Singapore Cycling - Batam
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Of the Indonesian Riau Islands, Batam is closest to Singapore. And also (by far) the most populous and most industrialized. What's interesting in Batam for the touring cyclist? In fact: nothing. Nature is ruined, it's overpopulated, the roads are cramped with cars and minivans. And yet, it was on Batam that I did my best discovery on the bike, in 1999. See below.
On a rainy Sunday afternoon, I was exploring the farest corners of the island and then I found a new road going south which was not shown on any map and has not been until 2003. The next weekend, I explored this road and to my amazement, it went over large bridges, leaving Batam Island, going from island to island and ending at Pulau Galang Baru, 64 kilometres further south. The local people baptized the road 'Barelang Road', contracted from the main islands Batam, Rempang and Galang. These islands have only seen motorized traffic for the first time recently and lack of industry and the small population have been a guarantee for nearly untouched nature.
There is also a gallery of pictures to see how things look like along this road. For Batam Island itself, there are not really interesting routes for cyclists, except on the far east side. The road, leading from the resorts area near Nongsapura (north east corner), down south to Telaga Punggur where the ferries to Bintan depart, may be classified as quiet and nice for bike riding. It is incorpoated in a suggested route involving Batam and Bintan, described in the Bintan section as route no. 3. Also at the far west side, near Waterfront City, you may find some quiet roads, but the extents are very limited. The central loop over the (mainly west side of the) island is always cramped with traffic.
Access to Batam
From Singapore, the main access to Batam is by ferry from the Harbour Front Centre (formerly known as the World Trade Center). There are three destinations: Sekupang, Batu Ampar and Waterfront City, the latter lying south of Sekupang. See ferries for more info and check-in procedures. If you take on the 'Pulau Galang challenge', Sekupang is a good starting and finishing point, because of the frequency of ferries. After leaving the arrival hall, turn right for all destinations on Batam. To make the distance to Pulau Galang shorter, you could take the ferry to Waterfront City. The ferry to Nongsapura departs from Tanah Merah ferry terminal. There are more points to access Batam, from other Riau Islands. On the East Coast, a ferry terminal at Telaga Punggur offers ferry services to two destinations on Bintan. On Galang Island, there is a ferry connecting the village of Galang with Bintan and Kundur. More information about this ferry can be found on the ferries sectionThe Barelang Highway
If 160 kilometres (a genuine 'century' for Americans) is a bit too much as a challenge, it can of course be reduced by turning back at any point of this route, called the Barelang Highway. But unfortunately for those people, the best part with the nicest panoramas comes near the end. There is an option for staying overnight in Pulau Galang, at a restaurant with very basic accommodation, at the place marked 'f'. See a photograph of this scenic place, built on piles over the sea. I never tried out the accommodation and I am eager to receive a report to be able to give some more information on this page. See also the report of Jeremy Brodhead and read his experiences on the Barelang Highway, including staying overnight at the far end. A good starting- and finishing point can be one of the hotels at the Waterfront City, especially if you stay there over a weekend or so. From there, the total distance for a return trip to the end of the route is 150 kms.
(the kilometres mentioned below refer to the distance to Sekupang)
After leaving the Sekupang ferry terminal, go straight all the way, never turn off, for about 10 kilometres. Take a left turn at a junction where you find a signboard with the word 'Kampus' on it. You come along a new village, go straight and you end at a T-junction. Turn left. About 4 kilometres down this (busy) dual lane road at km 16 from Sekupang, on top of a hill, you find the junction (marked 'a') where you turn right to find the "road to cyclists' paradise". At km 24, marked 'b', you pass the large bridge and leave Batam. In the morning this place might be quiet, but on holidays and Sundays you will see hords of people gathering at this place later in the afternoon. It's a very popular destination among the Batam people as a Sunday outing.
After the 4th bridge you pass along a scenic fishing village at 'c' and find yourself on the island of Rempang. The road becomes a bit hilly but further south there is a flat section. At 'd', km 56, there is another bridge. From there, looking east, you can see the village of Galang. If you're prepared for a few extra kilometres, visit the village and find a place to buy a drink or have a coconut prepared. You are now on the island of Galang. A few kilometres further down, you will notice a peculiar building on a hill, on the left side ('e'). This is a Buddhist temple and has recently been renovated. Nearby used to be a Vietnamese refugee camp. The remains of this camp, called 'Vietnam' by the people, can still be seen and it has largely become overgrown with bush now. From the road you can spot a few large water tanks and some buildings.
Near the Buddhist temple, you see an asphalt road going uphill, to the right. This leads to a beach called Pantai Mellur that can be quite populous on Sunday afternoons. The next Island is Pulau Galang Baru. At 'f', km 73, you find a sign at a dirt road to the right, showing the way to an attractive place with basic accommodation and a restaurant, as mentioned earlier. The (very steep) dirt road is about 500 metres long. Continueing, the asphalt road ends at km 79. Turn left to find a nice bay with several stalls for drink and food, and a fish restaurant on piles. You can hire a canoo to cross over to a tiny island just off the coast. There are some fishermen living on the island and on Sundays people go there for picknicking (no restaurant).
A few excursions can be made from the Barelang route. I will only review the asphalt roads. At km 30, on the island of Setoko, there is a road going in western direction. It leads to Setoko village and is 3 kms long. It's a road with wonderful views over the sea, but beware: it goes up and down with slopes to 20%. At km 57, at the same point as where you leave the Barelang route if you visit Galang village, there is the start of the road that leads to the former Vietnamese refugee camp. It is worth visiting if you have the time. At km 67, there is a road leading east to a very nice fishing village after 1.5 km. Judging from the enthousiasm I was greeted there by the youngest generation of villagers, visitors are very rare. Rural Indonesia at its best.
There is a local ferry that connects Galang Village with Tj. Pinang (Bintan) and Tj. Batu (Kundur) twice a day. For exploring more islands in a bike tour holidays, this ferry offers splendid opportunities. See the section ferries for more details.
