Batam Island, in Riau Islands Province, Indonesia, has undergone a cataclysmic transformation in a few short decades. Once home to a biodiverse mangrove ecosystem, the island has been overrun by the dual complications of rampant industrial development and mass human settlement. As a result, delicate coastal habitats – a vital link in the global environment and still home to a resplendent array of fauna and flora – are under threat and severe strain.

Batam’s turn in fortune is a direct consequence of the formation of the SIJORI Growth Triangle in 1989. The joint trade and commercial partnership between the governments of Singapore, the state of Johor, Malaysia and the Riau Islands was in hindsight, a win-win for Singapore. For Batam Island unfortunately, the deal-with-the-devil bargain has been destructive. This of course, so aptly describes many “Special Economic Zones” where too often, industry profits at the expense of one area’s precious environment, native fauna, flora and indigenous cultures.

And so, after years of furious infrastructure construction, Batam Island has become a vital trade port with strategic significance for Singapore and the Singapore and Malacca Straits. When you read about Batam Island, you come across terms like “investor-friendly”, “cost-competitive” and “open to international trade” all the time. One easy-to-see result of this deliberate and swift economic U-turn is that Nagoya, the main town on Batam, has become another poster child for urban sprawl in Indonesia.

Despite a rash of bad publicity from conservationists and activist politicians, who currently fear negligent disposal of sludge oil by tankers in the Straits most of all, Batam Island has grown in popularity as a tourist destination. The en masse arrival of affluent expat workers over the years has predictably wrought substantial investment in luxury resorts, hotels and golf clubs and unfortunately, a sharp rise in more nefarious forms of diversion.

Indeed, change has come hard and fast to Batam Island: in just over a generation, the population has gone from less than 10,000 to at last count, over one million people.

Transportation on Batam Island

Public transport sophistication is awkwardly elusive on Batam. Yet Nagoya is rife with taxis, ojeks (motorcycle cabs) and mini-bus fleets. As always, negotiate a rate before you commit to the ride.

For a special challenge, rent a car and brave a common bane of every Special Economic Zone: traffic. If you do get behind the wheel, keep in mind that the roads in many areas on the island are still a work-in-progress. Bus or taxi is probably the best bet to get around.

Golfing on Batam Island

Another hallmark of modern development now common on Batam is the 18-hole golf course. Some of the best on the island include:

• Palm Springs Golf
• Tering Bay Golf
• The Batam Hills Golf Resort
• Indah Puri Golf Batam
• Tamarin Santana Golf Batam

Many of the island’s best golf clubs double as luxury all-inclusive resorts, which helps explain why Batam is known as “Singapore’s Playground”. Indeed, relatively low labor costs have made the island difficult to resist for millions of tourists from not only Singapore but Malaysia as well.

Batam Island Attractions

One principal family tourist destination on Batam Island is Waterfront City. This purpose-built development offers little in the way of authentic culture or recreation. Two high-quality hotel resorts provide sumptuous comfort however and some enjoy the water sports and affordable seafood restaurants in the area. Persistent fears about water pollution from enormous oil installations across the bay linger however.

The Barelang Bridge is a prominent icon on Batam Island that spans several other Riau Islands and covers a now-navigable area of 715 km². It takes less than one hour to drive the full length of the span complex.

Batam Island Cuisine

The rich culinary legacy of Indonesia is a perpetual draw. On Batam Island, choices range from the Padang cuisine of West Sumatra to Chinese, Malaysian to predictable Western fare. Food and alcohol in restaurants is in general, abundantly affordable for most tourists.

The islands south of Batam offer copious seafood restaurants and quaint traditional architecture, often accessible by mere foot bridge.

Take some time to leave your Batam Island hotel and explore the area. You never know – you may not want to leave.

Posted in Asia

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.