Lonely Planet Indonesia

by Lonely Planet

Just across the street from Panjang Beach, in the southern part of town, this quiet hotel lets you choose between bungalow rooms with shady porches and larger, smarter rooms inside the main building.

  Splash HotelBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$

  (%0736-23333; www.hotel-splash.com; Jl Sudirman 48; r incl breakfast 606,000-999,000Rp; aW)

  Bengkulu’s first stab at a designer hotel is a goodie and features a colourful designer lobby and well-appointed rooms with modern bathrooms. There’s an on-site cafe and restaurant and the location on one of the city’s top food streets, lined with myriad stalls in the evenings, is a boon for the hungry.

  5Eating & Drinking

  In the evening, several warungs and food tents serving freshly grilled seafood cause a traffic jam along Jl Sudirman. Be sure to try the local favourites, tempoyak (fish with fermented durian) and martabak (stuffed savoury pancake). Barbecued fish is also the main feature at beachside shacks.

  SaimensBAKERY$

  (Jl Suprapto; mains from 15,000Rp; h9am-10pm)

  A decent bakery chain that doesn’t just go for cakes and breads – you can also get fried chicken and mie goreng to take away.

  Sumpit MasCHINESE$

  (Jl Adam Malik 25; mains from 35,000Rp; hlunch & dunner)

  The best Chinese in town, particularly famous for its steamboat (bring a bunch of friends). A long list of à la carte dishes are also available; seafood is their strong point.

  oMarolaSEAFOOD$$

  (Jl Pariwisata; mains around 50,000Rp; h8am-8.30pm Tue-Sun, to 4pm Mon)

  Classic, locally famous seafood joint by the beach, near central Bengkulu. Choose from ultra-fresh giant prawns, squid and fish, pay by weight, and pick from an array of sauces you’d like your seafood cooked in. Sensational stuff.

  AlohaINTERNATIONAL$$

  (Jl Pariwisata; mains from 30,000Rp; h9.30am-11.30pm; v)

  This Australian-owned place is just across the street from the beach. It serves Bengkulu’s best pizza and burgers as well as some Indonesian staples. A great place to nurse your Bintang too.

  Edu CoffeeCOFFEE

  (Jl Suprapto 1-2; h9am-8pm)

  The most central place in Bengkulu to get your caffeine fix is this cute cafe that serves decent espresso, cappuccino and other concoctions made with local beans.

  8Information

  BNI BankBANK

  (Jl S Parman)

  BNI ATMs allow for the largest withdrawals, up to 2,000,000Rp.

  Post OfficePOST OFFICE

  (Jl RA Hadi 3; h8am-2pm Mon-Fri)

  Opposite the Thomas Parr monument.

  8Getting There & Away

  Air

  Bengkulu’s airport, Fatmawati Soekarno Airport, has 10 daily flights to Jakarta with Citilink, Lion Air or Sriwijaya Air. Garuda has a daily flight to Palembang, and Lion Air and Wings Air have two daily flights to Pulau Batam.

  Bus

  Bengkulu has two bus terminals. The Air Sebakul terminal, 12km east of town, serves long-distance destinations, while the Panorama terminal, 7km east, is used by local buses. It is much easier to go to the bus company offices on Jl MT Haryono, however. Ask around and you’ll quickly be steered to the most appropriate company for your destination. Jakarta is served by large buses, while other destinations are served by minibuses.

  BUSES FROM BENGKULU

  Destination Fare(Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency

  Bandarlampung 250,000 12-14 several daily

  Bukittinggi 140,000 17 several daily

  Jakarta 300,000 22-30 numerous daily

  Krui 200,000 10 several daily

  Padang 140,000 15 several daily

  Sungai Penuh 150,000 10-12 2 daily

  8Getting Around

  Bengkulu’s airport is 10km southeast of town. Airport taxis charge around 80,000Rp.

  Angkot fares to almost anywhere in town cost 4000Rp and ojek around 10,000Rp. There are no fixed routes for angkot; tell the driver where you want to go and specify the neighbourhood. Angkot and ojek also greet buses when they arrive at Jl MT Haryono or Jl Bali.

  Around Bengkulu

  The Bengkulu region has a huge wealth of attractions that are only beginning to be explored by travellers. These range from multiday volcano and jungle treks, hot springs, rock climbing and water sports on lakes and rivers to participating in elephant conservation and interacting with locals in remote villages. Wild Sumatra Adventures is on hand to advise and organise, guided by your specific interests. Prices are based on two participants; the more participants, the cheaper it is.

