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Okay, if you’re looking for a family day out — and I know you are, because who only wants family days in, that’s a recipe for arguments about arguments about other arguments — then you need to hit six — yes, six! — places in Batam that will get you out of your comfort zone and into your fun zone. If you can hit all six in one day, you’re the awesomest family in history. If you have to spread them out, and still hit all six, then you’re the second awesomest family in history. Either way, do these, and awesome will ensue.
For families, especially a large group, highly recommended to charter a car since some areas are control by local taxi drivers and you could not use Grab or Gojek.
Belalang Adventure
The first stop might just stop your heart, because there is way more excitement at Belalang Adventure than at Belalang Non-Adventure (which is a really, really boring place, so don’t go there, even if it did actually exist, which it doesn’t.) Camping, paintball wars, jungle treks, obstacle courses, water bikes — and that’s all before they let you eat breakfast! Nah, you can eat breakfast any time, although you may want to keep the bacon out of the paintball, the enemy can sniff that stuff out, and then your goose is cooked. Can we get any more food analogies stuffed into this exciting review? Probably. But lettuce just say, a day at Belalang Adventure and your entire family will be fried.
Opening Hours : Everyday 10.00am – 5.00pm
Web: Link
Contact Phone: +62 812-7022-8879
Email : [email protected]
15 mins drive from Harbour Bay Terminal
Address: golden city, Bengkong Laut, Bengkong, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29444 (Open in google map)
Funworld Nagoya Citywalk
You’ve still got energy after Balalang Adventure, so hit up Funworld. Located inside Nagoya Citywalk, this is a child-friendly mini-amusement park (so much more fun than the child-unfriendly ones, where they knock the ice cream out of your kid’s hand and untie his shoes).
There are indoor roller coasters and bumper cars (those two are separate rides, although how fun would it be if there were roller coaster bumper cars?). There are carousel swings and carnival games (like “Guess If Your Carney Has a GED!). Go. At the very least the lights will mesmerize the kids, and you’ll get a few minutes of peace while they’re dazed.
Price : About SGD 10 unlimited rides for kids Opening Hours : Everyday 10.00am – 9.00pm
Web: nil
Contact Phone : +62 778 – 428116
Email : [email protected]
15 mins drive from Harbour Bay Terminal
Address: Northwalk, Nagoya Citywalk, Jl. Imam Bonjol, Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444 (Open in google map)
Panbil Nature Reserve
Stepping into Panbil Nature Reserve is like walking into a weird, wild supermarket, except instead of groceries, you’re shopping for close encounters of the furry kind. You got options here: pick ‘n’ mix your critter encounters with individual snack packs, or go big with the “All-You-Can-Pet” buffet for just 100k rupiahs – that’s less than 10 bucks for a fur fest!
Our squad, being suckers for anything that makes you go “aww,” beelined for the bunny buffet. Hand us a cup of carrots, and bam, we’re the bunny whisperers, mobbed by a fluffle of furballs. And surprise, surprise, it’s not just a hare affair – we’ve got undercover guinea pigs crashing the party, trying to pass off as mini bunnies with their pint-sized ears and all.
Feeling adventurous? Strap on those hiking boots for the “Bambi Experience” – trek through the jungle to chill with some deer. It’s a two-hour nature walk – just enough to make you feel outdoorsy without actually breaking a sweat. And for the hardcore hikers, there’s the “Eco-Masochist” package. Four hours of trekking therapy that’s supposed to be healing, but let’s be real, you’ll need therapy after the therapy.
Web: Link
Opening Hours: Everyday 10am – 10pm
Contact: +62 778 371000 Email: [email protected]
22 mins drive from Harbour Bay Terminal
Address: Jalan Kantong Semar, Panbil, Batam Kota, Batam City, Riau Islands 29437, Indonesia (open in google map)
Arcade & indoor playground at Grand Batam Mall
Hey, parents! Ready to hit Grand Batam Mall for a shopping spree that doesn’t break the bank? Great news: there’s a kiddie distraction zone called Fun World arcade. Think of it as a mini Las Vegas for your little ones, where they can squander their pocket money on games instead of pestering you while you hunt for bargains.
