Lonely Planet Indonesia
Page 112
Munri Food CentreINDONESIAN$
(Jl Sultan Agung; mains 15,000-20,000Rp; h5-10pm)
Night-time eats set the night ablaze at this alfresco dining area near the museum. Look for the mie celor and mie pokk, two local noodle dishes.
oPondok KelapaSEAFOOD$$
(Jl Hayam Waruk; meals around 120,000Rp; hlunch & dinner)
Fish and seafood are the stars of the show at this appealing restaurant in a tranquil garden setting. It’s a great place to try giant grilled prawns, cumi asang manis (squid in a sweet and sour sauce), or local specialities such as pinang patin (spicy fish hotpot with pineapple). Menus have pictures but no prices; check before ordering.
8Information
Jambi’s ATMs cluster around Jl Dr Sutomo.
Culture & Tourism OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION
(%0741-445056; Jl H Agus Salim; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
Only useful if English-speaking Guntur happens to be in the office.
Padmasana FoundationTOURIST INFORMATION
(%0852 6600 8969, 0852 6609 1459; http://padmasanafoundation.blogspot.com)
The Padmasana Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and excavation of the Muara Jambi ruins and its members work together with the local community in the village next to the ruins. Staff can provide information and arrange both tours of the site and homestays in the village.
Post OfficePOST OFFICE
(Jl Sultan Thaha 9; h8am-2pm Mon-Fri)
Near the port.
8Getting There & Away
Air
The Sultan Thaha Airport (www.sultanthaha-airport.co.id) is 6km east of the centre.
Bus
Bus-ticketing offices occupy two areas of town: Simpang Rimbo, 8km west of town, and Simpang Kawat, 3.5km southwest of town on Jl M Yamin.
There are frequent economy buses to Palembang. Several minibus companies, including Ratu Intan Permata (%0741-20784; Simpang Kawat, Jl M Yamin), offer comfortable door-to-door minibus services to Pekanbaru, Bengkulu, Palembang and Padang. Safa Marwa (%0741-65756; Jl Pattimura 7) runs a similar service to Sungai Penuh in the Kerinci Valley. Buses depart from the companies’ offices and can also pick up passengers around town.
TRANSPORT FROM JAMBI
AIR
Destination Airline Frequency
Jakarta Citilink, Garuda, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 15 daily
Palembang Garuda daily
Pulau Batam Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air 3 daily
Sungai Penuh (Kerinci) Susi Air 2-3 weekly
BUS
Destination Fare (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency
Bengkulu 250,000 10 several daily
Padang 165,000-190,000 11 2 daily
Palembang 80,000-170,000 7 several daily
Pekanbaru 260,000 12 daily
Sungai Penuh 175,000 8 10 daily
8Getting Around
Taxis from the airport charge around 50,000-70,000Rp. Ojeks and taxis hang around next to shopping malls. An ojek to the bus offices in Simpang Rimbo is around 20,000Rp. For Simpang Kawat, count on 15,000Rp.
There is no public transport to Muara Jambi. You can charter a speedboat (around 500,000Rp) from Jambi’s river pier to the site. You can also hire an ojek (50,000Rp to 60,000Rp).
South Sumatra
The eastern portion of South Sumatra shares a common Malay ancestry and influence with Riau and Jambi provinces from its proximity to the shipping lane of the Strait of Melaka. Rivers define the character of the eastern lowlands, while the western high peaks of the Bukit Barisan form the province’s rugged underbelly. The provincial capital of Palembang was once the central seat of the Buddhist Sriwijaya empire, whose control once reached all the way up the Malay Peninsula.
Despite the province’s illustrious past, it's rather light on attractions, except for Sumatra's most notorious volcano and a couple of remote nature reserves.
Palembang
%0711 / Pop 1.44 million
Sumatra’s second-largest city is a major port that sits astride Sungai Musi, the two halves of the city linked by the giant Jembatan Ampera (Ampera Bridge).
A thousand years ago Palembang was the centre of the highly developed Sriwijaya civilisation that ruled a huge slab of Southeast Asia. It covered most of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, southern Thailand and Cambodia, but few relics from the period remain outside the city museum.