  South of Bengkulu, en route to Krui, there are some decent offshore surf breaks that you can stop to explore if you have your own wheels. Wild Sumatra Adventures can also help to organise homestays in Kaur, halfway along, if you wish to experience low-key, friendly village life.

  1Sights & Activities

  Bukit KabaVOLCANO

  This active volcano with three craters makes for a relatively straightforward ascent with two trail options: an easier gravel path or tougher trail through dense jungle. Both take around three hours. From the top there are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and a whiff of sulphur from the single active crater. Camping near the summit so you can explore the craters is highly recommended. Bukit Taba is around 30km from Curup, which is an 84km drive northeast of Bengkulu.

  Bukit DaunVOLCANO

  (for 2 people 3,800,000Rp)

  Famous for its seven multicoloured boiling pools, the whitest allegedly home to the Kawah Putri spirit who’ll come if you call her, Bukit Daun makes for a challenging three-day adventure. It involves trekking through tobacco and coffee plantations and dense jungle, two nights camping in the jungle and a pit stop to wash in a small waterfall.

  Seblat Elephant Conservation CentreELEPHANT INTERACTION

  (two days/one night for 2 people 6,500,000Rp)

  On a two-day visit to this centre, located near Mukomuko en route between Bengkulu and Sungai Penuh, you can assist the mahouts with washing the elephants, and go on elephant rides. While the Seblat Elephant Conservation Centre is one of only a handful of legitimate elephant conservation centres in Indonesia, elephant rides present various animal welfare issues worth looking into if you’re considering that option. Longer visits (up to 10 days) can involve joining jungle patrols on the lookout for wild elephants and tigers, and camping overnight in the jungle.

  Funds generated by visitors contribute to the care of elephants in residence, the protection of wild elephants in the region, and jungle patrols to prevent poaching.

  Beringin Tiga & Curug EmbunHIKING

  (for 2 people 2,000,000Rp)

  This is a straightforward hike through coffee and palm-sugar plantations, finishing at a camp site near a hot spring. From here you can take short hikes to visit the Beringin Tiga falls and the remarkable Curug Embun falls, which comprises two falls: one cold and the other fed by hot springs, with great swimming where the two meet. Safety ropes assist descents to Curug Embun.

  Bukit KandisROCK CLIMBING

  (rock climbing 4 people 1,500,000Rp)

  With great views of the surrounding jungle and the Indian Ocean, this karst mountain throws down the gauntlet to serious climbers. There’s also great potential for camping wild and a smaller rock face suitable for beginner climbers. It’s an hour’s drive from Bengkulu.

  Goa KacamataROCK CLIMBING

  (rock climbing for up to 4 people 1,500,000Rp)

  This 40m rock face, distinguished by two caves that look like eyes, is suitable for both beginner and intermediate climbers. It’s near Muara Aman, around four hours’ drive north of Bengkulu. The trip can be combined with a dip in Air Putih with its 6m cliffs and nearby hot springs.

  Riau

  The landscape and character of Riau province is distinct from the northern and western rind of Sumatra. Rather than mountains and volcanoes, Riau’s character was carved by rivers and narrow ocean passages. Trading towns sprang up along the important navigation route of the Strait of Melaka, across which Riau claims cultur
al cousins.

  For the port towns, such as Pekanbaru, and the Riau Islands, proximity to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur has ensured greater access to the outside world than the towns of the interior Sumatran jungle. The discovery of oil and gas reserves has also built an educated and middle-class population in Pekanbaru, though it has failed to make the port appealing. For several months during the dry season, the Riau province (and Pekanbaru in particular) is plagued with smoke from the burning palm-oil plantations, which makes it unbearable to visit and causes flight cancellations.

  The interior of the province more closely resembles Sumatra as a whole: sparse population, dense jungle, surviving pockets of nomadic peoples (including the Sakai, Kubu and Jambisal) and endangered species, such as the Sumatran rhinoceros and tiger.

  History

  Riau’s position at the southern entrance to the Strait of Melaka, the gateway for trade between India and China, was strategically significant. From the 16th century, the Riau Islands were ruled by a variety of Malay kingdoms, which had to fight off constant attacks by pirates and the Portuguese, Dutch and English. The Dutch eventually won control over the Strait of Melaka, and mainland Riau (then known as Siak) became their colony when the Sultan of Johor surrendered in 1745. However, Dutch interest lay in international trade, and it made little effort to develop the province.

