Batam

Six bridges string Batam to the islands south of it, and the cable-stayed first one is the emblem. It was pushed through in the 1990s by the minister for technology, whose name people still use. Stalls open under the bridge after dark and cars pull over.

A wide Buddhist complex, among the largest in Indonesia, built around a hall holding a laughing Maitreya. A vegetarian canteen sits off the courtyard, and some people come only to eat there. Shoes are left outside the hall and shoulders have to be covered.

From 1979 the island took in Vietnamese arriving by boat, hundreds of thousands of them. Church, temple, hospital and cemetery still stand, one boat among them. It closed in 1996 and its people went abroad or home. Forest hides the paths, so take a guide.

An old Malay village on timber piles over the water, its houses joined by plank walkways. Water shows between the boards, and when the tide drops the mud beneath appears. As the industrial estates spread, villages like it went one by one and few are left.

A white dome faces a wide lawn across from the city hall. At Friday midday the hall fills and the overflow spreads mats out onto the square.

Money changers, shophouses and street stalls pack a few blocks that stay lit late into the night. At weekends the crowd off the Singapore ferries thickens and queues form outside the restaurants.

White sand on the northeast of the island, the water so shallow that a long wade leaves you waist-deep. On a clear night the lights on the Singapore side and passing ships show above the horizon. Resorts hold sections, so the public entry points are fixed.

There is a path of planks laid through the mangrove roots. When the water rises canoes go further in; when it falls, mudskippers and crabs come out onto the flats. Mosquitoes get bad around dusk, so long sleeves are the sensible choice.

Large letters stand on the hillside and can be seen from most of the town. Cars can drive all the way up, and at night the letters are lit and people gather in front of them for photographs.

The crossing to Singapore takes under an hour, yet the clock has to go back an hour. Two places this close sit in different time zones, so the boat changes your country and your hour at once. Bring a passport; the timetable runs on Indonesian time.

Islets south of Galang, past the last Barelang bridge and a boat ride on, with Batam's best-kept coral for snorkelling. Boats tie up at a stilt fishing village you can walk through. April to September usually brings the clearest water.

White sand on Galang Baru, where the Barelang bridges run out; people rest beneath the casuarinas lining the water. The sea is calm, and at weekends Batam families spread mats and spend the day. On weekdays few stalls open, so bring water.