The city’s spicy fare is the subject of much debate (positive and negative) in Sumatra, and though Palembang is largely off the traveller trail, you may find yourself passing through en route to or from Jambi and Bandarlampung.
1Sights
Museum Sumatera SelatanMUSEUM
(Jl Sriwijaya 1, Km5.5; admission 2000Rp; h8am-4pm Sun-Thu, to 11am Fri)
Museum Sumatera Selatan houses finds from Sriwijayan times, as well as megalithic carvings from the Pasemah Highlands, including the famous batu gajah (elephant stone) and almost spherical fertility statue with a humongous bosom. Other worthwhile displays include a rich collection of finely woven songkets. There is a magnificent rumah limas (traditional house) behind the museum. The museum is about 5km from the town centre off the road to the airport.
4Sleeping
Zuri ExpressBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%0711 710 800; www.zuriexpresshotels.com; Jl Dr Mohammed Isa 988; d incl breakfast from 350,000Rp; aW)
Located just north of Palembang’s market area, Zuri Express fills a colourful and modern building with equally colourful and contemporary accommodation. Rooms are relatively compact, but filled with all mod cons, including designer bathrooms, flat-screen TVs and wi-fi access. Downstairs is a well-priced cafe with good-value Indonesian dishes and espresso.
Red Planet PalembangBUSINESS HOTEL$$
(%0711-315222; www.redplanethotels.com; Jl J Sudirman Km3.5; r 342,000Rp; aW)
Sleek, contemporary and minimalist, with plenty of crimson accents and mod cons, this former Tune hotel received a makeover after the Red Planet takeover. The main road location is convenient for overnight stays en route to/from the airport and the on-site cafe provides sustenance.
5Eating
Rumah Makan Pindang Musi RawasINDONESIAN$
(Jl Angkatan 45 18; mains from 30,000Rp; hlunch & dinner)
A short ride northwest of the centre, this nondescript-looking restaurant is locally famous for its pindang patin, a spicy, sour, clear soup with patin fish. Other dishes are also sound ambassadors of southern Sumatran cuisine. A numbered system is used for queuing when the place gets busy.
Pagi SoreINDONESIAN$
(Jl Sudirman; meals around 45,000Rp; hlunch & dinner)
Palembang cuisine not your bag? Then your taste buds will thank you for this reliable Padang standby, where you will be presented with dish upon little dish of spicy, flavourful beef rendang, ayam bakar (spicy chicken), ikan sambal (fish sambal) and other favourites. You only pay for the ones you sample from.
EATING THE PALEMBANG WAY
Love it or hate it, Palembang fare is distinguished by its use of funky durian that sends some folks running. The best-known dishes are ikan brengkes (fish served with a spicy durian-based sauce) and pindang (a spicy, clear fish soup). Another Palembang speciality is pempek, a mixture of sago, fish and seasoning that is formed into balls and deep-fried or grilled. Served with a spicy sauce, pempek is widely available from street stalls and warungs.
Palembang food is normally served with a range of accompaniments. The main one is sambal tempoyak, a combination of fermented durian, sambal terasi (shrimp paste), lime juice and chilli that is mixed up and added to the rice. Sambal buah (fruit-based sambal), made with pineapple or sliced green mangoes, are also popular.
8Getting There & Away
ASultan Badaruddin II airport is 12km north of town.
The Karyajaya Bus Terminal is 12km from the town centre, but most companies have ticket offices on Jl Kol Atmo. For door-to-door minibus services, check out the agents’ offices along Jl Veteran.
AStasuin Kertapati train station is 8km from the city cent
re on the southern side of the river.
