Experience the best of Batam

Batam is one of the Riau Islands, lying just south of Singapore across the Singapore Strait. Ferries from Singapore make the crossing to terminals at Batam Centre, Harbour Bay and Sekupang. The island grew from the 1970s into a manufacturing and shipping hub, and its towns, among them Nagoya and Batam Centre, are known for shopping malls, markets and seafood restaurants.

The Barelang bridges, six spans that link Batam with Tonton, Nipah, Setokok, Rempang and Galang, take their name from Batam, Rempang and Galang and offer long views over the water. On Galang, a former camp that sheltered Vietnamese boat people from the 1970s to the 1990s is now a memorial site. Nongsa, on the north-east coast, has resort beaches, and the island of Bintan lies a short sail east.

Seafood is the island's main food: grilled fish, crab cooked in chilli, gonggong, sea snails boiled and dipped in a spicy sauce, and otak-otak, fish paste grilled in banana leaf. The climate is hot and humid all year, with the heaviest rain from November to January. Coffee shops serve strong kopi with bread and kaya jam.