Barelang Bridge Batam

The Barelang Bridge (Jembatan Barelang) is a chain of 6 bridges of various types that connect the islands of Batam, Rempang, and Galang (Indonesia). Barelang also refers to the islands themselves, which are all administratively part of the municipality of Batam. The smaller islands of Tonton, Nipah, and Setotok (considered parts of the Batam island group) connect Batam and Rempang. The entire Barelang region covers 715 km².
Some locals call the bridge Jembatan Habibie after Dr. Jusuf Habibie, who oversaw the project in construction, aiming to transform the Rempang and Galang islands into industrial sites (resembling present-day Batam). The concept design for the 6 bridges were proposed by Bruce Ramsay of VSL. Dr. Habibie had requested that the designs should be based on a variation of different structural bridge types, in order to introduce & develop new bridge design & building technologies for the Indonesian market.

Overtime the bridge sites have grown more into a tourist attraction rather than a transportation route
The full stretch of all 6 bridges total to 2 kilometers. Travelling from the first bridge to the last is about 50km and takes about 50 minutes. Construction of the bridges started in 1992 and took names from fifteenth to eighteenth-century rulers of the Riau Sultanate.

The Tengku Fisabilillah bridge connects Batam and Tonton island. It stretches for 642 meters and is the most popular bridge of all, being a cable-stayed bridge with two 118 m high pylons and main span 350 m. Tonton-Nipah Bridge is a cantilever bridge with total length 420 m and main span 160 m. Setoko-Nipah Bridge is a girder bridge with total length 270 m and main span 45 m. Setoko-Rempang Bridge is a cantilever bridge with total length 365 m and main span 145 m. Barelang Bridge (Rempang-Galang Bridge) is an arch bridge with total length 385 m and main span 245 m. The road deck was constructed using the incremental launching method, whereby the deck was constructed on the bridge approach and then launched horizontally by the use of hydraulic jacks with special sliding bearings out over the previously constructed arch.

  

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Vietnamese Refugee Camp, Galang Island, Indonesia

The Vietnamese Refugee camp in Galang Island, Batam is a historical place that once inhabited by about 250,000 refugees from Vietnam in 1979-1995. The camp was built by the UNHCR, one of the organizations under the UN that takes care of victims of war, and the government of Indonesia. This refugee camp lies on an area of about 80 hectares. Just like a new 'city', this camp was equipped with various facilities, ranging from schools, places of worship (churches, temples, and mosque), hospitals, cemeteries, canteens, barracks, and even a prison.

The refugee story began with a quite long lasted civil war in Vietnam, which happened from 1959 to 1975 that also involved several other countries, eg. The United States and Russia. During and just after the war, many Vietnamese fled away their country for security reasons and for protection. Some of them sailed the South China Sea for months on wooden boats to find a safer place to live. Unfortunately, some of them died on the run, but many also made it by reaching other countries, including on several islands in Indonesia, such as in Natuna Island and Bintan Island. (This is why they were also referred as the "boat people").

 

Right in front of the museum, lies an Indonesian police office (defunct) and a jail that once used to imprison Vietnamese refugees who committed crimes, such as robbery, escaped from the camp, making liquor, and so on. There is also a Humanity Statue that is located next to the Quan Am Tu Pagoda. The statue was built to commemorate Tinh Nhan, a Vietnamese refugee woman who suicide after being raped by a fellow refugee. Not far from the Humanity Statue, there is the Ngha Trang Grave, where more than 500 refugees were buried. Today, the relatives of the people who buried here often visit the complex, as well as the former refugees themselves, who now live in many other countries, such as the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, Singapore, etc.

Location	:	around 50 kilometers from Batam downtown, Sijantung Village, Galang Baru Island
Operating hours	:	Weekdays, 7:30am-4:30pm Weekend, 7:30-5pm
Entrance fee	:	Rp. 3,000/person Rp. 5,000/motorcycle, Rp. 10,000/car Rp. 30,000/mini bus Rp. 50,000/tourist bus
Facilities	:	Mosque Church Temple Canteen Toilets English tourist guide (free)
Nearby facilities	:	Warungs Mini shop Salon
Nearby attractions	:	Melur Beach
How to get there	:	by private car or taxi. It takes less than 1 hour from Batam Centre. If you come by taxi, make sure you ask the driver to wait for you (which should already be communicated way before you take it in downtown Batam).
Remarks	:	While exploring the camp by car/motorcycle/bus, please be careful of monkeys along the road Remove your shoes or slippers before entering temples and mosques

Created By jotravelguide  

Batam Botanic Gardens (currently in development)

Batam Island is located about 20 km from Singapore, and for business people it is known as a city of trade and industry. Its proximity to Singapore also makes Batam a primary crossing site for tourists so it is not unexpected that, between business people and tourists, this city is visited by more than 1 million overseas visitors each year. However, almost undetected, Batam has been growing rapidly both from an economic perspective and in population. This has become a major threat to the environment, particularly coastal (mangrove) forests, which are in decline due to abrasion. In response to this issue, the Batam City Government plans to establish a botanic garden as one form of nature reserve, so that 58.57%, or 23.43 ha, of the total forested area of Batam can be saved. Administratively, the proposed site of Batam Botanic Gardens is located in the suburb Sambau, Nongsa District, by the side ofJalan Hang Lekiu Km. 4 – Nongsa. This location covers 85 ha and is about 10 km from Hang Nadim Airport, and 15 km from Batam Center. The gardens will be located in a tourist area and near an international entry point.

 

Themeand Collection:

The theme of Batam Botanic Gardens is “Conservation of Plants from Small Islands in Indonesia”. There are plans to arrange the collection by biogeographic regions, including collections from:

• Islands in the Sundaland region
• Islands in the Wallacea region
• Islands in the New Guinea region
• Islands in the Oceania region
• Islands in other regions of the world

Thematic gardens will include a maze garden, flower garden, children’s garden and others planned to become strengths of these botanic gardens. Coastal areas in the form of mangrove forests will be preserved as forested zones that can be accessed by bridge or wooden tracks Development Philosophy

Development Philosophy In its role as National Single Window for the business world and international trade, Batam city has become a modern city with modern architecture. Batam has not, however, left behind its Malay culture,which can be seen primarily in the use of the names of famous Malay characters to name public facilities. Similarly, the designs chosen for buildings at Batam Botanic Gardens combine modern architecture with Malay cultural roots, as seen in the Master Plan.

Iconic building

In order to draw visitors, a cable car system (Botanical Skyway) will be built, linking the main receiving zone with the secondary receiving zone. This unique mode of transport will allow visitors a “bird’s eye view” of the collection and to enjoy views of Batam.

Batam is one of the largest islands in the Riau archipelago, and not long ago it was just another poor island with coastal villages and unspoiled nature. The declaration of the Batam free trade zone in 1989 has turned the island upside down, after just a few years of rapid construction it now has a modern airport, tourist and business centers and a still growing infrastructure that has changed the island completely.

It is no secret that nearby Singapore is the role model, and the goal is eventually to become one of the biggest ports of Southeast Asia and a major center of international trade, industry and commerce. The strategic location close to the Malacca Strait and Singapore will certainly help reaching this goal, but like the rest of Indonesia the economy and development here was dealt a major blow during and after the Asia economic crisis in the late 1990's.

Batam is actually one of fastest growing tourist destinations in Indonesia in terms of visitor arrivals. There are several tourist resorts here with luxurious hotels and golf courses. Many visitors however choose to use Batam only as an entry point, it is only 40 minutes from Singapore with boat, and then leave with the first available transport to other destinations in Indonesia.