Riau Archipelago

The Riau Archipelago is a group of islands in eastern Sumatra that form part of Indonesia’s Riau Islands province, lying in the South China Sea and the Singapore Strait region. The cluster includes both heavily urbanized islands and smaller rural or uninhabited islets, and it functions economically as a mix of industry, ports, and tourism.

Key islands such as Batam and Bintan are the most developed and linked by regular ferry services to neighboring countries; many smaller islands are low and coral-based with mangroves and fishing communities. Maritime routes through the archipelago are busy, and international ferry connections to Singapore and Malaysia are common.

The Riau Archipelago occupies waters off the east coast of Sumatra and directly south of Singapore and the Malay Peninsula. The island group forms part of Indonesia’s Riau Islands province and sits within a tropical maritime climate, accessed from the regional airports and ferry terminals of Batam and Bintan.

• Location to Singapore: The archipelago sits directly south of Singapore and east of the Malay Peninsula, making several islands part of cross-border ferry routes and regional shipping lanes.
• Island types and uses: The Riau Archipelago comprises many low-lying coral and volcanic islands; economic activity ranges from urban industry on Batam to tourism and fishing on other islands.

What to See #

• Batam: Batam is one of the largest and most developed islands in the archipelago, located close to Singapore and serving as an industrial and ferry hub.
• Bintan: Bintan is a larger island to the east with resort areas and the provincial capital of Tanjung Pinang on its shores, acting as a cultural and administrative center for the region.