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- West
Sumatra
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The
Capital of West Sumatra, Padang is a
properous city and major ports which has retained the atmosphere of a market town, It is the third largest city of Indonesia with a population of more than 300,000. Padang’s museum has fine exhibits of Minangkabau artifacts. Adityawarman Museum is builtin traditional Minang style, with rice barns at the front. Taman Budaya is an arts institute which often stages Minang dance and pencak silat (martial arts) performance.
South of
Padang, the massive Kerinci-Selat Nature Reserve,
is Indonesia’s largest national parks
sprawls across a 345 sq km stretch of jungle
mountian dominated by the volcanic core of Gunung
Kerinci which is Sumatra’s highest
mountain.
The
delightful hill town, Bukittinggi nestling
amid mountain greenery at 920 m above sea level
is the capital of the Minangkabau (victorious
buffalo) people. Bukittinggi means ‘high
hill’ is stunningly located with views over
fertile valleys to tow volcanoes, Mt Merapi and
Mt Singgalang. It is laid out in tiers down the
steep hillside, each level connected to the next
by precipitous stone steps and passageways.
The
central landmarks in Bukittinggi is the clock
tower, with its stylized roof, standing in the town square. Geographically, the town’s highest point is the Rumah AdatBaandjuang Museum. It is 140 years old classic rumah adat (clan house). It exhibit include wedding and dance costumes,
headdressers, musical instruments, village crafts and historic weaponry. Panorama Park has spectacular views over the Sianok
and Ngarai canyons.
To the
west of Bukittinggi, Lake
Meninjau is a crater lake renowed for its scenerity and remote
beauty. Visitors can rent canoes and motorboat at the lake shore.
To the east of Padangpanjang, Batusankar you can see the
splendidly restores palace, with its wonderful carved and painted
facades. Balimbing villages has many traditional Minang houses.
Harau canyon, near
Payakumbuh is a
deep canyon with beautiful waterfall and many butterflies. Near Lake Meninjau, Batang Palapuh a sanctuary, giant rafflesia flowers
are sometime found.
Nias Island, is a
island where the culture
competes with the landscape for attention. Stone staircases rise upsteep mountainsides to fortified villages. Most visitors stays in beautiful Lagundi Bay, to the south of the island or in the small port
of Teluk Dalam. Bawomataluwo which is 9 miles from Teluk Dalam is a picture-postcard village with a 150 years old huge royal palace built on pile, each one on entire treetrunk. Inside the palace there are amazing carvings. Down the hill is the village of Orahili.
Hilimaeta, near Lagundi bay has monuments including stone tables
and chairs and a 2m stone penis.
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