Top 5 Myths About Batam Island
Tourism in Batam Island, Indonesia is fast gaining ground. With more than a million foreign visitors coming here every year, it's quickly becoming an Indonesian destination of choice next to Bali. But for all its interesting features, Batam labours under certain misconceptions that people carelessly make.
Here are five of the most notorious myths about Batam Island that need to be busted:
Myth #1- Batam is very far from Singapore!
Duh! You don't need to commandeer a British or Japanese naval ship, and circumnavigate the globe via the Strait of Singapore, just to get here from the Garden City. Batam's four (not just one or two) ports are less than an hour's ferry ride away from Singapore, and there are close to a hundred arrivals and departures from dawn till well into the night.
Batam Ferry
photo credit: flickr.com/photos/digitaljourney
Myth #2- Batam is more suited for the elderly
Too bad, Millennials and members of Generation Z can't come because the island is a boring place that will satisfy only the Gen Xers, Baby Boomers, and the Lucky Few. But that's just according to those who haven't been here! Truth is, people from all age groups get to have fun indoors, outdoors, offshore, and above ground. With a multitude of packaged adventures, young people can bar-hop, bike across the Barelang, wakeboarding, or fly along ziplines.
Barelang Bridge
photo credit: flickr.com/photos/toffeespin
Wakeboarding
photo credit: galleryhip.com
Myth #3- Going to Batam costs an arm and a leg
When tourism booms, competition tightens and businesses keep prices at extremely affordable rates to stay at the top of their game. So whether it's a day tour or a packaged holiday, going to Batam won't make a dent in the wallet – let alone dismember tourists' limbs! Even travel insurance costs less than S$8 per person, which is cheaper than serving of Caffè Latte Venti at a Starbucks in Singapore. With our 1-day tour at S$18 per person (click for details), 2D1N 3-stars Hotels + Ferry Package from S$36 per person (click for list) and 2D1N 4-stars Hotels + Ferry Package from S$38 per person (click for list), they are cheaper than spending a weekend out in Singapore!
Nagoya Hill Hotel (4*) [NEW] — check out our Nagoya Hill Batam Hotel + Ferry Package
Batam Turi Beach Resort (4*) — check out our Turi Beach Batam Resort + Ferry Package
Myth #4- Going to Batam once is enough
This mentality applies to those who think that having fun is a single event in human life. But the better-knowing people, especially those from nearby Singapore, repeatedly sail here for myriad purposes that can't be fulfilled in just one trip: great shopping, sumptuous Indonesian dishes and international cuisine, a thoroughly soothing massage, exhilirating outdoor activities, a fun-filled nightlife or a great round of golf, ALL at a much more affordable prices than in Singapore.
Photo credit: thespasecret
Batam Golf Palm Springs
Myth #5- All hotels in Batam are second-rate
People who think that accommodations here are half- to 1-star at most, must be the king and queen of backwards. Either they should take a time machine and return to the past, or they should board a Batam-bound ferry from Harbourfront Centre and get a life!
I Hotel Baloi (4*) [NEW] — check out our I Hotel Baloi Batam Hotel + Ferry Package
Harris Resort Waterfront (4*) — check out our Harris Waterfront Batam Resort Package
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Go to our sister site BatamGetaway.com to check and book from our complete list of all Batam Hotels Packages or Batam Resorts Packages
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Top 5 Reasons Why 'Generation Y' Loves Going to Batam
Batam Island isn't just for Generation Xers and Baby Boomers. So say Millennials – members of the fun-loving Generation Y (born between1980s to early 2000s) – and even Generation Z, who have been here, and who just want to keep coming back.
Here are reasons why the place draws the younger crowd:
#1- Batam has a gazillion and one backgrounds for selfies
It's an island, with unobstructed views of the sunburst, sunset, and star-studded night skies. Millennials are always spotted with their selfie sticks saying cheese by the sea, on the hills, or against man-made structures – and posing for their life's best shot ever!
Sunset View
photo credit: flickr.com/photos/128948345@N06
Evening View
photo credit: flickr.com/photos/ozarth
#2- Batam has a million and one adventures and experiences
Hip cafés are aplenty here, true, especially that Nagoya Hill exists to please diners, shoppers, and everyone in between. But these aren't all that Batam Island can give. There are Flying Fox lines, paintball battlegrounds, and go-karting circuits. If these aren't extreme enough, there are resorts that offer water-bound activities like kneeboarding, wakeboarding, jet skiing, and water-skiing.
Golden City Go-Kart
photo credit: flickr.com/photos/digitaljourney
Flying Fox
photo credit: larinasdiary.blogspot.sg
#3- Batam has a wide array of shopping finds
Those who don't know Batam think that it's littered with wild horses in the jungles and alligators in the marshes. Here's the skinny: Those animals are indeed almost everywhere on the island. Horses and alligators serve as icons of many low-priced finds, particularly Polo by Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. Batam is a free-trade zone, so nobody is surprised that branded items abound.
Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall, Nagoya
Batam City Square (BCS) Mall, Baloi
#4- The evenings here are enchanting and electric
Boomtown Batam Island has a nightlife, and well-travelled Millennials know that it's comparable to that of nearby Singapore and CHEAPER! There's an almost-endless selection of cafes, pubs, KTVs, hotel bars, whatnot. For quiet evenings, perhaps, you'd just like a simple A&W meal?
Family Karaoke Inul Vista
A&W
photo credit: nathanondrugs.files.wordpress.com
#5- Wi-Fi & Internet connection are practically everywhere
The restaurants have it, the cafes have it, and most hotels provide it to guests for free. Plus, we are giving each traveller a free Flexiroam Indonesia Pre-paid SIM card for every booking. What's there not to love?
Flexiroam SIM Card
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Go to our sister site BatamGetaway.com for a comprehensive list of Batam Travel Guides and Tips
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