TRANSPORT FROM PALEMBANG
AIR
Destination Airline Frequency
Bandarlampung Garuda daily
Bandung Xpressair daily
Bengkulu Garuda daily
Jakarta Batik Air, Citilink, Garuda, Lion Air, Nam Air, Sriwijaya Air 27 daily
Jambi Garuda daily
Kuala Lumpur AirAsia daily
Medan Garuda daily
Padang Citilink daily
Pulau Batam Citilink, Lion Air 3 daily
Singapore Silk Air daily
Surabaya Citilink daily
Yogykarta Nam Air daily
BUS
Destination Fare (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency
Bandarlampung 240,000 10 2 daily
Bengkulu 185,000 8 several daily
Jambi 140,000 8 several daily
Lahat 75,000 4 hourly
TRAIN
Destination Fare (Rp) Duration (hr) Frequency
Bandarlampung 90,000-150,000 10 8pm daily
Lahat/Lubukliinggau 35,000-190,000 4/7 2 daily
8Getting Around
Angkot around town cost a standard 3500Rp. They leave from around the huge roundabout at the junction of Jl Sudirman and Jl Merdeka. Any angkot marked ‘Karyajaya’ (5500Rp) will get you to the bus terminal. Any angkot marked ‘Kertapati’ (5500Rp) will get you to the train station. Taxis to the airport cost around 100,000Rp. A taxi from the station to the town centre should cost around 70,000Rp.
Krui
Sweeping slithers of white sand lick the coast north and south of Krui, and the meandering coastline is dotted with surf breaks that draw an increasing number of intrepid board riders.
Most of the action is focused on the village of Tanjung Setia, 10km south of Krui. While surfers still make up most of the tourist traffic, the area’s laconic and laid-back buzz is also perfect if you’re overlanding to Java down Sumatra's south coast. Around midway between Bengkulu and Bandarlampung, it’s a good spot to relax and recharge after one too many long Sumatran bus journeys.
Arrive fully stocked with rupiah – the nearest ATM is an hour’s bus ride away in Liwa.
2Activities
Karang NyinmborSURFING
The star attraction of Tanjung Setia is this world-renowned lefthander, right in front of the village. Depending on weather and tides, other excellent breaks up and the down the coast are also options, all easily reached by motorbike.
Hello MisterADVENTURE SPORTS
(%0852 6928 7811; kruimotorent@gmail.com; Jl Pantai Wisata, Tanjung Setia)
Stop by and see the wisecracking Albert at Hello Mister for everything from bus transport to Krui or Bandarlampung, jungle tours (half-day per person 70,000Rp), motorbike rental (per day 65,000Rp) and surf lessons (per person 30,000Rp) on more forgiving beach breaks towards Krui village. He can also arrange longer day trips south to the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park.
4Sleeping & Eating
Rumah Radja LosmenBUNGALOW$
(earthcraft40@gmail.com; r 150,000-170,000Rp; aW)
This tranquil place, past Damai Bungalows, is run by friendly Aussie surfer, Murray. Lodgings consist of a couple of comfy bungalows that catch the breeze (with a third on the way). Only breakfast is available but there’s the bonus of a guest kitchen for those who want to surf rather than be tied to a feeding schedule.
oDamai BungalowsBUNGALOW$$
(%0813 6930 7475; www.damaibungalows.com; Jl Pantai Wisata, Tanjung Setia; r incl meals 350,000Rp; aW)
Leafy gardens, fan-cooled bungalows with private outdoorsy bathrooms, the best surfer lodge food, and friendly underfoot dogs are defining features of this chilled-out place. There’s excellent service from the Aussie-Indonesian owners, and the bar – with quite possibly Sumatra’s coldest beer – provides front-row views of the iconic Karang Nyimbor left-hander. Damai is often booked by groups, but individual guests are welcome.
Lovina Krui SurfBUNGALOW$$
(%0853 7780 2212; www.lovinakruisurf.com; Jl Pantai Wisata, Tanjung Setia; r incl meals 350,000Rp; ai)
Divided into various room configurations (with 10 rooms in total, all with private bathrooms), Lovina Krui Surf has three lovely A-frame cottages set back from the beach. Decor and design are a big step up from Tanjung Setia’s traditional focus on simple bungalows. The attached cafe and lounge is cool, cosmopolitan and serves three meals a day.
