Singapore Cycling - Kundur

Kundur has roughly the size of Batam and lies south of Karimun. It has one main town, Tanjung Batu, at the southeast tip of the island. Before I experienced Kundur by bicycle, my friend Rick Ross did it and most of the information below is from him. He says: Kundur Island is in my opinion the most beautiful island in the vicinity, and the most fun to cycle. The roads are very pleasant, narrow and often tree covered, and if you like leisurely trips, this is ideal, with small rolling hills. Most pass through forest, fields, palm farms, small villages, very scenic. There's little mining here, which means little commercial traffic. Most of the island traffic is on the main road out of Tanjung Batu going northwest towards Sawang, but it quickly tapers off to light traffic. The rest of the island is quite quiet.

Access to Kundur Ferries travel between Tanjung Batu (Kundur Island) and Singapore, Sekupang (Batam Island), Tanjung Pinang (Bintan Island) via Moro (Moro Island) and Galang (Galang Island, which the Barelang Highway crosses), and Tanjung Balai (Karimun Island). The ferry terminal is in the centre of Tanjung Batu, the voyage from Singapore takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. For more info, see the ferry section. There is also a local ferry between Selat Belia (at the north end) and Tanjung Balai on Karimun. Take notice that the immigration on Kundur cannot issue a visa on arrival to foreigners who need such a visa. Staying on Kundur Rick Ross says: I found 10 inns in Tanjung Batu, one on the way to Sawang. In Sawang itself there is no more accomodation (info from Michelle Wai, April 2007). The budget inns are showing their age. Of the mid-range inns, Hotel Prima, Wisma Berlian and Hotel Gembira seem to be the best value. Just outside of town, on the way to Sawang, Hotel Taman Gembira is sprawling and commercial, and quite popular with the Chinese community. In the center of town is a courtyard with several stalls serving cheap food. Nearer to the ferry terminal are a few restaurants serving Malay food. About 2 blocks north, opposite Hotel Mataram and Wisma Berlian, is a bunch of Chinese food restaurants. Finally, inside the Hotel Gembira grounds is an upscale seafood restaurant facing the water. Bicycle Touring on Kundur There is a possibility to make a loop over the island, which you can extend with excursions following other roads. The map below shows all the paved roads on the island and there is no need to describe in detail the routes to ride. It may be convenient to keep control of distances when you are cyling, to make navigating easier when using the map below. The roads are a bit bumpy though, and you'll feel it on your palms by the end of the day. There are also scattered patches of sand on the roads, as well as some potholes. Two roads I found particularly beautiful are the road going east out of Kobel and the road going south from Asam. There are also two beaches on the island, one about 10 km outside Tanjung Batu, and a second on a small side road just north of Mata Air. According to Michelle Wai, a nice excursion can be made to Pulau Balat, chartering a power boat from Urung (Rp. 100,000 + 15,000 tax). On Pulau Balat there is a road to Sebele, 10 km.

Some pictures taken on Kundur (2003) Click on the thumbnail to view the photograp; use your browser's BACK key to return Village near Asam Jan Boonstra in Selat Belia Rick Ross near Selat Belia Latest update: April, 2007.