Batam is a small island in Indonesia, a 40-minute ferry ride away from Singapore (Harbourfront Centre). A few years ago, Batam was stereotyped as a red-light district. Today, it is a hot spot for friends and families to plan their weekend getaway trip.
Read the updated post-pandemic list here.
My family are regular visitors, and we visited almost all of their shopping malls. So, this list is as authentic as it can get!
Getting Around
There are three ways:
Private Driver
This is the best and easiest way to get around. You can customise your journey, and all your shopping bags are safe in the vehicle all day.
Taxis
There are taxis in the shopping malls, which is of a fixed price. Or head out to the streets and haggle for a good price. You should know the local pricing to do so successfully.
Ojek
I haven’t tried this personally, but this is the cheapest way to get around. Just head to the Ojek stations by the road, tell them where you want to go, and hop on.
18 Things to Do in Batam (Tried and Tested!)
Food
- Eat their famous Mi Terempa
The best Mi Terempa in Batam we’ve tried is located at Mie Tarempa Sungai Panas. It is a non air-conditioned restaurant, with the hottest local food in town!
They have a variety of dishes. Try their Mie Tarempa, which comes dry or in soup, either with spicy flavour, with kicap, or with sate peanut sauce.
Batam is also known for their Luti Gendang, a fried bun with fish filling inside. You can also buy half cooked Luti Gendang to bring home. There are many shops that sell Luti Gendang for takeway, and feature flavours like chocolate too.
Address: Komp. Graha mas Blok J No. 10-11, Sei Panas, Sungai Panas, Batam Kota, Sungai Panas, Batam Kota, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29433, Indonesia
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7am to 6pm, Sun 7am to 3pm
2. Buy their Gorengan & Keropok
Best Gorengan – [He has closed his shop permanenently as of 2021.]
Gorengan are typically sold on carts along the streets. But this place is the best gorengan hands down! There are fried banana, tofu, tempe (fermented soya beans), ubi (sweet potato?), bakwan (flour with vege), and curry puffs. Must try – tempe, bakwan and ubi, cause they are on another level!
If you are thirsty, there is another cart beside it selling fresh coconut.
He is a nice and humble man, who readily shared his recipe on how to get the crisp texture for us to try at home. We usually buy a lot to bring back home to freeze it, so we can reheat it whenever we want.
Address: 1Β°07’34.2″N 104Β°02’41.7″E , Batam, Teluk Tering, Batam Kota, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia (“T” Junction on Jalan Raja M. Tahir and Jalan Dang Merdu)
Opening Hours: Morning till 1pm daily, except Sundays
We did ask him why he doesn’t want to extend his selling hours because he would make it big, and he said he does not want to get too tired and spend more time with his family.
Best Keropok
Most shops selling keropok lets you taste samples. But always kesian (pity) if you try then never buy right, so best to select your shop or brand of chips carefully.
My favourite would be the shop at DC Mall, with awesome keripik tempe. Their other chips are also tasty, like the rounded fish crackers.
DC mall sells a lot of clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics and laptop parts. Mostly wholesalers, so you can bargain and buy in bulk. My family goes there for Malay clothes, and the keropok.
Address: Dc Mall, Tj. Uncang, Batam City, Riau Islands, Indonesia -[DC Mall has closed down since 2022.]
3. Pisang Keju
The OG of goreng pisang keju. The best one I’ve tried is at a roadside stall along the street behind The Hills Hotel Batam and Pisang Keju Terowongan. The bananas are coated with shredded cheese, chocolate rice and condensed milk. It’s an amazing combination. We’ve seen these pop up in SG recently, but they don’t taste the same.
Address: By the roadside near Jl. Teuku Umar No.1, Kp. Seraya, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29444, Indonesia OR By the roaside along Kampung Pelita, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia
4. Bandoeng Restro
This is a bamboo restaurant that serves Sunda food. In Batam, there are two types of rice meals, Sunda food and Minang food.