  Oil was discovered around Pekanbaru by US engineers before WWII, and the country around Pekanbaru is criss-crossed by pipelines that connect the oil wells to refineries at Dumai.

  Pekanbaru

  %0761 / Pop 1,031,000

  Indonesia’s oil capital comes with all the hustle and bustle of modern cities and with the added plague of smoke from the burning oil-palm plantations that periodically shuts down the city’s airport during the dry season.

  The main reason to pass through Pekanbaru is if you have your heart set on an old-school journey by boat between Singapore and Sumatra or if you wish to take a boat from Dumai to Pulau Batam.

  The best place to overnight is around the intersection of Jl Sudirman and Jl Teuku Umar where there are ATMs, good food and accommodation options.

  Pekanbaru’s best street for eating is Jl Gatot Subrato, two blocks south (from the river) of Jl Teuku Umar. There’s a good food court on the top floor of the Pekanbaru Mall on the corner of Jl Teuku Umar and Jl Sudirman.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Red Planet PekanbaruDESIGN HOTEL$$

  (%0761-851008; www.redplanethotels.com; Jl Tengku Zainal Abidin 23; r 288,000Rp; aW)

  This centrally located, smart hotel is just a couple of blocks from the main Jl Sudirman. Its snug rooms are all blonde wood, plenty of light and contemporary furnishings.

  Pondok Patin HM YunusSEAFOOD$$

  (Jl Kaharudin Nasution 1; mains from 50,000Rp; hlunch & dinner)

  Worth the cab ride south of the airport, along the southern extension of Jl Sudirman, this seafood restaurant has earned a loyal contingent of local fans with its version of the hot and sour asam pedan ikan patin, a dish involving fresh local fish. Other fish and seafood dishes are also well worth a nibble.

  8Getting There & Away

  Air

  Pekanbaru’s airport, Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport (www.sultansyarifkasim2-airport.co.id), is 10km south of the city.

  Boat

  Pekanbaru’s Sungai Duku port is at the end of Jl Sultan Syarif Qasyim. From the intersection of Jl Sudirman and Jl Teuku Umarit it’s a short ojek ride.

  Dumai Express (%0765 33966; Jl Nangka 24) is one of several companies offering daily ferry services at noon from the Sungai Duku port to Sekupang port on Pulau Batam (186,000Rp, five to six hours). Minibuses do hotel pickup at around 7.30am. Combined minibus-and-boat tickets are available from Dumai Express’ office at Sungai Duku port and at another main office on Jl Nangka around 4km southwest of Pekanbaru’s main intersection.

  Bus

  All buses depart from Pekanbaru’s main bus terminal, Terminal Nangka , 5km west of the city centre. Note, though, that buses to Bukittinggi depart between 2pm and 6pm from the southwestern outskirts of town rather than the main bus terminal. A taxi to the Bukittinggi bus departure point is around 80,000Rp.

  TRANSPORT FROM PEKANBARU

  AIR

  Destination Airline Frequency

  Bandung Indonesia AirAsia daily

  Jakarta Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda, Lion Air 19 daily

  Kuala Lumpur AirAsia 2 daily

  Medan Lion Air 2 daily

  Melacca Malindo Air daily

  Pulau Batam Citilink, Lion Air 4 daily

  Singapore Silk Air Mon, Fri

  Surabaya Citilink daily

  Yogyakarta Citilink daily

  BUS

  Destination Fare (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency

  Bengkulu 210,000 15 5pm daily

  Bukittinggi 60,000 8 numerous daily

  Dumai 65,000 5 hourly from 7am

  Jambi 260,000 12 2 daily

  8Getting Around

  Airport taxis and taxis from the bus terminal charge around 100,000Rp. The city’s Trans Metro (rapid bus transit) service runs along Jl Sudirman to the bus terminal (5000Rp).

  DUMAI TO MELAKA BY SEA

  Like most of Pekanbaru’s oil, travellers enter and exit Dumai through its busy port. Ferries also link Dumai to Melaka and Port Klang (for Kuala Lumpur) and also to Pulau Batam. Buses connect Bukittinggi to Dumai if you’re dead keen on transiting between Sumatra and Malaysia without flying or if you have a motorbike. (Ulrich at Rajawali Homestay in Bukittinggi can explain the formalities of transporting a motorbike by onion boat between the two countries).

