Karimun

Karimun is a small island offering a range of tourist activities in the Riau Islands province of Indonesia. It is also the name of a group of islands and regency (kabupaten) to which it belongs.

Karimun is located just off the east coast of Sumatra, guarding the southern entrance of the busy Straits of Malacca. It lies west of Batam and to the southwest of Singapore and is the furthest west of the Riau Islands.

Its proximity to Singapore has made the islands quite affluent and busy. Its main town, Tanjung Balai is a bustling port town with a lot of commerce, boosted by tourists from Singapore and Malaysia. Note that it must not be confused with Tanjung Balai in North Sumatra province, a much larger city commonly called Tanjung Balai Asahan and an international port. Like Batam and Bintan, Karimun is also listed as a Free Trade Zone area.

Travel to Karimun

Visa & Passport Requirements to enter Karimun

For details on visa requirements for visiting Karimun, please see the Indonesia page. Karimun's Tanjung Balai port is designated as a visa-free and visa-on-arrival entry point.

Note that, apparently in contrast with many destinations in Indonesia, Karimun is designated as an entry point for the 7-days visa (that only costs US$10), as of 2024.

Karimun does not have an operational airport, so travellers' only option is to get in by boat. Karimun has good ferry connections with Singapore and Kukup in the southwestern tip of Johor, Malaysia as well as the other Riau Islands and the Sumatra "mainland".

Ferry terminals

Warning: there are two ferry terminals in Tanjung Balai. The main one (to Singapore, Batam, Bintan, Malaysia) is at the East-most part of the island.

The other one (to local destinations such as Kundur) is 500 m further towards the downtown.

From Singapore

Sindo Ferry Formerly Penguin Ferry Services (☎ +62-777-324355 in Tanjung Balai; +65-62714866 in HarbourFront) and Indofalcon (☎ +65-62783167 in Harbourfront) ferry companies operate ferries between Tanjung Balai and Singapore's HarbourFront Centre. Between them and they run 4 trips. From Singapore: 08:00, 11:40, 15:00, 18:20 (Singapore time). From Tg. Balai: 07:30, 11:00, 14:00, 17:00 (Tg. Balai time). From Singapore, tickets cost S$56 return before Indonesian port taxes (60,000 Rp as of 2014) or S$31 one-way before Indonesian port taxes (Rp 80,000 as of 2014) from Tanjung Balai. Journey time is about one and a half hours.

The two companies' code-sharing agreement that allows you to board any ferry at Tanjung Balai for the return leg to Singapore is no longer available. If you do not have a confirmed timing to go back, you are not advised to buy return ticket. You can still use an open ticket, and pick up your boarding pass 1 hour before returning to Singapore.

From Malaysia

Several companies operate frequent ferries between Tanjung Balai and Kukup, pontian in the southwestern part of Johor.

MV Ocean Indoma ferries leave Kukup at 1145 and 1700. From Tanjung Balai, ferries leave at 09:30 and 14:30.
From 2013 and there is another international ferry that travel to Karimun from Puteri Harbour International Terminal, Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia. The ferry runs two return trips daily. From Karimun: 0800, 1500 hours (in Karimun's time). From Puteri Harbour: 1100 and 1800 Hours (Karimun time). The two ways ferry tickets cost RM95 (before RM12 seaport tax) from Puteri Harbour.

From the other Riau Islands

Numerous companies offer ferry services to/from Bintan, Batam and the other Riau Islands.

From Batam: Regular ferries link Tanjung Balai with Sekupang domestic ferry terminal on Batam. Many of these ferries originate from or are heading to the Sumatra mainland or Kundur Island. Tickets cost Rp. 70.000 one-way (excluding Rp. 1.000 port tax & Rp. 1.000 insurance)

From Bintan: Ferry company Arena operate regular ferries between Tanjung Balai and Tanjung Pinang and the main town on Bintan. The ferries also stop at Sekupang on Batam enroute.

From Kundur Island: The Miko Natalia 3 links Tanjung Balai with Tanjung Batu and the main town on Kundur Island several times daily. Tickets cost Rp. 46,000 one-way before port taxes. Journey time is over one hour, longer if stops are made at islands along the way. The ferry continues its journey to Sekupang on Batam.

There are also very frequent ferries (about every 30 minutes) to Selat Beliah, at the North-most point of Kundur island. 15 minutes and 20,000 Rp.

From the Sumatra mainland

Regular ferries link Sumatra port cities like Dumai, Pekanbaru, Selat Panjang (all in Riau province), and Kuaka Tungkal in Jambi with Tanjung Balai. Most of these ferries continue to Tanjung Pinang and the main town in Bintan, stopping at Sekupang on Batam enroute.

