Ferries to Desaru

Desaru lies on the east coast of the Malaysian state of Johor. From here you can reach Tanah Merah in Singapore: up to 2 departures a day, with a crossing of around 1.5 hours. The service is operated by Batam Fast Ferry.

Getting there and the terminal

Passengers are handled at the Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal, the jetty serving the Desaru Coast resort area. BatamFast is the operator contracted for the route to Tanah Merah, and it does not sail daily: it lists the service for Thursday to Monday, departing at 10:10 from Tanah Merah and at 17:30 from Desaru Coast.

Expect the bad-weather rule to apply. In unfavourable seas, above all during the northeast monsoon, an approved diversion plan comes into force: the ferry then calls at Tanjung Pengelih and the operator runs a bus between Tanjung Pengelih and the Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal. If you are travelling in the monsoon season, do not plan a tight connection on the day you arrive.

Check-in

BatamFast requires you to be at the pre-immigration gate with your boarding pass no later than 30 minutes before departure; otherwise your reservation and seat are forfeited. The operator accepts bookings up to one hour before departure. Because the route crosses the border between Malaysia and Singapore, time for exit and entry checks comes on top of that.