The Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal in Batam is located in Batu Ampar and it replaces the old ferry terminal which is very run down. If you are going to Nagoya town, the Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal will be the nearest terminal to the town center. It takes less than 15 minutes (depending on traffic condition on the road ) by cab to reach any part of Nagoya. Currently it seems that only WaveMaster is the only ferry company operating in this terminal. The return trip from Singapore to Batam is $48/- inclusive of all taxes.

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From Singapore to Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal, the journey is approximately 45 minutes. It is a relatively smooth ride. On a major public holiday, do go early to buy your ferry ticket as it is sold out quickly even though there is a departure every hour from Singapore. Once you have arrived at the Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal, the arrival hall is quite small. But the clearance of immigration was fast and less of a hassle as compared to the same from Singapore. Right after you have clear the immigration, straight ahead you can see a small money changer store. The exchange rates are displayed on the electronic board. There is very little to do in within the new ferry terminal itself. To catch a taxi, just walk out of the main door and turn left – you will see a taxi booth. Taxi ride to Nagoya town is about RP40,000. You pay the taxi driver upon arrival of your destination.

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There is a complete new development outside the Harbour Bay Terminal.  The nearest new hotel is just a walk away – the Harbour Bay Amir Hotel. This is a relatively new hotel that has good potential once development is completed around the ferry terminal. There are many shops that are near the ferry terminal. But most the shop houses are empty as it is not tenanted yet. The new Harbour Bay Shopping Mall is just outside the main road, but it is not ready yet. Hopefully this new shopping mall will be ready by 2010. Upon completion, the new Harbour Bay Shopping Mall will be the newest mall in Batam.

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There are plenty of shops outside the departure hall of this new terminal. You can see the Polo shop, coffee joint, a new fun and game shop for kids, and many food joints. Inside the departure hall, just simply present your ticket and passport to the Wavemaster staff at the booth and you will be issue a boarding pass. The departure gate is just a short distance away. On the whole, the experience on using Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal is a pleasant one. The custom clearance is quick and getting to town is also fast as compared to other ferry terminals in Batam.

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I have also written a blog on the Sekupang Ferry Terminal in Batam. The link is below –

Sekupang Ferry Terminal in Batam

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