Puteri Harbour to Batam ferry opens as Johor draws 1.5m visitors

Johor has gained another ferry route to Batam. The Puteri Harbour to Batam ferry was launched in Johor on 1 November.

It runs between Puteri Harbour in Iskandar Puteri and the Gold Coast terminal in Bengkong. The launch adds to the growing Johor and Batam ties, as Batam also gains a direct flight to Penang.

Here is the route, the fares and times, and why Johor cares about Indonesian visitors.

What the new ferry offers

First, the route. The Puteri Harbour to Batam ferry starts at the Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal in Johor. It ends at the Gold Coast Ferry Terminal in Bengkong, Batam.

Next, the choice. Johor already has ferries to Batam from places such as Stulang Laut and Pasir Gudang. This adds a route on the Iskandar Puteri side.

Next, the operator. B Ferry runs the service. Batam media say its first sailing from Batam was on 20 September.

Then, the launch. Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad greeted the first passengers from Batam.

Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto is Indonesia’s Consul-General in Johor Baru. He spoke after the launch on 1 November.

Also, the target riders. Sigit said the route suits travellers heading to western Batam, where tourism is growing.

He said it gives Johor residents another option. He added that it will open new opportunities. Visitors from Batam can also reach Johor Premium Outlets and Legoland with ease, he said.

Fares and sailing times

First, the fares. B Ferry’s own rates page lists a return fare of RM195 for adults from Puteri Harbour. For children it is RM140.

Next, the Batam side. The return fare from Batam is Rp780,000 for adults. For children it is Rp620,000.

The fares include an air-conditioned cabin, 20 kg of free baggage and sailing insurance. They also cover port tax at the departure terminal.

Also, the sailings. The page lists departures from Puteri Harbour at 8.30am, 12pm and 6.30pm Malaysia time.

Its arrival times suggest the crossing takes about two hours. You must check in 90 minutes before the ferry leaves.

However, launch reports gave other times. They listed noon and 6pm from Puteri Harbour, with 8.30am planned.

Batam departures were listed at 8am and 2pm. Malaysia is one hour ahead of Batam.

For now, confirm the latest times with B Ferry before you buy a ticket.

Why Indonesian visitors matter to Johor

First, the visitors. About 1.5 million Indonesians visited Johor in 2025, Sigit said. He added that they came from across Indonesia, not only Batam.

Next, the draw. Medical care is one pull, as the next figure shows.

Also, the patients. Indonesians made up 79% of Johor’s 127,000 international patients.

Meanwhile, the sea links. Eight of 11 ferry links between Indonesia and Malaysia are in Johor. The rest serve Kalimantan, Port Dickson and Melaka.

Sigit said about 25% of visitors travelling from Johor to Batam also use ferries.

Next, the flights. Before the pandemic, Johor had direct flights to Bandung, Yogyakarta and Lombok. They became less frequent, partly because of higher fuel prices.

Meanwhile, Sigit said he understood that talks are under way on bringing back a Bandung to Johor flight.

Overall, he said more ferry routes and direct flights would benefit both countries. He also said Indonesia sees many visitors from Malaysia.

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