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Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Waterfront City
Teluk Senimba
Go for 1–2 nights only if you want a resort weekend with cable-ski and seafood; skip it as a base for Batam sightseeing.
Waterfront City is not a city: it is a purpose-built resort strip on Senimba Bay, Batam, with two large hotels, a ferry terminal, a cable-ski park and a shophouse row that is mostly closed. Come for a short resort break from Singapore, not for urban sightseeing. Nagoya and Sekupang hold the shops, malls and local food.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Local name
- Teluk Senimba
- Best months
- Feb–Apr, Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Jan (rain peak), Indonesian long weekends and Singapore public holidays
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- IDR
- Money
- Rupiah (Rp) in small notes for warungs, parking, offerings and drivers; large cards are common in tourist restaurants but not everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rp400,000–700,000 excl. bed · Mid Rp700,000–1,400,000 excl. bed · High Rp1,400,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at airports; foreign phones must be IMEI-registered if staying over 90 days — check.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 113
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round pins.
- Tipping
- Warung: Nothing.; Restaurants: Often 10% service + tax on the bill; nothing more needed.; Drivers and guides: Rp50,000–100,000 a day.; Spa: Rp20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations common in Bali.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop elsewhere; paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or iced tea at a shophouse café | Rp20,000–40,000 |
| Noodle or rice plate at a warung | Rp25,000–50,000 |
| Chili crab at a kelong seafood restaurant | from Rp88,000 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | Rp50,000–90,000 / Rp25,000–40,000 |
| Taxi Waterfront City → Nagoya | about Rp75,000–100,000 |
| Beach and marina entry | about Rp6,000 |
| Spa hour at the Holiday Inn | about S$60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BTH · Hang Nadim International Airport, Batam
- About 45–60 min by car to Waterfront City; check taxi or app-car availability
- SIN · Singapore Changi
- Reach HarbourFront by MRT, then ferry to Waterfront City
Typical fares
- Ferry HarbourFront → Waterfront City (Sindo)
- about 50 min including the Sekupang stop; 1 weekday round trip, 3 at weekends
- Taxi Waterfront City → Nagoya
- about Rp75,000–100,000, 30 min
- Taxi Waterfront City → Sekupang
- about Rp50,000–80,000, 15 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Most of Waterfront City is walkable: ferry terminal, both hotels, cable-ski park and the shophouse strip sit within about 15 minutes on foot. Hotel shuttles meet ferries. For Nagoya or Sekupang, take a taxi from the cable-ski park rank and agree the price first.
See and do
Known for
- Cable-ski and wakeboarding park
- Senimba Bay ferry terminal
- Resort hotels with pools
- Kelong seafood and chili crab
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nagoya, Batam | Taxi from the cable-ski park rank, about 30 min | About 30–40 min |
| Sekupang | Taxi or hotel shuttle, about 15 min | About 15–20 min |
| Batam Centre | Taxi across the island | About 45–60 min |
| Nongsa | Taxi north along the coast | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Harris Waterfront Batam
- Family resort with pool and bowling; 5 min from the ferry terminal, free shuttle.
- Holiday Inn Resort Batam
- Across the road from the ferry terminal; large pool, kids' area, spa.
- Shophouse rooms near the terminal
- A few pubs rent upstairs rooms, often short-time; check before paying.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me | Permisiper-mee-see |
| Thank you | Terima kasihte-ree-ma ka-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?be-ra-pa har-ga-nya |
| Can you take me to this address? | Bisa antar ke alamat ini?bee-sa an-tar ke a-la-mat ee-nee |
| I don't want that | Saya tidak mausa-ya tee-dak mow |
| Where is the toilet? | Di mana toilet?dee ma-na toy-let |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Light handshake then hand to chest; smile; avoid: Firm grips
- Left hand: Give and receive with the right; avoid: Passing anything with the left
- Temples: Sarong and sash; step around offerings; avoid: Standing higher than priests
- Keeping calm: Patience; indirect requests; avoid: Anger in public
- Pointing: Thumb; avoid: Index finger
Scams and watch-outs
- The beach is not a swimming beach: murky water, oil installations in view, and swimming is banned at the Harris stretch.
- Most of the shophouse block by the ferry terminal is permanently closed; do not plan on shopping here.
- Some bars and karaoke lounges double as short-time venues; if that is not your scene, read the room before ordering.
- Taxis quote in Singapore dollars first: agree a rupiah price before you get in.
- Weekend ferry seats from Singapore sell out on public holidays: book ahead.
Low street-crime risk in the resort strip, but the area is quiet and poorly lit after dark; use hotel shuttles or a pre-agreed taxi, and keep valuables in the room safe.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Waterfront City yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cable-ski and wakeboarding park
- Senimba Bay ferry terminal
- Resort hotels with pools
- Kelong seafood and chili crab
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Sindo Ferry — Singapore to Batam routes and timetable: www.sindoferry.com.sg/
- Harris Waterfront Batam: www.harrishotels.com/en-US/Waterfront
- Holiday Inn Resort Batam: www.ihg.com/holidayinnresorts/hotels/us/en/batam/btaid/hoteldetail
- Wikivoyage: Waterfront City, revision 5257003 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5257003
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Waterfront CityTeluk Senimba
Ke alamat ini, ya
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Batam; most are in Jakarta, with consulates in Medan and Bali. Singapore has a consulate in Batam (check the address).
Save the ferry timetable offline: sailings are few and the terminal is not a place to wait out a missed boat.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/waterfront-city). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.