Wonderful Indonesia – Memories to cherish

September 1, 2016
1,245 Comments
I love Indonesia! Surrounded by
volcanic islands, it is home to groups speaking language of love and
hospitality. The region’s serene landscaping and moderate climate entices
travelers from across the world to witness the wonderful Indonesia.

A fun filled 6 day long FAM trip from
10th to 15th August 2016 was organized by the tourism
Indonesia that invited bloggers to days of fun, laughter and adventure in this
enchanting land. The odyssey was a long one that consisted of three flights, but
the travel is worth it when you reach the destination.


10th Aug: A group
of excited travel bloggers left from the Delhi International airport to revel a
magical destination. We first landed to Singapore, and then waited for the next
flight for around 2 hours.

The next flight was from Singapore to Jakarta where
we met our other fellow bloggers. A long halt of 4 hours was tiring as we had
to wait in the domestic airport and catch the last flight to Padang. We arrived
at the Airport Padang Bim in the night and were greeted by the hospitable guide
and manager of the tourism board.

11th Aug: A bus
journey took us to the hotel straight where we checked in and had our dinner.
The hotel was luxury indeed. Since we were too tired, we all decided to retire back
to our rooms.
12th Aug: The next
day, I got up early and headed for a morning walk to explore the streets of
Padang. The old quarters of this quaint city features Dutch colonial buildings
and fishing boats around the Batang Arau port and river.

The city wakes up
pretty early and although I was finding trouble in asking the direction to the
beach, the people on the streets were very warm and cheerful. I finally arrive
at Padang and admire the beach.

After sitting there for a couple
of minutes, I walk towards the hotel for breakfast. I was starving and the
hotel ensured we were given the taste of Padang cuisine. A plethora of options
in the form of eggs and local cuisine was spread that immediately tantalized my
taste buds. The local Indonesian Sundanese meal included ikan bakar (roasted
fish), nasi timbel (rice wrapped in banana leaf), ayam goreng (fried chicken),
sambal, fried tempeh and tofu.

After a hearty breakfast, we left
from Padang and moved towards Bukittinggi. The second largest
city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, it boasts of a population of over 117,000 people. It is
in the Minangkabau Highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city
of Padang.

The first stopover was Lembah
Anai – one of the famous waterfalls that has now become the mascot of tourism
in West Sumatra. The waterfall is about 35 meters altitude and is located about 138 km from Padang and about 47 km from Bukittinggi.


The 35 meters waterfall is part of the Batang Lurah River that flows in from Singgalang leading Anai fault line.

This waterfall is located in the western part of the Nature Reserve Lembah Anai.We enjoyed ourselves sitting next to the waterfall and dipping our feet in it. The cool water helped in removing the tiredness caused by the long journey.

We stopped for lunch at a local
restaurant and enjoyed the specialties prepared by the talented chefs. On the way to the famous lake of
Bukkitingi, we witnessed a wedding celebration going on.

The line of women
dressed in traditional attire appealed to us and we immediately got off the bus
to join in the celebration. The drum beats were melodious sounds to the ears.
We loved the tune and the dancing.

Culinary Arts can be found in the
Upper Market, such as Padang satay, nasi Padang, and Crackers Sanjai which are
souvenirs typical of Bukittinggi.

We moved towards Padang Panjang.
This town stretches up the hill from the marketplace and central mosque, to the
soccer field and bus terminal on up to STSI. The main road links coastal Padang
and the highland capital, Bukittinggi.

The hill view reminded me of my country
where lush green hues from trees welcome tourists. The drive uphill was
pleasant and the weather was becoming bit chilly. I loved the soft mist that
could be seen covering the mountains. It looked beautiful and poetic.
We reached the hillock that gave us a beautiful view of the Lake Maninjau.
The large Crater Lake in West Sumatra has several villages bordering it and is
a perfect place to watch sunsets. The lake also supports swimming, canning and
fishing. We enjoyed the serene landscaping and smelled the freshness in the
air. After relaxing and enjoying the scenic beauty we moved for lunch.

We moved
towards our next destination – Centre of Culture of Padang Panjang. Since the
Pagaruyung Palace was struck and destroyed by lighting, tourists mostly go to
the Minangkabau Village and Cultural Center to see the “Gadang” house, the
traditional house of Minangkabau.
It is an interesting place to
visit. The Minangkabau Cultural center itself was opened for the first time to tourists on 8 August 1988. A large collections of books, photos, and old coins are vocal with Minangkabau’s
traditional costumes. You can hire Minangkabau’s traditional costumes @ Rp.
25,000 and get your pictures clicked.
It was time
to move towards Bukittinggi and check into the Novotel Bukittinggi. Nestled in the heart of Bukittinggi, and close to
Jam Gadang (city landmark) and Pasar Atas, guests can easily access the traditional
local market that offers local souvenirs specifically handmade by artisans.
The luxury hotel boats of extra comfortable beds and facilities such as
free WiFi access, safe deposit box in every room, coffee & tea making,
fitness center, free bike and other convenient facilities.

A little bit inside
Pasar Ateh, you’ll find delicious cuisine of Minangkabau. Many other tourism
objects await you around Novotel Bukittinggi.

After checking in our rooms, we enjoyed dinner at the open air Sianok
restaurant that features local Padang specialties, Indonesian and international
cuisines.
After a
fabulous Indonesian meal, we moved towards the Anai Bar. It is the perfect spot
to enjoy cocktails and stunning mountain view. We loved the live entertainment
at the bar that is available from Monday to Saturday.