Sundanese Food
From West Java, Indonesia
Known for its freshness, simple clear taste and vegetable dishes.
Famous dishes:
- Sambal terasi (condiment)
- Salad karedok
- Nasi timbel
- Sambal Kangkong
- Sayur Asam (Tamarind Soup)
- Soto Bandung
- Pepes
- Ikan Bakar
Minang Food
From West Sumatra, Indonesia
Known as Nasi Padang in SG, which uses coconut milk, spicy chili, and spices.
Famous dishes:
- Balado (condiment)
- Rendang
- Sate Padang
- Gulai Ayam
- Ayam Bakar
Visitors can choose to sit on the bamboo floor in a bamboo veranda. Each veranda is meant for one family, so you have some privacy. The restaurant itself is clean.
The food is really delicious, especially their karedok, fish and cereal prawn. And the Jus Alpukat is amazing – thick, tasty avocado shake with chocolate sauce that completes the meal.
Address: Jl. Golden Land, Taman Baloi, Kec. Batam Kota, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29444, Indonesia
5. BBQ Seafood
Their food is extremely affordable given the currency exchange, so really eat all out. I have four recommendations for BBQ seafood!!! (And NO, it is NOT at Golden Prawn.)
At Someone’s House
We ate at someone’s house. In Batam, they can set up tables and sell food right in front of their doorstep. Our driver recommended this cheap and fresh seafood place. It was surprisingly a clean place.
Chicken 2 set
Ikan debam 2 set
Ikan pari 2 set
Squid 3 set
Vege 1 set
Nasi 7
Drinks 5
Total S$45!
De Sampan BBQ Centre
A non air-conditioned restaurant, that is famous for grilled seafood. It is crowded at night, with a lively atmosphere, and good food. The food is grilled with their special paste and not the usual sambal tumis, and we eat it with sambal belacan.
Address: Ruko Greenland, Jl. Raja M Tahir No.2, Tlk. Tering, Kec. Batam Kota, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29461, Indonesia
Kopak Jaya 007 Kelong Seafood Restaurant
This is a traditional kelong, so you can view the seafood, take your pick using a net (or get them to do it), then wait for the food to be served. You can chill by the hammock, or the floats suspended on nets above the water. Eat on wooden houses perched above the water.
Address: Kampung Tua Tiangwangkang Tembesi Sagulung 300 meter before 1st bridge of, Barelang, Tembesi, Kec. Sagulung, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29472, Indonesia
Wey Wey Seafood
There is a line of seafood restaurants by the sea at Harbour Bay. The restaurant is at the extreme end. Enjoy the sea breeze as you eat your dinner. Food has been good, but sometimes their catch of the day is small. If you observe closely, this place has the most customers compared to the others in the vicinity.
Address: Harbour Bay Downtown Sei Jodoh, Jl. Duyung, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia
The views at Kopak Jaya 007 was pretty during sunset.
Food at De Sampan BBQ Centre
6. Satay Padang and Satay Madura
Indonesia has many food cuisines. In Batam, you can try both Sate Padang and Sate Madura.
Sate Padang is usually served with ketupat, and the sauce can be yellow, orange or red. It taste a bit like mee rebus sauce. Understand that flour is one of the ingredients to make the sauce.
Sate Madura is more common in Singapore, served with lontong, peanut sauce, onions and cucumber. In Batam, it can also be served with kicap manis.
7. Bakso
We have a few favourite bakso spots, thanks to the recommendation of our trustworthy driver. One of them is along the streets outside Nagoya Hill, and near a stand-alone Pizza Hut restaurant (suspect it is here: Komplek Lucky Permai, Jl. Raden Patah No.6, RW.8, Lubuk Baja Kota). There is also specialty bakso shops in shopping malls, like in BCS Mall. The bakso taste legit. You can’t go wrong with bakso anywhere in Indonesia, honestly.
