BATAM ISLAND: Half Day Trips: - Tembesi Valley and Bridge-1

Batam Daytrips
Two Hour Trips: * Duriangkang Dam * Batu Merah * Tanjung Uma *
Half Day Trips: * Tembesi Valley * Sambu Island * Nongsa Coast *
Full Day Trips: * Galang Islands * Rempang Island *
Overnight Trips: * Bintan Island * Kundur Island *
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BATAM ISLAND: Half Day Trips:

Tembesi Valley and Bridge-1

Fitness Level: Moderate to fit: You can see this area either on foot or bicycle.
By foot: Must be able walk for two hours.

TEMBESI VALLEY + BRIDGE-1 AREA
If you look at a map of Batam, you can see that the Barelang Highway, between Batu Aji and Bridge-1, follows a peninsular. Next to this peninsular is the Tembesi Valley, parts of which you can see from the Barelang Highway.

Click on this map to see it full sized. Tembesi has two main access roads, one on each side of the valley. An ideal way to see this area is to walk into the valley on the West Track and come out on the East Track. Try to follow the East track to the very end and if you have time, and on your way out, take a detour up the East Track side valley.
It is not so easy to find the east-west cross over trail from the east track.
A full walk would be about 8km (5 miles) and should take 2 - 3 hours, if you take it easy. Having walked this area, you may as well drive another 10 mintues and see Bridge-1. If it is time to eat, continue driving another 10 minutes to the seafood restaurants, just after Bridge-4. The Rempang 388 is said to be the better of the two located near the bridge.

Tembesi West Track entrance - located about 100m east of the Barelang Highway junction.

Tembesi Valley East Track entrance, located about 1km east of the Barelang Highway junction.
The above two photos shows the Tembesi's two most important access roads. Both start from the main Muka Kuning to Batu Aji highway. Click on an image to see it full sized.

TEMBESI RUBBER FARM.jpg
TEMBESI VALLEY TAPIOCA CROPS01.jpg

INNER TEMBESI 05.jpg
INNER TEMBESI 06.jpg

TEMBESI BRICK OVEN.jpg
TEMBESI CALF.jpg

TEMBESI FARMLAND 01.jpg
TEMBESI KANKONG HARVEST.jpg

TEMBESI LAMA SIDE VALLEY 03.jpg
TEMBESI LAMA SIDE VALLEY 04.jpg

TEMBESI TAPIOCA 02.jpg
TEMBESI TAPIOCA.jpg

TEMBESI VALLEY TAPIOCA CROPS02.jpg
TEMBESI VALLEY WASHING KANKONG01.jpg

A view of the Tembesi River from the Barelang Highway, just before Bridge-1.
TEMBESI VALLEY ACCESS FARM02.jpg

The preceding walk description covers the upper half of the valley. The lower end of the Tembesi is covered with a dense and healthy esturine mangrove system. The Tembesi's river bed is sandy and hard enough to walk on, which makes it possible to wade the river bed for quite some distance - a couple of kilometers, as far as the main river. Wading a mangrove river is a once in a lifetime experience. Who knows, you could even be ambushed by a big saltwater crocodile! To save having to retrace your steps, arrange for a boat to meet you at the junction. This is easier said that done, as the river has a couple of different tributaries (i.e. junctions). Bring a handphone, well wrapped in plastic, to make contact with your driver/boatman. Boats can be rented from the jetty on the Batam side of Bridge One and the coffee shop jetty near Bridge-2. The local rate for boat hire is about Rp50,000/hr, tourists may have to pay Rp70,000/hr, which is still quite fair. If your driver negotiates for more, he may be pocketing a commission.

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The jetty next to Bridge-1, where you can hire small boats.

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The ferry Arena-5 on it's daily trip from Tanjung Pinang (Bintan) on it's way to Sekupang (Batam) thence Tj Balai (Karimun).

TEMBSI HOUSE1.jpg

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The Tembesi River's healthy mangroves, viewed from Bridge-1.

Two Hour Trips: * Duriangkang Dam * Batu Merah * Tanjung Uma *
Half Day Trips: * Tembesi Valley * Sambu Island * Nongsa Coast *
Full Day Trips: * Galang Islands * Rempang Island *
Overnight Trips: * Bintan Island * Kundur Island *
Batam Daytrips [Home] NED Batam [Home]

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TEMBESI BRICK OVEN.jpg	TEMBESI CALF.jpg
TEMBESI FARMLAND 01.jpg	TEMBESI KANKONG HARVEST.jpg
TEMBESI LAMA SIDE VALLEY 03.jpg	TEMBESI LAMA SIDE VALLEY 04.jpg
TEMBESI TAPIOCA 02.jpg	TEMBESI TAPIOCA.jpg
TEMBESI VALLEY TAPIOCA CROPS02.jpg	TEMBESI VALLEY WASHING KANKONG01.jpg
A view of the Tembesi River from the Barelang Highway, just before Bridge-1.	TEMBESI VALLEY ACCESS FARM02.jpg