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Practicalities
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All domestic and international
flights
(Singapore, KL, Melaka) touch down in Simpang Tiga airport, 9km south of the city centre. The closest public transport is 1km away on the main highway, where you can catch public buses into the Pasar Pusat terminal in the city centre. Otherwise, fixed-price taxis charge Rp10,000.
Long-distance buses arrive at the terminal on Jalan Nangka, about 5km south of the river, from where you can catch a blue bemo to the city centre. Most express ferry services from Pulau Batam and Pulau Bintan dock at BUTON , connected to Pekanbaru by a three-hour bus journey; buses arrive at the express-ferry offices at the northern end of Jalan Sudirman or at the bus terminal. Slow ferries come into the main port area at the northern end of Jalan Saleh Abbas in the Pasar Bawah market area, a couple of hundred metres west of Jalan Sudirman. City buses (6am-9pm; Rp300) run the length of Jalan Sudirman and beyond, between the Pasar Pusat terminal near the Jalan Imam Bonjol junction with Jalan Sudirman and Kubang terminal, which is 3km beyond the turning to Simpang Tiga airport. Colour-coded bemos (Rp250) operate to and from the main bemo terminal, Sekapelan, which is situated just west of the main market area behind Jalan Sudirman; most have their destinations marked on them. Moving on from Pekanbaru, you'll find there are extremely good sea, land and air connections with the rest of the island, as well as the rest of the archipelago. Long-distance buses to destinations throughout Sumatra and in Java depart from the terminal on Jalan Nangka. Many of the bus offices are in the terminal itself but others are spread along Jalan Nangka, up to about 500m west of the terminal and also at the very start of Jalan Taskurun. Shop around and book ahead.
High-speed ferry services for Pulau Batam and Pulau Karimun leave from the ticket offices at the northern end of Jalan Sudirman. Although located near the river and with adverts conspicuously picturing speedboats, most services actually involve a three-hour bus trip to Buton, where you transfer to the high-speed ferry for the trip to the islands. Prices vary from Rp30,000 to Rp35,000, and ticket sellers make all sorts of dramatic claims for the length of the trip from Pekanbaru, but it will take six to eight hours travelling time, plus up to a two-hour wait for a ferry at Buton. Some companies also sell tickets straight through to Tanjung Pinang on Pulau Bintan, but check whether you have to change boats in Batam. If you're planning to go straight through to
Singapore
, take the earliest departure from Pekanbaru. For the daily slow-ferry sailing at 9pm for the 25-hour trip
to Pulau Batam
via Tanjung Pinang and Tanjung Balai, enquire at PT Lestari Polajaya Sakti, Jl Saleh Abbas 8 (tel 0761/37627). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Indonesia,
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