  Dumai has less-than-thrilling accommodation, but if you time it right, it’s relatively straighforward to link to or from Bukittinggi without overnighting.

  From Dumai there are two ferries to Melaka (per person 300,000Rp, around two to three hours), departing at 11am and 1.30pm daily. If you’re travelling from Bukittinggi, AWR Tours & Travel has a nightly minibus (around 10 hours) linking with the ferry’s morning departure.

  A ferry runs from Port Klang to Dumai at 10.30am daily, returning at 1pm (270,000Rp, three hours).

  If you’re fresh from Malaysia, the port area is a bit of a scrum, so keep an eye out for AWR Tours & Travel, which runs shared minibuses (per person 130,000Rp) direct to Bukittinggi. There are also frequent buses from Dumai to Padang (150,000Rp, 12 hours).

  Pulau Batam

  %0778 / Pop 1,143,000

  Batam’s golf resorts and casinos attract a weekender contingent both from the city-state and mainland China, while the seedier local bars provide employment for Indonesian women from impoverished parts of Sumatra and ‘happy endings’ for their customers. For travellers, Batam is a soft introduction to Indonesia, a handy transport hub with connections to many different parts of the country. It can also be a sort of purgatory – a cut-rate Singapore with shopping malls but none of the charm – if you’re winding up your stay in Indonesia here before crossing the strait to Singapore.

  8Information

  Most travellers to Batam arrive at the northern port of Sekupang or at Batam Centre by boat from Singapore, or else fly into Hang Nadim Airport. On Batam, Singapore dollars are as easy to spend as Indonesian rupiah.

  Useful websites include www.batams.com, www.enjoybatam.com and www.batamtourism.com.

  8Getting There & Away

  Air

  The Hang Nadim Airport is located on the eastern side of Pulau Batam.

  FLIGHTS FROM PULAU BATAM

  Destination Airline Frequency

  Balikpapan Lion Air daily

  Bandarlampung Garuda daily

  Bandung Lion Air, Wings Air 3 daily

  Bengkulu Lion Air 3 daily

  Dumai TransNusa daily

  Jakarta Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda, Lion Air 16 daily

  Jambi Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 3 daily

  Kuala Lumpur Malindo Air daily

  Medan Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 8 daily

  Padang Citilink, Lion Air 5 dai
ly

  Palembang Citilink, Lion Air 3 daily

  Pekanbaru Lion Air 5 daily

  Semarang Lion Air daily

  Surabaya Citilink 5 daily

  Yogyakarta Lion Air daily

  Boat

  To Pulau Bintan

  The ferry dock at Telaga Punggur, 30km southeast of Nagoya, is the main port for frequent speedboats to Bintan’s Tanjung Pinang harbour (55,000Rp, 45 minutes) as well as the twice-daily RORO (Roll On Roll Off) car ferry that departs Batam at 10am and 4pm and Bintan at 8am and 1pm (14,500Rp, two hours). Bintan Resort Ferries (http://brf-batam.blogspot.com) run from Telaga Punggur to the BBT Ferry Terminal in Bintan’s Lagoi resort area (110,000Rp, 1½ hours, four daily).

  To Pekanbaru

  From Batam’s Sekupang port, Dumai Express (PT Lestari Indoma Bahari; %0765-31820; Sekupang Domestic Terminal) and Batam Jet (%0765-35888; Sekupang Domestic Terminal) run daily ferries (300,000Rp to 370,000Rp, four to five hours) to the port of Tanjung Buton on mainland Sumatra. From there a minibus (around three hours) links to Pekanbaru.

  To Malaysia

  Passenger ferries (280,000Rp, two hours, 15 daily) run between Johor Bahru’s Stulang Laut port and Batam’s Sekupang.

  To Singapore

  Frequent BatamFast (www.batamfast.com), Sindo Ferry (www.sindoferry.com.sg) and Majestic Fast Ferry (www.majesticfastferry.com.sg) services connect Sekupang and Batam Centre on Pulau Batam to HarbourFront in Singapore, with departures between 6am and 9.20pm; all charge S$17 one way. There is a S$7 harbour-departure tax upon leaving Batam and an hour time difference between Indonesia and Singapore.