About the ride from Singapore to Batam Island
If you want to take the 32km (20 mile) journey from Singapore to Batam Island, hopping on a ferry is your only option.
And it’s an option which opens up lots of excitement and adventure, as it brings you to the doorway of one of Asia’s biggest and most diverse nations.
But before you move swiftly onwards to the more popular attractions in Indonesia, it’s a good idea to stick around on Batam for a little while - it’s an underrated stop on Indonesia’s tourist trail.
Though many Singaporeans travel from Singapore to Batam Island for its bars, casinos and golf resorts, that’s not all that the island has to offer. Most tourists use the island as nothing but a transit point for accessing other parts of Indonesia, but it’s also a decent destination in its own right.
If you like tranquil destinations without countless crowds of other tourists, you’ll love Batam Island, as most travelers move onwards and elsewhere without exploring Batam at all. From excellent seafood and affordable water sports to empty beaches and some of the best nightlife in Indonesia, lots of Batam Island’s appeal flies under the radar.
And once you’ve enjoyed it all, you can still move on elsewhere anyway!
Traveling from Singapore to Batam Island is also a good pick for your pocket. After Singapore has put a dent in your budget, you’ll be happy to find that everything is way cheaper in Indonesia, from food to alcohol to water sports. While Singapore is infamously expensive, Indonesia is fantastically affordable.
If you travel from Singapore to Batam Island, you’ll also notice the various cultural differences between Singapore and Indonesia. While Singapore is cosmopolitan, clean and organized, Indonesia is a little more rough and ready, with low prices, less pretence and a charming ruggedness. Singapore is an outlier in Southeast Asia’s landscape, but Indonesia absolutely offers the vibrant, vivid, intense atmosphere which most people associate with the region.
What to see when traveling from Singapore to Batam Island
The journey from Singapore to Batam Island is short and quick, and far removed from the other ferry journeys you might tackle during your time in Indonesia.
While lots of boat journeys throughout Indonesia take you through and beyond remote islands, misty mountains and barren stretches of sea, the trip from Singapore to Batam Island ferries you from one well-populated region to another. Though as you leave behind the skyscrapers and cosmopolites of Singapore, you’re greeted by the relatively more humble confines of Batam Island.
During the trip, you’ll pass other small boats as you make your way between two bustling ferry terminals. The journey itself is short and peaceful, and it offers a charming way to set foot on the shores of Indonesia.
All of the ferry routes from Singapore to Batam Island are serviced by Batam Fast Ferry, so they’re all pretty similar. But because they don’t all run from and to the same ferry terminals, they vary very slightly in price and duration
How to get from Singapore to Batam Island
Taking a ferry
The ferry rides from Singapore to Batam Island are relatively short and pretty comfortable, so they’re not the vomit-inducing ferry jaunts offered in other parts of Southeast Asia. All of the ferries are modern and comfortable, and all have AC and toilets.
Your ferry from Singapore to Batam Island will likely be full of three groups of people: Singaporeans making their way to short breaks on Batam Island, tourists just like you, and locals tackling their semi-regular commute.
The route from Singapore to Batam Island is a very popular journey with many departures per day. Though all are serviced by Batam Fast Ferry, the ferries depart and arrive in many different ports, so consider where exactly you’d like to arrive in Batam Island before you make a booking.
The boat journey from Singapore to Batam Island is a great place for meeting other intrepid travelers.
While Singapore is essentially a giant city with few adrenaline-fuelled adventures to be had, Indonesia is the complete opposite - so if you’re looking for buddies for the adventures still to come, you might just find some as you’re zooming from Singapore to Batam Island.