As we already told you before, shopping is one of the factors visitors came to Batam. The whole island is a duty free zone, making the prices become relatively low. The shopping scene may not be as good as in Singapore or Hong Kong, because the two islands has transformed into a mega metropolitan city. Batam however, seems rather like the two islands back in the old days, where everything was a lot unsophisticated.

Shopping Malls
Shopping malls available mostly in the larger part of Batam like Nagoya, Waterfront City and Batam Centre. And the selection is quite many. The DC Mall, Lucky Plaza, Centre Point, Batam Centre Mall, Robinson & Ramayana, and the newly built Megamall (Hypermart) is some of the places you could visit. There is also the Ralph Lauren shop which comes with extremely low prices. The items are all genuine, because it is an authorized outlet of Ralph Lauren. You can bargain in many of those shopping places above, so bargaining skill wil be very useful although language will often be a challenge.

Arts and Crafts
You may also want to check out the galleries and local decorating or souvenir shops. You may encounter some fabulous arts and crafts at bargain prices. Items like paintings, wood carvings, pottery, etchings and intricately fashioned jewellery from many part of Indonesia could be found in these shops. The quality is nonetheless excellent.

Duty Free goods
Because of the duty free zone, electronic items like cameras and cellular phones are very much cheap. But you may find it difficult to pass the Customs at the Immigration if you carried out bigger electronic appliances. Other mostly demanded items in Batam are clothing, perfumes, leather goods and confectionaries.

Batam Shopping can be a rewarding experience as there are several large Shopping Malls, as well as many smaller specialty shops selling goods ranging from traditional Indonesian furniture and handicrafts, to electronic and household goods, as well as many clothing and fashion shops

Batam also has a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetable markets, which are a bustling place in the early morning hours. You will be able to buy some of the local fruits which are unique to Indonesia and South East Asia

There is also a main seafood market, offering the day’s fresh catch, so it is best to get there early to select the freshest seafood, from the large variety being sold each day (they are usually open at around 6.00 am)

For those out hunting a bargain, you usually can find what you are looking for at the right price.

Shopping malls and most shops are open from 10.00 am to 9.00 pm daily and are usually open on all public holidays.

You may be surprised at some of the goods that can be found in some of the quieter back streets, nestled within the main shopping center areas!

Batam Shopping Centers can be divided up into 2 areas, with a variety of shops in each area.

The 2 areas are:
    * Batam Shopping - Nagoya City Area
    * Batam Shopping - Batam Center Area

Batam Shopping - Nagoya City Area
Nagoya City is Batam’s main city, and has several large shopping malls plus a multitude of smaller specialty shops, spread out over a large area. The easiest way to get about is by Batam Taxi, and there are plenty available

You can get them from your hotel lobby and from the shopping center taxi stands, or if you are on foot, just hail a passing taxi. Most taxis in Batam don’t have meters so your negotiating skills will come in handy!

Nagoya has lots of hotels, so if you are planning on staying in Batam for a “shopping holiday” you will never be too far from any of the malls and specialty shops

There is a maze of smaller streets and roads, most of which are lined with shops of all varieties, so a stroll around Nagoya should bring satisfying results!

All Nagoya Shopping Centers are approximately the following distance from these locations:

    * 30 mins from Hang Nadim Airport
    * 10 mins from Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, Batu Ampar
    * 20 mins from Batam Center Ferry Terminal, Batam Center
    * 30 mins from Sekupang Ferry Terminal, Sekupang
    * 35 mins from Waterfront City Ferry Terminal, Waterfront City
    * 40 mins from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Nongsa

Nagoya Hill Shopping Center
The Nagoya Hill Shopping Center is Batam’s newest mall, opening in 2007, and has 3 floors of shops, with a walk-through arcade on the ground floor. Located centrally in Nagoya, it is full of specialty shops, ranging from clothes and shoes, sports goods & apparel, traditional Indonesian handicrafts, furniture and Batik, electronic items and household white-goods, plus there are a few furniture shops on the 3rd floor There is a large supermarket on the 1st floor selling just about everything, and it is reasonably priced

Restaurants and snack food outlets are available in the shopping center.

Although the shopping center is large it is still to be filled to capacity with shops, but there is a good selection available.
Diamond City Mall (DC Mall)
Diamond City Mall, or more commonly known as DC Mall, is in Nagoya. It is a medium sized mall with quite a few shops. Clothes, fashion accessories, shoes and jewelry shops are available, as well as a shop selling traditional Indonesian clothing (Batik). There is a computer shop selling both new and second hand computers. A beauty shop and art shop (with resident artist) are also in the mall. The mall also has a supermarket.

Restaurants and snack food outlets are available and there is plenty of car parking areas

Restaurants and snack food outlets are available in the shopping center. Not a large mall but still ok to do your Batam shopping there.

Batam Center’s largest shopping mall is connected to the ferry terminal by a walk bridge that crosses the road, so it is ideal for “day trippers” that have come to Batam just for the day to do some shopping

The other nearby shopping centers can be easily reached by Batam taxis, which are available at the ferry terminal and on the roads around Batam Center. There is also numerous “mini vans” or angkot as they are locally called, that offer a cheap alternative to taxis

All Batam Center Shopping Centers are approximately the following distance from these locations:

    * 20 mins from Hang Nadim Airport
    * 20 mins from Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, Batu Ampar
    * 5 mins from Batam Center Ferry Terminal, Batam Center
    * 30 mins from Sekupang Ferry Terminal, Sekupang
    * 35 mins from Waterfront City Ferry Terminal, Waterfront City
    * 30 mins from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Nongsa

Mega Mall
Mega Mall is a large shopping mall opposite the Batam Center Ferry Terminal, so you can walk across the connecting foot bridge and start your shopping experience!

The mall covers 5 floors so it is packed with specialty shops, fashion and clothes shops, electronic goods and furniture stores. Branded names can be bought from most of the stores at good prices, and discounted sales are held regularly throughout the year, especially during the Ramadan month and Christmas & Chinese New Year periods.

The ground floor is home to Hypermart, which is a large supermarket and sells lots of items, and has a good bakery that makes fresh bread, pastry and cakes daily

Plenty of restaurants and snack food outlets are scattered throughout the mall, offering Indonesian, Asian and Western foods and are open whenever the mall is open

Located in the 2nd floor is XXI Cineplex Movie Theatre, which has 6 screening rooms and shows the latest movies

Next to the mall there is a multi-storey car park with elevator access to all the floors within the mall, as well as a large outdoor car park. There are security posts at each of the malls entrances and taxi stands are located near all the main doors. This is another good place to do your Batam shopping.

Panbil Mall
Panbil Mall is approx 15 mins from Batam Center, over near Muka Kuning Industrial Estate. The Mall has a department store and supermarket, clothing shops and electronic goods, as well as restaurants.

The Panbil Food Court is on the second floor and serves local & Asian dishes. There is also a 24 hour medical center located within the Panbil commercial area, next to the Mall.