Increase in Ferry Port / Terminal Tax

This is the latest increment in the port tax. You have to pay this when you depart Karimun island. About a year ago, the port tax was only rp 10k. It then went up to rp 25k. From May 2009 onwards, it will be rp 60k for foreigners and rp 30k for Indonesians. This makes the port tax even more expensive than the port tax in Malaysia and Singapore!

This wouldn't be so bad if the facilities and services were up to scratch. The waiting lounge is always very stuffy. The air conditioner never works! When you arrive, every opportunity is taken to take uang kopi from you. If you bring in your laptop, you will be delayed. If you do not have an Indonesian chop on your passport, you will also be asked to contribute...

When you are about to depart and you are paying the port tax, you can be sure there is no change available if you do not have the exact amount required. Or if you do not have any indonesian rupiah left, they will ask you to pay in RM or Sing $. Not the converted amount but the foreign amount as is RM25 to pay for rp25k! Then every step of the way to your ferry, there will be numerous people asking for uang kopi!

I know some good people in immigration. They are not all bad. However the port terminal experience is one of the worst for visitors to Karimun Island and Indonesia in general. This is the place where people will decide whether they want to return again if they have such bad experience. It's unfortunate that so much potential tourism is lost for such short term corruption and gain.

Things to do around Tanjung Balai Town

Take a walk around town. Don't get stuck in your hotel or else you will miss many things. There are only 2-3 main streets in town. They are narrow, so be careful. Watch out for the holes in the sidewalk. Some places, you have to walk on the main road because the sidewalk is blocked. Watch out for the traffic when you do so.

There are a few nice cafes/restaurants which are airconditioned. Try them out.

This is a schoolbus carrying the local kids. The body is made from wood. Very colourful and cute. Note the driver's window.





This is a chinese temple on Jl Nusantara near towards the market area.






If you head towards the ferry terminal, you will pass the pasar malam. This night market opens around the late afternoon and is open till about 10pm. Great to buy snacks and food.







One of the food stalls at the pasar malam.

News: MV Falcon rough ferry ride from Singapore

PT Info Falcon Management reported that it's ferry, MV Falcon 2, could not depart from Singapore due to high waves and and being swamped rather than water leakage as reported earlier.

"Approximately at 19.00 WIB, whille passing Takong Kecil Island, MV Falcon 2 was trapped by very strong sea waves. The sea water came over the top of the ship, "said PT Indo Falcon Port Captain, Johanes Diano Bani , Thursday (23rd April).

Johanes thinks that the water came in through the ventilation shafts on the upper deck. Then it flowed through to the passenger compartment in the front. This condition prevented us from continuing to Tanjung Balai Karimun in the bad weather condition. So the captain decided for a rescue operation. He decided to change course for the nearest island for shelter and called his company for immediate evacuation.

Meanwhile Johanes said, the captain announced to the passengers of 46 people (not 63 people) that the ship could not continue in it's travel.

"After MV Falcon 5 arrived, passengers and goods were transferred aboard. The evacuation occured between 20:00 and 21:00 WIB. Passengers who were evacuated to MV Falcon 5 arrived in Karimun around 22:21 o'clock WIB in safe condition and no baggage was missing or damaged," he said.

The next day, Wednesday (22nd April) during high tide, MV Falcon 2 was taken to Tanjunguncang, Batam for a dock inspection.

"From the Tanjunguncang inspection, we found no leaks in the boat. There was no leak under the waterline. During the MV Falcon 2 incident, water came through the top of the ship and ventilation and could not sail to Batam, "John said firmly.

Hotel Wiko

Hotel Wiko is one of the newer hotels in Tanjung Balai. It has a bustling feel about it with a food court and restaurant area right on it's front step. The star pub is also popular for it's live band performances. I understand that the live band now only operates on Saturday nights, and the rest of the nights it's just a karaoke lounge. It was pretty empty when I went there on a Monday night. Actually even the food court was pretty quiet. The parking area seems to be always full though.

