Renting a super affordable GrabCar for six hours, I explored Batam from the northern tip of the island down all six Barelong bridges and back again … with stops at pretty beaches, a MUST VISIT tour of the Galang Refugee Camp, and sunset drinks & dinner at a traditional overwater kelong seafood restaurant. All for just Rp. 390k! It was stress-free, truly enjoyable, and my favourite thing I did during my 10-day stay on Batam.

In this video I’ll share tips on how to have the best experience, how to overcome any language barrier with your driver, and show you what I think is a perfect 6-hour tour of the islands that includes gorgeous sights, a bit of culture, dee-lish food, and a lovely sunset session.

Rent a GrabCar on Batam

• It’s quick and easy! Be sure you have the Grab app installed and then follow along with either my video or the instructions on Grab’s website HERE
• I chose a 6-hour booking from 2pm – 8pm and it was just right
• Price is per vehicle, not per person, so it would be crazy cheap for a couple or group

6-Hour GrabCar Batam Tour

Take snacks with you to feed to the monkey (fruit perhaps…) and remember to bring a ton of it because there are so many monkeys 🙂

• BEACHES!! For the beaches, I arrived at low tide so I can’t really recommend any of them based on my visit but the one you see with the yellow and blue gazebos is Pantai Setokok. You can rent the gazebos for 5k, which I wanted to do for a mini picnic break with wine and cheese but ended up eating during the ride.
• CULTURE!! The moment memorable stop was the Galang Refugee Camp, referred to by the locals as the Vietnam Camp. You can find tons of details on their Wikipedia page
• SUNSET SESSION & DINNER!! Arrive around 5:30pm for sunset drinks and dinner at Kopak Jaya 007, the most swish of the kelong seafood restaurants. They serve beer and cocktails and an amazing menu of the freshest seafood imaginable! I’ll have a full review launching on my Luxury Guide to Batam video soon

Check out all my Batam Videos — including my full Batamfast Ferry review — on my YouTube channel, ClICK HERE for the playlist