8. Kek Lapis
TIP: Ask your driver to head to the Kek Lapis source. They are usually in kampong areas, and they use an extended area of their house as the factory.
Taste the samples, and order it in advance. So you will receive freshly baked ones when you depart! They are cheaper too. Shops in Batam and SG/Malaysia use these suppliers. Since this is likely a trade business/secret, I will not disclose anything else.
Fun (and Food)
9. SeaForest Adventure
As the name suggest, you can enjoy both land and water activities here. You must try their inflatable water park, where you go through obstacles like you are in the dream team. There are swings, wall climbing, monkey bars, and slides. There’s even a trampoline in the middle of the sea!
We spent at least two hours in the middle of the sea. The inflatables were quite sturdy, and there were quite a few ‘lifeguards’ to help you get up every time you fall, even if you are big sized, they will help you. Trust me, you will fall every 10 seconds.
There are also the typical water activities like jet ski, banana boat, and caneoing. You can also bring your own picnic mats and food, which many families do.
There’s also a mangrove cruise and bubble soccer. We also played archery and paintball which was damn shiok because it was set in a forest. Of course, I was a sharp shooter.
The facilities are clean , especially their shower rooms. They will give you a free bakso meal for each ticket you buy, and it tastes so good after all your water activities. To get here, it is at least an hour’s drive from the city centre, but I promise you, it is worth it!
Address: Jalan Hang Lekiu, Sambau, Nongsa Batam 29465 Kepulaluan Riau Indonesia
10. Sporty Activities
There is the Go-Kart Circuit Centre, which is located next to the Batam Miniature Park and a factory outlet. Understand that there is a newer Go-Kart at Batam Marina which is more high tech.
There is also Belalang Adventure in this area, which has a flying fox and archery, shooting, ATV, paintball and such.
Address: Golden city, Bengkong Laut, Kec. Bengkong, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29444, Indonesia
11. Barelang Bridge
Batam is known for its beaches, nightlife and shopping malls. But that’s not all. The Barelang Bridge is a series of six bridges that is 2km in length but spaced over 700km of land area. Along the way, you can also catch glimpses of the fishermen on sea.
It now serves as a landmark and tourist attraction in Batam. Locals crowd along the bridge, just hanging out during the weekend. There were also photo spots, which they charge at about S$2 for a photo, ready in 10 mins.
You will find local street hawkers, who are sometimes surprised to see tourists. And the street food is delicious! We had some durians, bbq crab, prawn rempeyek, grilled corn and fresh coconut!
Pay a visit to the Dragon Fruit Farm too when visiting this Bridge.
Address: Jl. Trans Barelang, Galang, Kepulauan Riau 29481, Indonesia
12. Dragon fruit Farm
I chanced upon a documentary on Batam that featured a dragon fruit farm. There are a few farms, which are huge, so we didn’t venture all the way in.
There is a season to pick fruits from the farm, but if you are lazy, pop by the small roadside shops for some fresh dragon fruit juice, smoothie or soup.
Address: Pulau Rempang, Kecamatan galang, Rempang Cate, Galang, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29434, Indonesia
13. Wet Markets
Absolutely love markets of all types! Big thanks to the mum for always finding them. Here are my top two:
Pasar Penuin (Penuin Market)
Fresh local produce like fruits, vegetables, fish, paste, dried goods, all harmoniously arranged along small stalls. There’s also breakfast at the marketβs food court. We have a few regular stalls that we go to, and they remember us each time we visit, making it a familiar and heartening experience.
Address: Batu Selicin, Lubuk Baja, Batu Selicin, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29444, Indonesia
Pasar Pagi Tos Tiga Ribu (Morning Market 3,000)
A busy, open-air, wholesale market which opens from 1am to 12 noon! Cheap items, but the path is squeezy with many stalls in one area. Best time to visit is 9am to 10am, at discounted prices to clear their stocks. Do note that the road is slightly dirty.