When I stayed at Wiko a few year back, it was too busy! The rooms are not very well sound proofed and you hear every footstep and activity outside your room.

this is one of the restaurant outside Wiko. A little expensive.

The location is pretty good as it is near the market, the disco, the massage parlours, etc. There is a hair salon on the ground floor.

Hotel Maximillian

This is the best hotel in Tanjung Balai Karimun. With it's recent renovation and additions, it is a complete destination by itself.

note the Wellcome on the sign (should be Welcome)

The staff are well trained and friendly, especially the ladies in reception. Roni Susanto, the asst. Manager speaks good english and will take care of your needs efficiently. I even had the manager/owner of the hotel offered and drive me personally to one of the local entertainment outlets one night, when the hotel taxi was not available.

There is a wide variety of rooms to choose from, Sing$28 studio rooms to >Sing$100 suites. Be aware that some rooms on the lower floors from the old wing do not have any views due to it being blocked by a building next door(bird nest factory).

This is the older suite (I was forced to take it once when the hotel was booked out). This can happen on weekends, so book early.

Some of the rooms in the new wing are also blocked, however you can catch the sea views when you walk the corridors in the new wing. The rooms are always clean.

new wing rooms with sea view




Corridor view








There is a hair salon on the ground floor. They are very professional, friendly and reasonably priced. The seaview restaurant in also on the ground floor with nice views of the sea and surrounding islands. There is also a conference room which seems to be quite well used.

This is the outside area of the seaview restaurant.

On the 2nd floor there is a spa and massage centre. Very nicely decorated and equipped. There is a cold and hot pool plus a steam sauna. The last time I went to have a look(when it just opened), the hot pool wasn't hot enough and the cold pool wasn't cold enough. It may be different now. The massage ladies were not up to my standard. I prefer to call in my "ibu massage" who does a better job. You can get your massage on the 2nd floor or up in your own room.



On the 7th floor, there is a cafe/KTV lounge. This area has fantastic view of the whole island. Very impressive.











There are 3 pool tables in the front area.





If you decide to stay at this hotel, please tell Roni that you heard about it from this website! I might be able to get a better discount next time I drop by... :)

No you do not have to walk up 7 flights of stairs! There is an elevator right to the top

News: Singapore opens consulate in Batam.

The Singapore Consulate in Batam is open, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday (23rd April 2009).

The consulate will provide consular services for Singaporeans visiting, living or working in the Riau Islands Province. As Batam is only about 1.5 hours from Karimun Island, this is a very convenient service for Singaporeans here.

It will also promote and facilitate more intensive interactions and cooperation between Singapore and Riau, said Singapore's MFA.

The consulate is located on the 8th Floor of Sumatera Convention Centre, Jl Engku Putri, Kav. 01, Batam Centre, Batam.

Contact details are: Tel: +62 (0778) 470070, 470071 and Fax: +62 (0778) 470076

The Consulate will open daily from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm, and from 1.30 pm to 5 pm.

It will be closed on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

Global Economic Crisis Affecting Tanjung Balai Karimun?

Is the world financial crisis affecting Karimun Island? There is a definite decrease in tourism from neighbouring countries like Singapore and Malaysia. Anecdotal feedback from ferry operators, taxi drivers indicate a drop of around 30-40% in the last 4-5 months. Hotels have also been affected badly. There is no indication yet whether the FTZ investors like PT Saipem will be affected.

News - Local workforce skills low, foreign workers seize opportunity

Translated from BatamPos

Monday, April 13, 2009

KARIMUN (BP) - The Department of Labor (Disnaker) Karimun Regency, Drs Syafri Salisman admitted his concern about the low skills of the local workforce (naker). Unfortunately, the opportunity to fill the jobs available cannot be achieved.

