Barelang Bridge: How to Visit All Six Bridges

The Barelang bridges were built in the 1990s, initiated by B.J. Habibie, who led the Batam Authority at the time and later became Indonesia's third president. Each bridge takes its name from a ruler of the Riau Sultanate.

Bridge 1 – Tengku Fisabilillah (also called the Habibie Bridge): Connects Batam to Tonton Island. At 642 metres with a 350-metre main span, this is the longest and the most photographed. Two cable towers mark the skyline.

Bridge 2 – Nara Singa: Tonton to Nipah Island. 420 metres, cantilever design. Less visited than Bridge 1; the views of the open strait are quieter here.

Bridge 3 – Ali Haji: Nipah to Setoko Island. 270 metres, girder construction.

Bridge 4 – Sultan Zainal Abidin: Setoko to Rempang Island. 365 metres, cantilever.

Bridge 5 – Tuanku Tambusai: Rempang to Galang Island. 385 metres, arch design, with the longest single span after Bridge 1 at 245 metres.

Bridge 6 – Raja Kecik: Galang to Galang Baru Island. 180 metres, the smallest in the chain.

Take the Singapore–Batam Centre ferry from HarbourFront. From Batam Centre or Nagoya, allow 40–50 minutes by car or Grab to Bridge 1 in normal daytime traffic (roughly 35 kilometres).

Grab: Set your pickup point 50–100 metres outside the terminal gate — drivers cannot enter terminal compounds. Grab is workable during the day for Bridge 1, but coverage becomes unreliable further south and in the evening. If you plan to drive all the way to Galang, a private driver is the practical choice.

Private driver: SGD 70–100 for an 8-hour day with an English-speaking driver and air-conditioned car for up to four passengers. This is the recommended option for a full day beyond Bridge 1. Book a private car on Klook →

Half Day (4 hours from Batam Centre)

Drive to Bridge 1. Stop at the viewpoint and parking area on the Batam side — use this spot rather than stopping on the bridge itself (see Practical Tips). Cross Bridge 2 for a quieter view looking back toward Bridge 1. Stop for lunch at a kelong seafood restaurant near Bridge 1 on the return.

Full Day (7–8 hours, private driver recommended)

Morning: Bridge 1 at sunrise or mid-morning. Drive through Bridges 2–5, stopping at viewpoints. Cross into Galang Island. Visit the Galang Refugee Camp (allow 60–90 minutes). Lunch at a kelong restaurant. Late afternoon return to Bridge 1 for sunset. Back to terminal.

Getting to Galang takes about 1.5 hours from Batam Centre. Allow enough time to visit the camp and still reach your ferry. See our private driver page for booking details.

Best time: Arrive at Bridge 1 before 08:00 for clean light and fewer vehicles, or return at 16:30–18:00 for sunset. The cable towers catch orange light in the late afternoon. Avoid 11:00–14:00 — harsh overhead light and temperatures around 32°C.

Where to stand: Use the viewpoint and parking area on the Batam side, just before the bridge begins. This gives clear angles of both cable towers without stopping on the bridge itself.

Bridge 2 (Nara Singa): Worth a short stop for an unobstructed view looking back toward Bridge 1 across the open water.

Night visits: The bridges are lit after dark. The effect is striking, but Grab is unreliable for the return journey — only attempt with a driver who will wait.

On Galang Island — about 1.5 hours from Batam Centre by road — the former Galang Refugee Camp operated from 1979 to 1996. More than 100,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian boat people were processed here across two adjacent camp areas, on their way to resettlement abroad during the Indochinese refugee crisis.

The site is open to the public as an informal memorial and small museum. Preserved structures include residential barracks, a Catholic church, a Buddhist temple, a graveyard and a jail cell. Replica refugee boats and photographs and documents from former residents are on display.

Generally open daily from early morning to late afternoon; small cash entrance fee. Check locally before you go as conditions can vary.

Allow 60–90 minutes to walk the full site. There is no food on site; eat before or after.

Galang Island also has quiet beach spots — Pantai Melur and Pantai Mirota are the best known. For details, see our best beaches in Batam guide.

The most practical stop for a meal is the cluster of kelong-style restaurants near Bridge 1 on the Sagulung side — wooden platforms on stilts over the water, with live seafood tanks and views across the strait.

Barelang Seafood Restaurant (Jalan Trans Barelang City, Sagulung) is the most established option. Order gonggong (Riau sea snail), crab or grilled fish from the live tank. Several other kelong-style restaurants are in the same area near Bridge 1. See our Batam Food Guide for prices and what to order. Our seafood guide explains how ordering by weight works.

Arrive for lunch (12:00–14:00) rather than dinner if you are day-tripping — evening meals add pressure on the return journey to the terminal. Most restaurants are cash only.

• Hire a private driver if you plan to reach Galang. Grab is workable during the day for Bridge 1, but unreliable further south and in the evening.
• Bring cash (IDR). Roadside stalls and the refugee camp entrance are cash only.
• Sun protection and water are essential. The bridges are fully exposed; shade is limited except at the restaurants.
• Download offline maps before you set off.
• Use the designated viewpoint. Stopping on the bridge itself is not recommended — use the parking and viewpoint area on the Batam side of Bridge 1.
• Time your return carefully. The last ferries from Batam Centre to Singapore leave around 20:30 local time (21:30 Singapore time — Batam is one hour behind Singapore). Allow 40–50 minutes from Bridge 1 to the terminal. Always verify the current schedule when you book: ferry times and booking →.
• See the bridges from the water. The Barelang Bridge Sunset Cruise is a separate 2-hour experience that complements this land route.