Don't expect Bali. Most of Batam's coast is industrial or mangrove, and the strips closest to Nagoya — including the much-touted Waterfront City — are often dirty. The decent beaches are on the northern side around Nongsa, where a cluster of resorts (Turi Beach Resort, Batam View, Nongsa Point Marina) maintains private stretches of sand with swimming, parasailing and snorkelling. To the south, the coastline along the Barelang Highway has quieter, less developed beaches that you reach by car. Daytrippers from Singapore mostly stick to the northern resorts.