"I will admit it if our local workers' skills are still low. So, not surprisingly, if the job opportunities are taken by workers from outside the region, " said Syafri, last Saturday (11th April 2009) .

Regarding the statement made by Syafri, comments by dpc Chairman of the Confederation of All Indonesian Workers Sartikat (K-SPSI) Karimun Regency, Hanis Jasni. Hanis firmly stated that 5,000 jobs promised for local workforce when PT Saipem opened, will not be realized. The issue is that the Karimun workforce cannot reach the numbers required.

Syafri add, he himself is unsure of the 8000 unemployed in the figures in the Karimun census. "From some of the data obtained, unemployment in the Karimun is only around 4000 persons." said Syafri.

Promise to promote Karimun Island to Singapore Investors

Indonesian ambassador to Singapore Wardana, promise to promote Karimun island to potential Singaporean investors. "In order to promote the potential of Karimun we are here to see it for ourselves.", he said during a launch during the three-day visit to Karimun, recently (12th April 2009).

Moreover ambassador Wardana said that the investment opportunities are huge, now that Karimun is confirmed as a Free Trade Zone (FTZ). This is also an advantage with the close proximity to Singapore. Ambassador Wardana said the areas that will be reviewed will be the potential of the agriculture, tourism and maritime industries. "We will hold talks with stakeholders in Karimun, and later we will hear and see the existing conditions for ourselves." He said specifically.

Meanwhile, Karimun Regent Nurdin Basirun said, Karimun will be introduced to the outside world, particularly Singapore. That is why we invited the ambassador to view the potential of Karimun region.

Still Living like kings?

Tanjung Balai is famous (or infamous) for it's sex tourism like it's cousin, Batam. This industry took off when gambling was booming in Batam and Karimun island and drew lots of tourist from Singapore and Malaysia. With gambling, prostitution expanded too.

In 1995 General Sutanto was chosen as the head of Indonesian National Police force and he closed down all illegal gambling. This had a dramatic effect on the sex industry but it still remains as one of the major draw for tourism to Tanjung Balai.

The current world economic slowdown has affected the flow of tourism to Tg Balai. The visitors from Singapore and Malaysia is much less now compared to one or two years ago. Hotels in Tanjung Balai are definitely feeling the effect.

Electricity Supply crisis

Karimun Island has been experiencing an electricity supply crisis for over 4 years. Rolling blackouts are a nightly affair and things are not getting better. Most hotels have to use their onsite power generator (genset)to get by. This is not a good sign for FTZ investors which requires a reliable source of electricity.

For the residents of Tg. Balai, the main town of Karimun Island, it is a huge disruption on their lives. Most businesses that open at night like hotels, nightclubs, ktvs, restaurants, shops need to run their gensets in order to survive.

The average length of the rolling blackout is around 4-6 hours. They mostly happen at night when the usage rises. PLN (the electric supplier) will shut down supply to areas on a rotational basis. The locals will say "mati lampu" (lights out or blackout) when this happen.

Most home owners will not have gensets and have to rely on battery powered backup lamps. So this means that TVs, PCs and sound systems will not be operational. Another problem that arises from the blackouts is that when the power comes back on, the voltage is not stable and a lot of electrical devices have been damaged by power surges.

Some hotels have better gensets than others. The good ones will kick in almost immediately, whereas others may take a few minutes to start up. The authorities really have to do something about this problem if they want Karimun Island to progress.

News - PT Saipem spends Rp 2.5t rupiah for largest fabrication yard in Karimun, Riau

PT Saipem is investing heavily into Karimun island.

Fadli
The Jakarta Post
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Mon, 04/07/2008 11:16 AM

Italian-based turnkey oil and gas contractor Saipem International has begun construction of a massive fabrication yard in Karimun, Riau Islands, with a total project investment of Rp 2.5 trillion (US$271 million).

During the launch ceremony of the ground-breaking facility Friday, Saipem offshore general manager Yves Inbona told the press the yard would be the company's largest production facility of its kind.