From other parts of Indonesia

A Pelni boat KM Kelud leaves Tanjung Balai every Wednesday at 8am for Jakarta, taking 31 hours (Ekonomi/Class III Wisata Rp 655.000/Rp 575.000). The same boat leaves Tanjung Balai every Saturday at 7pm for Belawan and the port for Medan, taking 17 hours (Ekonomi/Class III Wisata Rp 280.000/Rp 460.000). For more information on Pelni departure schedules and fare, contact PT. Biro Perjalanan Karimun at Jalan Nusantara No. 1, Tanjung Balai, Pulau Karimun. ☎ +62-777-324132 (fax: +62-777-327176).

Many ferries (up to 10 a day) for the neighboring islands such as Kundur.

How to get around in Karimun

By mikrolet

The cheapest way to travel in Karimun is by mikrolet. These small shuttle vanes run a fairly standard route and pick up and drop off passengers anywhere along the way. By the way and the local residents call them "oplet". You can get almost anywhere in Tanjung Balai for Rp. 3.000. Tanjung Balai to Meral is 2.500rp. However and they do not run outside of the main city.

Oplet Karimun - One of the main types of public transportation and the Oplet, in Karimun

By bicycle

This would be one of the ideal way to explore Karimun. However, yet to find one bicycle renter in the town. However, most of the ferry companies will take your bicycle for a SG$5 fee, so if you are coming from Singapore, just bring one over.

What to see in Karimun

Pawai hari raya karimun - Parade (Pawai) on the eve of Hari Raya by the local Muslims

Vihara Bodhi Maitreya, Jalan A.yani
Baitul Karim Mosque, Tanjung Balai.
Klenteng Tua Pek Kong 大伯公庙, Jalan Athena Meral
Vihara Cetiya Vidya Sagara 朱王庙, Jalan Jenderal A. Yani, Meral. This chinese temple was built in 1926.
Vihara Sasana Diepa 妈祖宫, Jalan Jenderal A. Yani, Meral.
Palawan Beach, a beautiful beach. There are many small restaurants under the palm trees, overlooking the sea. On Sundays and holidays, it is a popular destination for the local residents. Renting a motorbike with driver from Tanjung Balai to Palawan costs around 100,000 Rp (2023), including about 2-3 hours on site.
Pongkar Beach, another nice and beautiful beach. It is very refreshing and relax place that you have to visit when you are in Karimun
Waterfall usually call Air Terjun, climbing to the top of the waterfall. Have a nice and clear water, barbecue at there, etc. Really fun
Pawai Jalan, twice annually, parade of the local Muslims on the eve of Hari Raya Idul Fitri and Hari Raya Idul Adha.

Jade Emperor Festival, an annual festival of praying to the Chinese Jade Emperor in Meral Kota. Visit Meral Kota at night on the 8th night of Chinese New Year to witness the local Chinese (Hokkien Clan) doing their praying to the Jade Emperor outside their houses with the younger ones enjoying their activity with firecrackers and fireworks.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Karimun

Stroll around Tanjung Balai, which is the main town on Karimun Island, and one of the busiest towns in the Riau Islands. You can walk around and explore on your own or you can take a mikrolet (small public bus) for Rp. 2,000.

To enjoy the rural lifestyle on a tropical Indonesian island, you need to get away from Tanjung Balai and go to some local kampung areas in Meral or Pasir Panjang.

Visit the Chinese temples of Klenteng Tua Pek Kong, Vihara Cetiya, Vidya Sagara and Vihara Sasana Diepa in Meral. Take your time to look at the temple drawings such as "General Xue and Lady Fan" and "Lady Warriors of the Yang Family".

Visit the "Air Terjun" (waterfall in Indonesian) which is not far away from Pantai Palawan. You can bath in the man-made pools built to capture the water flowing from the mountain. It's definitely refreshing.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Karimun

Karimun's main department store is Indo A. Yani Swalayan & Dept. Store in Tanjung Balai. Pasar Swalayan means supermarket in Bahasa Indonesia. This 3 storey department store offers food, clothing, housewares, stationary and basic necessities. Not too expensive.

Padimas Department Store another shopping area in Karimun. Beside it and there is a game centre suitable for the families. Opposite it, is the Padimas Hotel, which is reasonably priced. There is a new Village Cafe also. Cosy ambiance with reasonable priced food and fruit drinks. A large Heineken organic juice cost Rp. 28 000 only. Do try their new menu. The Cafe is similar to the ones found in Singapore. Great Muslim Friendly place to chill out and relax.

