Padang

Padang is the capital of West Sumatra and the largest port on the island's western coast. Its bustling harbor has been a crossroads for goods, such as rubber, cinnamon, coffee, tea and nutmeg, ever since the pre-colonial era. In the 17th century, the Dutch established a fortress in Padang and the area became part of the Dutch East Indies. It remained under Dutch control until Indonesia's independence.

There are numerous old buildings in Padang that retain their Dutch and Chinese architecture. The old city is located next to Muaro Harbor at the Arau River. It used to be the city's business district and there are many interesting buildings, including Padang City Hall, the old De Javasche bank (currently Bank Indonesia), De Nederlandsche Spaarbank, Geo Wehry & Co and the Escompto Maatschappij Office, as well as numerous warehouses and merchant houses.

Masjid Muhammadan is a historic mosque in Padang, while the Grand Mosque of West Sumatra is a modern building that is built in the Minangkabau architectural style. Ganting Grand Mosque is the oldest mosque in Padang. Muhammadan Mosque is also located in the city center. The whitewashed mosque of Masjid Al Hakim

is beautifully lit at night.

One of the oldest churches in Padang is St. Leo Monastery. If was constructed in a mixture of traditional Minang and Dutch architecture.

Vihara Buddha Warman is a Buddhist temple along the seaside road. it mainly serves Padang's Chinese community.

Padang's excellent Provincial Museum is built in the traditional Minang style and houses prehistoric artifacts, ceramics and manuscripts, as well as contemporary art. The Adityawarman Museum specialises in the history and culture of the local Minangkabau people.

Kampung China, or Chinatown, is one of Padang's most interesting districts. It is nice to just wander around there and enjoy the lovely streets, lined with late 19th century houses, Chinese herbalists and coffee shops.

Padang is a popular transit point for surfers travelling to the Batu and Mentawai Islands. There are several excellent beaches around the city. On Padang beach (Taplau, or Tapi Lauik) you'll find numerous food stalls. Bungus bay is good for swimming and boating. You can also visit the islands of Sikuai and Pagang from there. Some 10 km south of Padang is Air Manis Beach, where you can see the Malin Kundang Stone, which resembles ship wrecks.

Across the Arau River is the Siti Nurbaya Park where the remains of some WWII-era Japanese cannons and bunkers can be seen. The park offers great views over Padang. 18 km east from Padang is Taman Hutan Raya Bung Hatta (Bung Hatta Nature Reserve), which is home to Sumatran tigers, tapirs, wild goats and bears, as well as Raflesia Gaduansi, Balangphora and Amorphopalus.

You can hike to the nearby mountains of Bukit Monyet and Gunung Padang, for excellent views over the city. There is also a scenic waterfall not far from town.

There are several hotels and restaurants in Padang. The city is on the Kuranji river, 550 km southeast of Medan and 915 km northwest of Jakarta. Padang's Tabing Airport is the main gateway to west Sumatra. It is serviced by domestic airlines.

Hotels in Padang

Images

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