Family LosmenBUNGALOW$$
(%0813 8043 1486; www.familylosmen.com; Jl Pantai Wisata, Tanjung Setia; per person incl meals 275,000Rp)
One of Tanjung Setia’s longest-established losmen is still one of the area’s best, with stylish concrete bungalows with private verandas, and a terrific rooftop viewing platform that’s perfect for wave spotting and a few end-of-day Bintangs.
Lani’s RestoINTERNATIONAL$
(Pantai Wisata, Tanjung Setia; mains from 40,000Rp; hlunch & dinner)
The foil to Tanjung Setia’s warungs, this new joint, run by a Hawaiian-American, serves all the comfort food you’ve been craving after a day out on the waves: tacos, burgers and pizza, plus cold beer.
8Getting There & Away
Buses between Bengkulu (100,000Rp, 10 hours, several daily) and Bandarlampung (60,000Rp, four hours, several daily) will stop on request at Tanjung Setia. A private transfer to/from Bandarlampung airport is around 1,000,000Rp. Susi Air have twice-weekly flights to Krui from Bengkulu in their 12-seater Cessna, but they either refuse to take boards or charge US$100 per board (and are very weather-dependent).
WORTH A TRIP
PASEMAH HIGHLANDS
The Pasemah Highlands, tucked away in the Bukit Barisan west of Lahat, are famous for the mysterious megalithic monuments that dot the landscape. The stones have been dated back about 3000 years, but little else is known about them or the civilisation that carved them. While the museums of Palembang and Jakarta now house the pick of the stones, there are still plenty left in situ. The main town of the highlands is Pagaralam, 68km (two hours by bus) southwest of the Trans-Sumatran Hwy town of Lahat.
If you’re looking for a guide, get in touch with Wild Sumatra Adventures in Bengkulu who at the time of writing were looking to start excursions into the Pasemah Highlands. There are a couple of ATMs in the town’s dusty main street, and the nightly market features a lot of food stalls guaranteed to maximise your travel budget.
Every bus travelling along the Trans-Sumatran Hwy calls in at Lahat, nine hours northwest of Bandarlampung and 12 hours southeast of Padang. There are regular buses to Lahat from Palembang (75,000Rp, five hours), and the town is a stop on the train line from Palembang to Lubuklinggau. There are frequent small buses from Pagaralam to Lahat (18,000Rp, two hours) and Bengkulu (30,000Rp, six hours). There are angkot (3000Rp) to the villages near Pagaralam from the town centre’s stasiun taksi (taxi station).
Tinggi HariARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Tinggi Hari, 20km from Lahat, west of the small river town of Pulau Pinang, is a site featuring the best examples of early prehistoric stone sculpture in Indonesia. The Pasemah carvings fall into two distinct styles: the early style dates from around 3000 years ago and features fairly crude figures squatting with hands on knees or arms folded over chests.
The later style, incorporating expressive facial features, dates from about 2000 years ago and is far more elaborate. Examples include carvings of men riding, battling with snakes and struggling with elephants. There are also a couple of tigers – one guarding a representation of a human head between its paws. The natural curve of the rocks was used to create a three-dimensional effect, though all the sculptures are in bas-relief. Sculptures of this style are found throughout the villages around Pagaralam, although some take a bit of seeking out.
Batu BeribuARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
In Tegurwangi, Batu Beribu, about 8km from Pagaralam on the road to Tanjung Sakti, is the home of a cluster of four squat statues that sit under a small shelter by a stream. The site guardian will wander over and lead you to some
nearby dolmen-style stone tombs. You can still make out a painting of three women and a dragon in one of them.
Batu GajahARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
(Elephant Stone)
Batu Gajah sits among the rice paddies by the village of Berlubai, 3km from Pagaralam, along with tombs and statues. There is a remarkable collection of stone carvings among the paddies near Tanjung Aru. Look out for the one of a man fighting a giant serpent.
Gunung DempoVOLCANO
Gunung Dempo is a dormant volcano and the highest (3159m) of the peaks surrounding the Pasemah Highlands that dominate Pagaralam. Allow two full days to complete the climb. A guide is strongly recommended as trails can be difficult to find. The lower slopes are used as a tea-growing area, and there are angkot from Pagaralam to the tea factory.
Hotel MirasaHOTEL$