WHERE? Tanjung Balai is located on Karimun Island of Indonesia. Do not get confused with another island which has almost the same name, Karimun Jawa. Tanjung Balai is a small town in the clusters of islands which was once under the reign of Johor-Riau Sultanate before the British-Dutch Treaty was signed back in 1824. We were actually once under the same ruler and flag, hence the people there speak Malay Language just like us Malaysians, Johorians to be exact. It is sad that we are now separated as two different nationalities.
HOW TO GET THERE? From Johor Bahru, you can board the ferry at Puteri Harbour Ferry Terminal. There are other options though, as some people start their travel from Kukup, Pontian, or Batu Pahat.
You could check the schedule and buy the tickets online and there are like three or four trips per day. The return tickets cost us about RM110. However, you still have to pay another RM15 at the counter when you check-in, which I am not sure for what reason.
I was there with Mr. Mohd. Sabri Salleh on 6th February 2019, which was the second day of Chinese New Year. We were on the first ferry of the day at 8:00 a.m. and the seats were all taken as it was a long public holiday. For one thing, the tickets do not come with fixed or numbered seats so if you want to sit together with your travel mate, then you have to get into the ferry earlier.
You can also get to Batam Island from here.
I found the ferry modern and clean, which means it was well taken care of.
HOW LONG IS THE JOURNEY? The ferry trip took only about one hour and a half. Do enjoy the view of the newly-developed Forest City in Johor Bahru, as well as the huge vessels near the Johor or Singapore ports.
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| approaching the terminal |
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| our hotel seen from the ferry |
WHY TANJUNG BALAI? Frankly speaking, there is not much to expect here. If you want a quiet holiday far away from the crazy life, this is the place. There is no fast food restaurant or mall. There are a few beaches but we did not get the chance to explore as we were there for only one night. PRECAUTION: Unfortunately, this island is notoriously known for the unhealthy activities so if you are not traveling with other family members, or an all-men kind of tour, you might be speculated to come here to have a wild and fun time. There would be people who would follow you from the jetty, trying to offer their chauffeur service, or whether you are interested to find any girls, to be exact. We were followed by this one man to our hotel lobby, and he even waited for us to get the key to the room even though he had been told that we were not interested. That was kind of irritating and scary at the same time.
We just walked around in the small town and also the recreational place by the seaside. We took a mini van ride to the market in the morning and had a ride on a motorbike (as passengers) before we went back. I found eating out was quite expensive here but buying agro-products at the market was something you should not miss on this island. Many shops were not opened yet when we were there as they might still be celebrating the Chinese New Year.
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| Tanjung Balai Ferry Terminal |
GOING BACK: At Tanjung Balai Ferry Terminal, you still have to confirm your tickets at the counter (even the tickets were bought online) and for that you need to pay 15 000 Rupiah. Then you have to pay the harbour tax at another counter for 60 000 Rupiah. This should remind you not to finish all the money you have before going back or else you will be stuck there.
I would not mind going there again, just to relax and enjoy the stress-free life, and shop more at the market. This should be one of the easiest international getaway that I could easily do regularly.
RELATED LINKS OF MY TANJUNG BALAI TRIP:
