Kampung Bule in Batam - Best Bars and Hotels

Kampung Bule is the main area for expat-oriented nightlife in Batam (Bule = white foreigners, Kampung = neighborhood). It is located in Nagoya, about 10 minutes by taxi from the Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal. It is also sometimes referred to as NED (Nagoya Entertainment District).

It is a small red-light district with only a few streets and not more than 40 bars, nightclubs and massage parlors. 

I find Kampung Bule to be quite boring to be honest as almost all the venues are identical (which is not surprising considering they are owned by a handful of individuals).

Typically, the bars have a name that has some sort of sexual connotation, for instance: Foreplay, Lusy's Oarhouse, Fat Willy's, TTs, Bollocks, etc... They look very similar: A rectangle-shaped room with a pool table in the front, a bar area, a few tables, music from a youtube playlist and around 10 girls to entertain the clients. The girls may be taken out if a mutual agreement is reached and a bar fine is paid. You should note that the prettiest ones will always be waiting outside to lure the customers in.

During the week, it is almost deserted and you'll probably be alone surrounded by desperate girls. On weekends, it is better but you may have to visit a few bars before finding a busy one.

Even though it is an area with many prostitutes, it is perfectly fine for those who only want to have a drink. I was more annoyed by the child beggars than by prostitutes personally.

I went to Kampung Bule about 4 times and I think I've entered every bar at least once. I forgot the name of most, but some were more memorable (to a certain extent).

Centrally-located bar and restaurant. It is in the open air which is nice as it allows you to see how many customers it has. A good spot to see the street action (or lack thereof). A similar venue is Chili's.

I ate there twice as it has the reputation of having the best food in Kampung Bule. They had a crowd of old expats who were chatting with the waitresses while watching sports. Twice, I chose their meat pies which are indeed tasty and affordable. 

A very strange place that I felt I had to write about in details here: PP Banana's Review. It is a hidden strip club/brothel on the second floor of Lusy's Oarhouse.

The most expensive place on Kampung Bule. I paid Rp100,000 for entrance with a drink. The place was rather empty apart from their hostesses (that I must admit are hot). Live music every night followed by a DJ.

See my review here: Foreplay Batam.

Located on the ground floor of the Harmoni Hotel, it is probably the best bar in Kampung Bule. It also features a DJ and live music daily but, unlike Foreplay, the entrance is free. It does not get busy before 1AM so it is best to go there at the end of your night. There are many freelance prostitutes but some normal girls as well.

See my review here: No Name Batam

I went there twice but it was empty both times. Too bad because they are look promising with sexy dancers, live music and sports.

Nothing special but we had a dinner there once and the food was fine. The waitresses are quite friendly.

Next to Foreplay, they were fairly crowded when I visited on a Saturday night (= 10 customers). They had a DJ and some cute girls.

The prices in Kampung Bule are similar every where (more expensive only in No Name and Foreplay). You can expect to pay around 35,000 for a beer and Rp70,000 for liquor/cocktails. All bars close at 4AM.

Ideally, you should stay in Harmoni Hotel. It is in the middle of Kampung Bule and you have No Name bar inside. The only problem you might have with it is the price (70$ per night).

A great alternative is Barelang Hotel. It is a brand-new property inside Kampung Bule that costs less than 25$ per night. It is only available through Booking.com at the moment and it is rated over 8/10.

My third recommendation would be the Allium Hotel, which is just 5 minutes away by foot. It costs about 45$ per night. While it is girl-friendly, it is more suitable for families and couples though.