Day 1 (Singapore – Batam – Kuala Tungkal- Jambi)

I had always wanted to leave Singapore’s border by sea. This is why I decided to take ferries and buses instead of a faster plane and bus combination to Bukittinggi.

The first leg of the journey to Bukittinggi was a ferry from Singapore to Batam, a small Riau island of Indonesia. I caught the 750am ( Singapore time, GMT +8) ferry at Singapore’s harbourfront. The ride was supposed to take less than an hour but there was a delay in moving off. The staffs spent time making sure that a Mr Ng Wee Keong was not aboard our ferry. I am not sure what this guy had done but according to the announcement, if he was found later at Batam, he would be deported back to Singapore.

Ferry to Batam

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Route

The nearest airport to Bukittinggi is the Minangkabau International Airport at Padang. So the fastest way to get to Bukittinggi is to fly to Padang and transfer to a bus. For my maiden trip to Indonesia, I wanted to try out a variety of local transports. From Singapore to Bukittinggi, my original plan was to take a ferry from Singapore to Batam, a ferry from Batam to Pekanbaru, then a bus to Bukittinggi. But I missed the connection between Batam and Pekanbaru.

As a result, I took a roundabout route by taking a ferry from Batam to Kuala Tungkal (near Jambi), then multiple transfer of buses/mini-vans to Bukittingi. For the return trip, I opted for a straightforward flight from Padang to Singapore.

In Bukittingi town, I rented a motorcycle for an eastern loop to explore the Minangkabau region and a western loop to Maninjau. The total distance traveled on motorcycle was around 300km. All roads covered on the motorcycle were in excellent asphalt condition. Road signs and petrol stations are available. The road to Maninjau is famous for its 40 sharp bends around hilly terrain. It’s a key reason why I rented a motorcycle.

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