Address: Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia
Our regular stall at Penuin Market
This stall owner chill with discounts. Oh, and he also uses a flip phone.
At Pasar Pagi Tos Tiga Ribu
Watch out for vehicles like motorcycles and lorries.
14. Spa & Massages
Spa and massages are everywhere! For this, I say just go and try any of their value for money packages. I usually go to the ones near BCS Mall, Mega Mall or Nagoya Hill, since they are right across the street.
My ex-boss also recommended Tempat Senang, where they have a full day or half day package just to pamper yourself and she had rave reviews about it. There is also Go! Massage, which does really strong massage and bone cracking. There are Muslimah ones too. The popular ones that Singaporeans always go to would be Eska and Spa Secret.
Don’t go for the ones at the ferry terminal, cause that is overpriced and the massage is not effective.
15. Cafe hopping
Yes, there are many cafes in Batam! While I don’t cafe hop because I’m not a big eater, I try to visit at least one cafe during each visit to pamper myself.
Shopping (and More Food!)
16. Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall
This is like the go-to mall for Singaporeans, so I can’t not mention this. Must visits – A&W, Hypermarket and the arcades! There is an arcade on the highest level, but also a smaller one at basement. Quite fun to pass your time playing old school games like basketball and racing.
The mall has plenty of food, with a dedicated area at Level 1. There used to be an ice cream mochi shop beside the travelator, but it closed down. Would advise to eat at the restaurants and bigger franchises, instead of the snacks along the travelator though. I’ve seen a few roaches roaming around their ingredients like our favourite fried mushroom stall. I’ve stopped buying there since.
Shop for clothes and shoes at Nagoya Hill. The mall is also surrounded by KTV, massage parlour like Eska Wellness Spa Massage, hair salons, and more street food.
Address: Jl. Teuku Umar No.1, Lubuk Baja Kota, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29432, Indonesia
17. BCS Mall
My favourite mall in Batam!
First, have the usual snacks – Taro Cocoa Rocksalt & Cheese from Share Tea, fried chicken and sweet potato fries from Shihlin Chicken (which is Halal!), some llao llao or ice cream rolls, mandu and korean food. Oh, not to forget, our favourite fried mushrooms, tahu semadang on level 1, steamed corn with chocolate rice toppings, mango smoothie, and bakso!
They also have Japanese, and vegetarian restaurants which are all halal. If you are a spicy lover, you can try ‘mie setan’ (devil noodles), which is extremely, very spicy.
Second, head to the cinema, which has the latest English movies and Indonesian movies, at about $5 per ticket. It used to be $2.50 way back. There will be a staff selling popcorn and chips in the theatre so you can buy after being seated. The only thing I hate is they ALWAYS show Indonesian ghost movie trailers before the movie, which are freaking scary.
There are also two arcades, a bowling centre (but people smoke in the premises), family karaoke, and a VR studio! If you need electronics, head to their basement. For clothes, try the shop in the corner on the second level with many mannequins outside the shop, and you have to ‘titip’ (safekeep) your belongings before you enter.
Address: Jl. Bunga Raya, Batu Selicin, Kec. Lubuk Baja, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29442, Indonesia
18. Wholesalers
If you are looking for suppliers for malay clothes, tudung, and cloth, Jodoh is the place to be at. There are many along the streets. If you buy in bulk, it’s even cheaper. Some businesses do buy the items from here and sell it in SG.
If you need household items like large kitchen utensils for home businesses or general household items, this is also the place to get most of the things you need.
Address: Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia
If you are interested to buy baking supplies, visit Tunas Maju.
Address: Komplek Marina Centre, Jl. Duyung, Jodoh River, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesia
Wow, my list is a long one! As Batam is a convenient getaway location to relax and have fun, sight-seeing for heritage sights are limited. There are landmarks like temples and mosques, but SG being a multi-cultural society has bigger and more impressive ones.
A more recent post on other things to do in Batam here.
Have fun in Batam!
Uminsummer 
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