The arcade’s a hit with the school crowd and the too-cool-for-school teens. They’ve got everything from virtual car chases (because real driving is so overrated) to air hockey (for that icy competitive spirit) and those claw machines that are practically a lesson in futility.
Got a toddler in tow? March them over to KidZilla, the toddler Thunderdome. It’s a world of slides, ball pits, and the occasional diaper disaster. But beware, if you don’t have a trusty teen to play overseer, you’re on tot-watching duty. So, while your little angel dives into a sea of plastic balls, you can daydream about all the shopping you’re not doing. Happy parenting!
Opening Hours: Everyday 10am – 10pm
10 mins drive from Harbour Bay Terminal
Address: Jalan Pembangunan, #L3-A4 Grand Batam Mall, Batu Selicin, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29444, Indonesiaopen in google map)
Waterpark TOP 100 Batu Aji
Kids and water go together like peanut butter and jelly, and at Waterpark TOP 100 Batu Aji, they can marinate in chlorine to their heart’s content. This is where the whole clan can bob along the lazy river like a bunch of human buoys or scream down slides that’ll give your stomach that zero-gravity experience.
This place is a smorgasbord of aquatic antics, with pint-sized pools for the tadpoles and adrenaline-pumping tubes for the daredevils. They’ve even thought of the vertically challenged kiddos – slides with training wheels, so to speak, so nobody feels left out of the splash fest.
And for those who prefer their water not coming at them at a million miles an hour, there’s a man-made waterfall. It’s like nature, but without the pesky wildlife. Perfect for that “chillin’ in the jungle” selfie, without the actual jungle. Remember, it’s not a family outing if it’s not documented on social media, right?
Website: Link
35 mins drive from Harbour Bay Terminal
Address: Kawasan Mall Top 100, Jl. Letjend Suprapto, Tembesi, Kec. Batu Aji, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29439, Indonesia (open in google map)
CGV Cinemas Grand Batam Mall
There are movies that just beg to be seen in the sprawling expanse of a cinema screen, and then there’s watching “Gone with the Wind” on your phone – don’t be that person. If you’re going to grace the cinema with your presence, you might as well do it without declaring bankruptcy. Enter CGV Cinemas Batam: your wallet’s superhero, showing everything from the latest Hollywood explosions to heart-wrenching Indonesian dramas, all for the princely sum of Rp34,000 (~$3.01). That’s less than a fancy coffee.
Web: Link
10 mins drive from Harbour Bay Terminal
Address: Nagoya Hill Ruko mall Blok P No. 7-9, Lubuk Baja Kota, Lubuk Baja, Batam City, Riau Islands 29152 (open in google map)
The Illusion
DO you like to look weird? Like, even weirder than when you first wake up in the morning? Then we’ve got the place for you. The Illusion. The whole place is a series of skewed rooms designed by local artists who want to get you to see things a little (make that a lot) differently.
You can stick to walls, grow up (some of you need to), or down, you can dance like Michael Jackson (yes, even Dad, and his complete lack of rhythm or body control can do it).
This place is a smorgasbord of aquatic antics, with pint-sized pools for the tadpoles and adrenaline-pumping tubes for the daredevils. They’ve even thought of the vertically challenged kiddos – slides with training wheels, so to speak, so nobody feels left out of the splash fest.
And for those who prefer their water not coming at them at a million miles an hour, there’s a man-made waterfall. It’s like nature, but without the pesky wildlife. Perfect for that “chillin’ in the jungle” selfie, without the actual jungle. Remember, it’s not a family outing if it’s not documented on social media, right?
Admission: Rp80,000/adult (~S$7.07) | Rp40,000/child (~S$3.54)
15 minutes drive from Harbour Bay Terminal
Opening hours: 10am-5pm, Daily
Contact: The ILLusion Batam Facebook
Address: Golden city blok K no 4-5-6 batam, Tj. Buntung, Kec. Bengkong, Kota Batam, Kepulauan Riau 29444, Indonesia (open in google map)
Conclusion
And that’s it, that’s our six-stop super circuit of Batam and fun and you and kids. And flying seals. (Okay, okay, I know, they probably don’t exist. But if you do happen to see one, take a picture and send it along. We’ll add it into our next review).