We took a
walk towards Jam Gadang square for the most awaited event of the year – Tour de
Singkarak. The Celebration was seen in the air with people rehearsing for dance
performances and martial arts. 


Various stalls with local cuisines and
minitiatures could be seen. It was a rare sight and I loved every minute of it. After a
tiring day, it was time to retire to our rooms. I had a very good night sleep
and woke up refreshed.

13th
Aug: I decided to take up the bike and tour the city with my fellow colleagues.
We were surprised to see the city awake so early.  The entire place was buzzing with activities
and thrill. The streets are wide and usually kept clean. 

The safety is ensured
with police bikes patrolling the streets, since it was an important day for
West Sumatra. After a scrumptious breakfast of eggs and bread at the hotel, we
left for Sianok Canyon. Also called  Ngarai
Sianok in Bukittinggi, the Sianok Canyon is breathtaking.

Located in Mount Singgalang, Sianok canyon is at the border town of
Bukittinggi, District IV Koto, Agam regency, West Sumatra. The magnificent
stretch of steep valley extending up to 15 kilometers looks spectacular.

Later,
we moved towards the Pasar atas- the traditional market,
where we witnessed traditional savouries and enjoyed tasting them too. The warm
smile and hospitality of the local villagers is something I shall cherish
forever.

After the
lovely interaction with local villagers, we moved on to capture the grand
celebration of the last day of Tour de Singkarak that started from Bukittinggi
to Padang on 6th August 2016. The competition was between 25 teams from 30 countries, including 19 teams
from abroad and six teams from Indonesia.

A large crowd could be seen waiting to click pictures of the entire team. People from nearby villages were excited to see the grand celebration of martial art performances from different countries.

14th Aug: Next day, we moved to another amazing place called Flyover kelok 9. Located about 30 km east of Payakumbuh , West
Sumatra to the province of Riau, this fabulous flyover runs along the 300
meters in Jorong Aie Putiah, Nagari Sarilamak , District of Harau, District
Fifty Kota , West Sumatra and is part of the road connecting Central Crossing
Sumatra and East Coast of Sumatra. 

It is bordered
by ravines, and flanked by two hills in between two nature reserves: White
Water Nature Reserve and Nature Reserve Harau. We were excited to see the magnificent
flyover and clicked a lot of pictures. The day ended with beautiful experiences
and we returned back to the hotel to a lavish dinner buffet. I retired to my
room and slept soundly.
Aug 15th:
The next morning, we left for Batusangka famous for cottage industry, the area has a variety of businesses,
ranging from crafts to culinary. Region home industry is in the area Tabek
Patah, an area with beautiful natural scenery and fertile farming region. It
was bliss to visit Tabek Patah, where I was captivated by its natural beauty
and impressed with the craft and culinary products of that place.
We met some young
ladies sewing the local garments of Bukkintingi. The flawless creation and
skilled craftsmanship could be witnessed in the final product. 


Later, we moved
on to visit Kiniko home industry famous for tea and coffee milling.  

Some excellent products that we witnessed were
the original coffee powder Kiniko, extract
areca, banana chips, dodol papaya, ginger, dodol soursop, and some processed
products other foods labeled “kiniko.”

We observed the processing of coffee beans and thoroughly enjoyed the
strong flavor of strong coffee on our palette. After the warm flavors of
aromatic coffees, we moved towards Pagaruyung King
Palace that is famous for its Minangkabau Heritage.
The magnificent
palace exudes a cultural extravagance that is vocal through its marvellous architecture.
Created by Adityawarman, the kingdom is most likely to control the local gold
trade. We got to see artefacts that were displayed in the palace recovered from
Adityawarman’s reign. They included number of stones containing inscriptions,
and statues. Some of these items were found at Bukit Gombak, a hill near modern
Pagarruyung, and it is believed a royal palace was located there.
The royal
power of the three recognised reigning kings could still be felt in the palace
as we were listening to the tour guide of the palace. 


These kings were the King
of the World (Raja Alam), the King of Adat (Raja Adat), and the King of
Religion (Raja Ibadat). Collectively they were called the Kings of the Three
Seats (Rajo Tigo Selo). The primary local occupations at the time of their reign
were gold panning and agriculture.

Built in the
traditional Minangkabau rumah gadang vernacular architectural style, it had a larger
dimension as compared to common rumah gadang. The palace was indeed beautiful with
spectuacular views of the mountains surrounded by all sides. 


Disbanded in 1833,
the palace still seeks their root and link to the former royal house of
Pagaruyung. Destroyed by fire for several times, in 1804, 1966 and 2007, the
palace has been rebuilt again and at present functions as a museum and a
popular tourist attraction.

Next we moved
on to visit the local craftsmen at work with their specialization in silver and
woodcarving. The local villagers exhibit diligence through their work which
was simply worth appreciation. We moved on to Bukkitingi and checked into the Grand
Inna Muara Hotel.
Set in the
commercial district, the conference hotel is a 5-minute walk from the
Adityawarman Museum and 1.2 km from Siti Nurbaya Bridge. 


The hotel has a
luxurious element with wooden floor rooms along with tea and coffee making
facilities, minifridge and 32-inch flat-screen TVs with satellite channels. I cooled
off with a shower in the luxurious washroom. 


After some simple dinner, I
returned back to my room and slept like a log. The next morning was check out
from the hotel and return back flight to India.My stay in
this magical place was indeed beautiful and I shall cherish each moment with
love.
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