Occupying some 140 hectares of land, the facility would have a production capacity of 30,000 tons of oil and gas related components.

"The production facility will be one of the company's largest. Products from here will be allocated for demands in Indonesia as well as for neighboring areas," said Inbona, adding the company expected the facility to start operations in 2010.

He said Karimun Island was chosen to house the facility due to its free-trade zone status.

The company, which plans to employ 5,000 workers, has requested local administration improve business infrastructure on Karimun, including highways, power capacity and ports to help boost the operation's efficiency.

Riau Islands governor Ismeth Abdullah said the project signaled the revival of foreign direct investments in the province.

In a bid to lure more foreign investment into the country, the central government is planning to grant Batam Island, Bintan Island and Karimun Island special economic status whereby various business facilities there will benefit from free-trade.

Batam is located around 30 minutes from Singapore by ferry.

Ismeth said the administration decided to make Karimun Island a center for maritime business due to its deep water access that can accommodate large vessels, making it ideal to serve as a shipyard and offshore production facility.

"We are confident more and more international companies will come to Karimun to construct production facilities, especially those related to maritime and offshore businesses," he said.

News - Dozens of houses smashed by mini tornadoes

Belasan Rumah Dihantam Angin Puting Beliung

Translation from above:

Residents in the vicinity of Bukit Tiung, Tanjungbalai Karimun District, at around 09.30 WIB was shocked by the onset of mini tornadoes on Monday 6th April 2009.

As a result, dozens of homes, especially those located near the Chinese cemetery was damaged by the heavy wind.

"My kitchen was not spared from the tornado. In my neighbourhood, around 12 homes were damaged’ said owner of RT 02/ RW 07, Fachrurozi, yesterday.

The wind also damaged two other buildings, namely the hostel of Marga Yeo and Ngiap E pagoda which is located on the top of the Chinese cemetery.

"From dozens of homes affected by the tornado, one home was severely damaged. That is, the house owned by Day. Fortunately, the house was empty. Just one day before the owner moved to a new place, "he said.

A local resident, Sukoyo said that when the incident happened, he was outside the house and saw a cloud of wind coming from the South or the sea from Puakang

When he saw the wind, Sukoyo shouted for the people to get out of the houses. This was to prevent the loss of life. But, the roof of the building of houses were damaged by the tornado"he said.

Tumidan, a Tiung Hill resident said, it's been a very long time since this region has been affected by tornadoes. Dozen years ago or around 1992 tornadoes damage the building in this area.

Pemilu - Election

Today the national election is being held. You will notice that the whole island is plastered with posters and banners. The authorities have ordered some businesses to close down to "facilitate" the smooth running of the election.

Money - Rupiah

Called uang. The local curency is the Rupiah. I normally change most of my rupiahs in Balai itself. Better exchange rate. There is an exchange right in the immigration centre just after custom check. There are a few money changers around town too.

I don't suggest using credit cards there. It cost a lot and I don't feel safe using it. Lots of story about cc fraud.

Always have lots of 5k & 10k notes around. Great for tips for the hotel staff. If you go to balai 4 the first time, the chaps in the immigration counter may try to bully you for some uang kopi (bribe). They will normally point to some Singapore or Malaysia $10 notes on their desk, hoping for the same. Just drop a 10k note there casually. DON'T do this after your first trip. Once you have a balai chop on your passport, you are a veteran:)

Some hotels in balai quote Sing dollar as the room rate. If you have Singapore notes, keep them for the hotel bill. It's cheaper. Otherwise they will convert it to rupiah at an exorbitant rate.

The minimum wage for the Karimun regency is around 900k rph per month. So it is not a lot. Somehow, they get by. That's why the tips are much appreciated.