You can obtain 250g Karimun Utama coffee (Kopi Karimun Utama) for Rp. 7.150 (Agent: Toko Utama, Jalan Nusantara No. 43, Tanjung Balai, Pulau Karimun. ☎ +62-777-21003), local produced Kerupuk, deep fried fish crackers, can be found at Bona Kerupuk Atom 50 and cost Rp. 7.000 per packet. This said, it is much cheaper in the Indo A. Yani Swalayan & Dept. Store.

Halal Food & Restaurants

The long stretch of open-air food vendors that convenes outside the ferry terminal after 5pm is a great place to try out authentic Indonesian food.

Restaurant Seafoods 188, Baran 1, +6277731372, +628127092047. Offers a variety of live seafood such as lobster, crab, fish, shell and a lot more. oh ya and they also have "HEKHO" which u cannot find in singapore. if you happen to go there, remember to order the pepper crab, Sauce crab, kangkung belacan, ALL the grilled seafood, hekho, fried Chicken, cereal prawn, fried sotong, lobster and a lot more. Located on the beach so it is very windy at night. Accepts cash, Visa and Masterpark.

D'Best | another Softdrink from Tanjung Balai Karimun

Warung Yonada | they sale nice food western and Traditional food from Jogjaa

Yonada | Western Food and Traditional Food From Jogja,

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Karimun

Karimun - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Karimun, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Karimun. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Karimun and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Karimun. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Karimun. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations inKarimun: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Karimun.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Karimun: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Karimun, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Karimun.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Karimun, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Karimun, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Karimun and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Karimun, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Karimun, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Karimun without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Karimun is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Karimun.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Karimun is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Karimun, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Karimun Media: info@ehalal.io

Muslim Friendly Hotels

Most hotels are in the very center of the city. Prices are quite similar. Just avoid Paragon, a bit closer to the ferry terminal, but very old and dirty from inside.

Horizon | It's a great hotel with good and friendly services. The chauffeur can bring guests to the great seafood places.

H3 Hotel A very nice hotel in the center of the town. Clean and quiet rooms, nice breakfast, good Wi-Fi. Very helpful staff: can help you to book tickets and rent motorbikes with driver. They speak good English, and Chinese. Only drawbacks: the lobby is not non-smoking, and the cheapest rooms have no window.

Maximillian A new hotel opened, it is 7 storeys high and offers a karaoke lounge. Quite expensive compared to other hotels (at least 350,000 Rp per room).

Paragon Hotel Claims to be the best hotel in Tanjung Balai, but is rather the worst. Despite looking relatively nice from outside, no air-con in lobby, horrible rooms full of cockroaches, ants and mosquitoes, horrible breakfast. No Wi-Fi. Staff speaking only bahasa (no Chinese, no English). Just walk 200 meters further, and pick one of the numerous hotels of much better quality for the same price.

Aston Karimun City Hotel Jalan Pertambangan, Tanjung Balai (2Km from the ferry terminal). A night cost Sing$70 for a Deluxe room. Rate includes buffet breakfast which has a good variety. LCD TV 32" Samsung & mini bar fridges can be found in Deluxe rooms. Just 5 minutes walk from the hotel lies a good SeaFood restaurants, Padimas Dept Store, Fast Food restaurant, Cafe, etc with friendly service. ☎ +62-777-325555.

Victoria: Next to Gabion Hotel.

Wisma King Star | This motel is small yet cozy and has friendly serving staffs. From this place, you can access easily to great food and pubs. Breakfast is provided free. Transport services to harbour and restaurant are provided.

Hotel Rasa Indah: Jalan Nusantara No.127 B, Tanjung Balai Karimun-kepri,Indonesia. A five story hotel with economy prices from as low as S$18-S$25 or Rp.100,000-Rp.130,000 inclusive of breakfast (prices many varies). For more Information, please contact:+62-777-327687,27689.
21 Karimun Hotel A new 6-storey hotel consists of 100 standard king size rooms. It is situated along the seafront in the coastal area, within walking distance from the ferry terminal. 21 Coastal Area, Tanjung Balai, Karimun-Kepri, Indonesia. Soft launching from 3rd April 2016. Room rates from Rp.280.000

Telecommunications in Karimun

Telephone numbers

The country code for Indonesia is 62. The area code for Tanjung Balai is 777.

News & References Karimun

Travel Next

The nearest airport is on Palau Batam, so you'll need to head back there for domestic flights. For the international flights heading to Singapore or Kukup (Pontian, Malaysia) would be the best option. International seaport tax is 160,000 IDR (2024).

Connections by sea are limited to one Pelni boat per week and various fast boat services to different Sumatra ports.