Riau, although comparatively small in both size and population (about 2.5 million), is the heartland of the Malays and the cradle of Indonesia's Malay-based national language and culture. The first book of Malay grammar, the Bustanul Katibin, was written and published here in 1857. Its links with Johor on the West Malaysian mainland have been long and strong.

Sitting astride one of the world's oldest and busiest trade routes, the Strait of Malacca, the Riau islands have for many centuries provided a safe haven to ships plying the sea lanes between Europe, India and China. The rise of Malay power, however, began somewhere around the 13th century, when that of the Buddhist kingdom of Sriwijaya began to crumble. Malay kingdoms emerged on both sides of the Malacca Strait.

In 1402, Parameswara founded Malacca, a kingdom which was to play a pivotal role in the history of the area in the century that was to come. Being the first to come into contact with European and other seafarers, the language of the area, Malay was adopted by the newcomers to make themselves understood in the region. So, apparently, the spread of the language began in 1511, however, Malacca fell to the Portuguese who had come in their quest for gold, gospel and glory. Malacca's Sultan Mahmud Syah fled south, settling first in Johore, then in Bintan in the Riau archipelago.

Since then, it was a period of wars and intrigues for the Malay states around the Straits, further aggravated by the arrival of the Dutch and the British in the early 17th century. To make a long and complicated story short, peace was restored only after the signing of the Treaty of London in 1824, giving the Dutch control of all the European territories south of Singapore, and the British of all the colonies towards its north.

The link between Johor and Riau was severed. With the subjugation and dissolution of the recalcitrant Riau sultanate in 1911, the Dutch effectively established their power over the islands. Riau's cultural clout, however, endured.

Batam Island

A very strategic island in Indonesia, Batam lies close to Singapore, designated as a center of not only industry, but also tourism and trade. It is one among Indonesia's key locations of industrial growth.

The Batuampar area is called a pioneer area and is being rapidly developed. While in the region of Sekupang significant projects have been in progress. The Batam Center is designed as the administrative and commercial centre of the island.

The Nongsa region has been set aside as a recreation area. Four golf courses, hotels, motels and marina sports facilities are there. From here one can see the Singapore skyline. There is also a forest reserve managed by the Batam Industrial Development Authority.

Batam can be reached in two hours from Tanjung Pinang, on Bintan Island, by ferry, and in about half an hour from Singapore. Batam also now has an international airport.

Bintan Island

Tanjung Pinang, is the main port town on Bintan Island, where trade and passenger ships link to all parts of Indonesia and Singapore. Bintan is a good point of departure to other islands in the area and only a two-hour boat ride away from Singapore.

A large section of the old part of the town was built in traditional local fashion, on stilts, over the water, although today, its face is changing rapidly, with several first-class hotels and yachting marinas being developed. Seafood at the night market is great.

Trikora Beach, is about 50 kilometers south of Tanjung Pinang on the eastern side of the island. Good beaches are also found on the islands of Terkulai and Soreh, about an hour away by boat.

Karimun Island

Karimun is one of the most important islands in the Riau archipelago, due to its thriving economy and proximity to Singapore. Tanjungbalai Karimun is a medium-sized town, with a large Chinese community and shops selling a large variety of imported items. The town is linked by both sea and air.

Terkulai and Soreh are resort islands nearby which are popular with holiday makers.

Natuna Archipelago

This archipelago is a part of the vast province which embraces all of the islands off the Riau mainland. The main island clusters of the Natuna archipelago are: Anambas, Natuna, South Natuna and Tambelan.

The Natuna islands are not among the most accessible of destinations in Indonesia. However, to the rare traveller who visits them, they offer a scenic beauty, unspoilt nature and a cultural heritage that not many people have the privilege to observe.

The Anambas group comprises the islands of Terempa, Matak, Jemaja Andriabu, where the main sources of livelihood are sea products and coconuts. Matak Island at present serves as a base for offshore oil exploration.

Natuna is the island group furthest north in the Indonesian archipelago. Colourful corals and reef fish are found in the waters surrounding these islands.

South Natuna comprises the islands Serasan, Panjang and Subi. The surf is strong on these islands and the scenery impressive.

The Tambelan islands are accessed by boat in 6 hours from Pontianak in West Kalimantan, or from Tanjung Pinang in 16 hours. Turtles habitually come to some of the beaches to deposit their eggs in the warm sand. There are probably more turtles than people on these islands.

Penyengat Island

This island, six km away from Tanjung Pinang, can be reached in 15 minutes by sampan boat. The seat of the powerful Bugis descended viceroys of Riau during the 18th century, Penyengat still bears the traces of its illustrious past. Ruins, abandoned for almost 70 years, were recently restored. The old ruler's palace and royal tombs, among them the grave of the respected Sultan Haji, author of the first Malay Language grammar book, are among the legacies left by the Riau sultanate.

Still in use is the old vice-royal mosque, the Mesjid Raya, or Grand Mosque, it is one of the most important legacies of that once powerful kingdom.

A newly built cultural center for stage performances of Malay music and dances can also be found.

Sea Gardens

Sea gardens with beautiful corals and fish are found in the waters around the islands of Mapor, Abang, Pompong, Balang and Tanjung Berkait.