Safety

Tanjung Balai looks like a dangerous place at first. When you first exit the harbour, you will be mobbed by the taxi touts and it can be scary. They can get quite aggressive. If you dont intend to use them, just ignore them with contempt. It's all in the body language. To avoid any problems with taxi drivers, always agree on the price and services first. Normally hiring the taxi for a short trip around town is 30k rupiah. An ojek ride is 10k.

You will also notice people staring at you if you are a foreigner. Regardless of whether you are a westerner, Singaporean or Malaysia, the locals will know and stare at you. Again, ignore them. Most of the people staring at you are unemployed and bored, not criminals looking to rob you.

Generally there is very little crime against visitors. Just do the normal safe things like not be conspicuous with lots of money. I always carry and use a money clip with just a few 50k rupiah notes and small change. I do not use my wallet which may contain millions of rupiah. Leave your wallet and passport at the hotel or room safe. Don't worry if the polisi ask for ID. Just say that it is with the Hotel. You are required to surrender your passport to the hotel when you check in anyway.

There are lots of stories online about how dangerous balai can be. However I have not felt threatened. The only time I was a little worried was in my dealings with the polisi. Some bad apples will always look for ways to "cari makan" (earn a bit on the side). That is another story altogether.

Sometimes, visitors who are showy will get a bit loud and become assholes. Then they attract trouble for themselves and their companions. Just be cool and polite. Let the little things pass by. If someone overcharge you 5k rupiah for something, let it go and just don't go there anymore.

For bigger issues, it is who you know that will matter. So always try to be friendly to the locals like the hotel manager, etc. Don't bother with the hanger ons... They just want a free ride.



If you go to places like the disco and KTV, try to get a local guy to with you first. A bit of safety and orientation is needed to know the dos and donts. Get to know the locals. It helps.. You then have to decide how helpful and trustworthy they are.

Don't wear expensive watches and jewelry. Leave them in your room safe.

Language

The indonesian language is very similar to Malaysian Malay. However there are distinct differences. Here are some translated words to help you along:

Motor - Motorcycles
Mobil - (pronounced mobeel), cars
Supir - driver. Can also mean to drive
Santai - relax
Sarapan - breakfast
Makan siang - lunch
Makan malam - dinner
Roomboy - Bellboy and the guys that you call for room service
Ojek - motorbikes that acts as personal taxi. Also to mean the bike driver. Just call ojek on any street and someone should respond to you to bring you around balai.
Balai - short name for tanjung balai.
kantor - office room
hp - pronounced ha-pay. Handphone
Pulsa - handphone credit or top up.
Pelabuhan - port
Wisma - cheap hotels. normally with common bathroom.
Capet - (pronounced cha pet) tired
Lantai - floor, lantai 1 = first/ground floor
Oplet - small vans that acts as buses.


If you have any questions, feel free to post and I will try to translate.

Hotels

There are about 60 hotels in Tanjung Balai, Karimun. I will post a list of them here.

• Hotel Maximillian
  Jl. Nusantara
  Widely known as hotel Maxi, this is the best hotel in town. No question about it. It's facilities are about 3-4 stars standard but by Balai standard it is 5 stars! It recently had an upgrade and extension which includes more rooms, new dining area, conference room, massage and spa facilities, karaoke ktv lounge. The staff are well trained and friendly. The asst manager, Roni is always helpful.
  
  
• Hotel Gabion
  Jl. Nusantara No. 45
  Tel: 0777-326222
  Standard hotel with no lifts. So quite a bit of a walk if you are on the 4th floor! Loong corridors too!
  
  
• Hotel Wiko
  Newish hotel with a lot of facilities nearby. There is a food court right in front, Star pub with live band, massage centre, hair salon, etc.
  
  
• Hotel Rasa Sayang
  Jl. Ampera
  Tel: 0777-323881
  Oldish hotel.
  
  
• Hotel Paradise
  Jl. Setiabudi
  Tel: 0777-23111 /23222
  Pronounced as Parah dees. Many rooms. Good parking if you have cars. Quite extensive KTV rooms.
  
