is the largest mosque on the batam. The mosque can accommodate 3500 praying. However, even if the mosque is full, the parishioners can accommodate in the courtyard of the mosque - this way the mosque can put up to 15,000 praying.
The mosque was finally completed in 2001 on the projects of the famous Indonesian architect. The form of the dome is, according to the author's plan, the symbol of communication between man and God and the personification of the human life path in three periods: in the womb of the mother, in a real and future life. From the inside the mosque is impressive even more by its contrasting colors and space.
3) Temple Adhi Vinakar (Adhi Vinayakar Temple)
This Hindu temple is located on the Hill of this Ladi (Sei Ladi), just a few minutes south of Najoi - Hindus from all the nearest islands go to Hindu holidays.
Next to the temple is a restaurant ("Kak Dadut"), where you can taste vegetarian dishes, seafood dishes, Balinese and Lombok cuisine, as well as some Western dishes.
4) Barelang Bridge (Barelang Bridge)
Or local, Jembatan Barelang. This is generally speaking, 6 bridges of various types that connect the islands of Batam, Remppang and Galang (all Indonesian). Some locals call the Jamban Khabibi Bridge in honor of Dr. Yusuf Khabibie, who oversaw the construction project of the Mostok and set himself the goal of turning the island of Remppang and Galang to industrial facilities (reminiscent of modern Batam). This Habibi insisted that the bridges were all different in order to introduce new building technologies to the Indonesian market. Thus, bridges have become more likely to transport, but a tourist attraction! The length of all 6 bridges is just 2 km away. The trip from the first bridge to the latter is approximately 50 kilometers. The construction of bridges began in 1992, and each is called the name of the rulers of the Indonesian province RIAU from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries.
Bridge Tenge Fisabillylah connects Batam and Tonton Island. Its length is 642 meters and this is the most popular bridge: a guy, with two 118 meter pillars and "strings" diverging from them.
Bridge Tonton Nipach - Console Bridge with a total length of 420 meters. The bridge of the netizes - beam, 270 meters long. MOST METTER-REMOVING - CONSOLE, total 365 meter long. The Bavelang Bridge (connecting Rempping and Galang) - the arched bridge with a total length of 385 meters, looks pretty severe and strictly.
These are such bridges! Of course, the most impressive - Tenge Fisabilly.
5) Vietnamese Refugee Camp (Vietnamese Refugee Village)
This place is located on the island of Galang. Once this village was home to Vietnamese refugees who escaped between 1972 and 1996, in an attempt to escape from the Civil War - drove 40-100 people in a small boat! They floated within a few months in the South China Sea, not knowing where to penetrate.
Many died on the road, but the rest managed to achieve the territory of Indonesia - Galanga, as well as Tanjungpinang and other nearby islands.
The Government of Indonesia allowed them to live on the island, where they built their village with a school, hospital, cemetery and temple (the most interesting part of the village). What remains in the village from those times can be seen in the almost intact state - but today no one lives here, and this is only a tourist attraction. Also, here you can see the layout of the boat, which depicts refugee boats in those years.
How they lived on the island of Refugees, as they began to build a village, and what happened to them with them, you will learn very detail in the UNHCR office on the affairs of refugees - there you will see thousands of photos and materials.
To get to the village, sit on the ferry from any of the six ferry terminals of the Batam. Refugee camp is located in the village of Sijantung. By the way, there are no restaurants or cafes next to the village. So bring food and drink with you.