IO – San Francisco and the sun always reflects the classic America, with the beauty of its natural panorama. The absence of dew in the morning never made the legendary Golden Gate bridge lose its perfection as an ancient city with warm sun. Similarly (but not the same), tourists will probably feel a little deja vu when they stop by a bridge called Barelang in Batam, Riau Islands (Kepri). With a piece of the story of Golden Gate, the Barelang Bridge may be a reminder of how warm the sun chases tropical countries. As a transit city, Batam, with its modesty, offers a story of a 642-meter-long bridge like a piece of San Francisco in Indonesia.
The Barelang Bridge, which was initiated by BJ Habibie in 1991, is now an icon and landmark of Batam. Its name is taken from the abbreviation BAtam, REmpang, and gaLANG and functions to connect the three large islands with several small islands included in the Riau chain of Islands. Besides being similar to the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, California, United States, in miniature, the Barelang Bridge also looks so charming with the background of blue sea scenery and surrounded by small islands around it.
If usually photographers capture Barelang from the left side or exactly in the miniature icon of the Barelang Bridge, once in a while they can try to hunt for the sunrise and capture the bridge that looks most magnificent and largest among five other bridges in Batam from the right side.
It takes about 1 kilometer to trek to the right side of Barelang, along the edge of the sea, until finally you can clearly see Barelang. To capture the sunrise there, tourists must leave in the early morning, around 4.30 WIB. Considering that there are rarely vehicles from Batam City to Barelang (approximately 15 kilometers and 30 minutes to get there); the sun will rise at around 05:50 WIB.
Transportation used Includes online transportation or wait for public transportation such as Damri buses that cross the Barelang region. After cool sun hunting there is no harm in tasting the typical culinary fare of the city of Batam: already famous among travelers, local and foreign visitors is the name Yong Kee Fish Soup Outstanding complex at Nagoya City Center Blok E No. 8-9, Nagoya, Batam.
This restaurant is open every day at 08.00-22.00. RM Yong Kee sells various processed seafood, but the mainstay menu is fish soup made from mackerel, a really soft and delicious flesh, not surprising because this restaurant processes it from the raw materials of fresh mackerel fish. Gravy with spices that are not too sharp also adds freshness and further highlights the original taste of the fish. So it’s difficult for anyone to forget about Batam, a million charms from a transit city with a warm tropical sun.
The Head of the Ministry of Public Communication Bureau Tourism’s, Guntur Sakti in Batam, said that the beauty of Batam City is an attraction for lovers of photography, ranging from beautiful landscapes to charming natural scenery.
“The landscape in Batam, is not only beautiful to look at, but also beautiful in the camera. So to all travelers come to Batam, capture and spread it on social media,” concluded Guntur. (Pramitha Hendra)