  
• Hotel Padi Mas
  Jl. Pertambangan
  Tel: 0777- 325555
  
  
• Hotel Holiday Karimun
  Jl. Trikora No. 1
  Tel: 0777-21065 / 21666
  
  
• Hotel Paragon
  Jl. Nusantara N0. 38D
  Tel: 0777-21688
  
  
• Hotel Pelangi
  Jl. Teuku Umar
  Tel: 0777- 23100 / 232000
  
  
• Hotel Alishan
  Jl. Kapling Blok A No. 10
  Tel: 0777-324888
  
  
• Hotel Erikson
  Jl. Kapling No. 1
  Tel: 0777-23123
  
  
• Hotel Shangrilla
  Jl. Pramuka No. 62
  Tel: 0777-325325
  
  
• Hotel Horizon
  Jl. Setiabudhi No. 15
  Tel: 0777-324008
  
  
• Hotel Satria
  Jl. A. Yani No. 1A
  Tel: 0777-325888
  
  
• Hotel Marina
  Jl. Pertambangan No. 108
  Tel: 0777-323888
  
  
• Hotel Taman Bunga
  Jl. Yos Sudarso
  Tel: 0777-324088
  
  
• Hotel Artha
  Jl. Pegadaian No.9
  Tel: 0777-31591 /31730
  
  
• Hotel Asia
  Jl. Teuku Umar
  Tel: 0777-325678
  
  
• Hotel Tanjung Balai
  Jl. Nusantara No. 127B
  Tel: 0777-22772
  
  
• Hotel Royal
  Jl. Nusantara
  Tel: 0777-22225 / 22289
  
  
• Hotel Top Star
  Jl. Setiabudi No. 1
  Tel: 0777-323868
  
  
• Hotel Mitra Pesona
  Jl. Nusantara No. 15
  Tel: 0777-31456
  
  
• Hotel Mirama
  Jl. A. Yani No. 8
  Tel: 0777-325818
  
  
• Hotel Puri Indah
  Jl. Ampera
  Tel: 0777-326788
  
  
• Hotel Gloria
  Jl. Yos Sudarso No. 46
  Tel: 0777-21133
  
  
• Hotel Indah
  Jl. Nusantara No. 27
  Tel: 0777-21490
  
  
• Hotel King Star
  Jl. Setiabudi No. 38
  Tel: 0777-22346 / 22348
  
  
• Hotel Karimun
  Jl. Yos Sudarso
  Tel: 0777-21082 / 21088
  
  
• Hotel Millenium
  This is more of a long term hotel than a daily hotel. I know locals who live here and pay rent on a monthly basis.
  Jl. Teuku Umar
  Tel: 0777-325333
  
  
• Hotel Nirwana
  Jl. Nusantara No. 12A
  Tel: 0777-31820
  
  
• Hotel Nusantara
  Jl. Nusantara
  Tel: 0777-31646
  

There's lots more...

Tanjung Balai

Tanjung Balai is the main town of the island. It's very compact and hectic. Most streets are one way streets and there are more motorcycles(motor) than cars(mobil).

This is a bustling town with a sizeable Chinese (Tionghua) community. As you can see a lot of buildings are built right into the sea via pilings.

Karimun island

Karimun island is a beautiful indonesian island near to Malaysia and Singapore. It's main town is TanjungBalai or Tanjung Balai. Look past the narrow and dirty streets and the staring locals and you will see a laid back and natural island with smiling people.

In January 2009, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated Free Trade Zone (FTZ) status on the island of Batam, Bintan and Karimun (BBK) in the Riau Islands Province. This is a very important to the future development of Karimun island.

Karimun island's proximity to Singapore(1.5 hour ferry ride) and Malaysia(1 hour ferry ride) makes it an important transport and business hub. It also connects to the smaller islands around the area as well as stops for the larger ships to Medan.