Indonesia - Sumatra - Bukittinggi & Maninjau (Dec 2007)

[belgarathc]

Route: Singapore -> Batam -> Jambi -> Solok -> Bukittinggi -> Padang -> Singapore

Reference: Lonely Planet Indonesia

Transports: Ferries, Buses and a Honda Wave

 

Route

 

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Map of Indonesia, Sumatra and route taken

 

Day 1-2 (Singapore - Batam - Bukittingi)

 

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Feeling bored during a 6-hour boat ride from Batam to Kuala Tungkul. Wondering why I didn't take a ferry straight to Pekanbaru instead? I missed the ferry.

 

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After a 3-hour bus ride from Kuala Tungkul to Jambi, another 10-hour bus ride to Solok awaits me. From there, it's another 3-hour transfer to Bukittinggi.

 

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Nasi Goreng at Bukittingi.

 

Day 3 Morning (Bukittingi)

 

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Jam Gadang at Bukittingi

 

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Horse carriages for kids. Bukittingi is a popular tourist spot among Indonesians.

 

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Pasar at Bukittinggi

 

Day 3 Afternoon (Eastern Bukittinggi Loop)

 

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Band performance for some event

 

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Rumah Gadang

 

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Traditional houses at Belimbing

 

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Kids at play

 

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Lake Singkarak

 

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Rice plantations

 

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Benteng De Kock

[belgarathc]

Day 4 Morning(Bukittinggi)

 

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Sunrise over Mount Merapi

 

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Great Bukittinggi workout

 

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Sianok Canyon

 

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Taman Panaroma

 

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Japanese Tunnels

 

Day 4 Afternoon (Batang Palupuh Natural Reserve)

 

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Trekking through the jungles

 

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and plantations

 

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My guide and the famouse Rafflesia flower

 

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Behold the Rafflesia

[belgarathc]

Day 5 (Maninjau)

 

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44 continuous sharp bends to Lake Maninjau

 

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Beautiful Lake Maninjau

 

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Muaro Beach Bungalow - My US$6 accommodations

 

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Cocounut trees by Muaro Beach

 

Day 6 (Maninjau - Bukittinggi - Padang)

 

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70km ride around Lake Maninjau

 

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Back at Bukittinggi - Yummy BBQed bananas

 

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Football at Padang

 

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Indian Ocean

 

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Local Harley Davidson ride

 

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Famous Simpang Raya - My last meal in Indonesia

[lao uncle]

Very nicely taken pictures. How I wish life is that peaceful in Singpore as in Sumatra.

 

Bring back memory of the '50 and '60 Singapore. One man's pay can support the whole family. Those were the days.

[FB666Y]

Good ride

But what abt Lake Toba?

Do you know there a direct ferry to Dumai and Pekanbaru from Malacca.

The ride cost 80 ringgit per person and 100 ringgit for my R1.

Yup - I was too close to Sumatra last year, and if it wasnt for the Customs guys ...

[belgarathc]

Good ride

But what abt Lake Toba?

Do you know there a direct ferry to Dumai and Pekanbaru from Malacca.

The ride cost 80 ringgit per person and 100 ringgit for my R1.

Yup - I was too close to Sumatra last year, and if it wasnt for the Customs guys ...

I didn't plan for Lake Toba. I thought I could explore western Sumatra (including Aceh) on the next (hopefully longer) trip to Sumatra. About the ferries to Dumai and Pekanbaru from Malacca, I wasn't aware of them. I only heard from a Singaporean in Bukittinggi about a ferry from Medan to Penang.

[FB666Y]

Here you go:

Indomal Ferry: http://www.m-sia.com/indomal/index.html

[newcomer]

wow bike can go on ferry?! how much are the rates???? sounds interesting man!

[FB666Y]

Getting on the ferry is only half the problm. The other half is the fact that Indonesia will not let the bike off.

[belgarathc]

I just found out you can take your bike on a ferry from Port Klang to India. From India, you can move off to Pakistan etc. Interesting eh? Not sure about the documentations needed though.

 

Anyway, if you follow our fellow Singaporean's RTW trip on a motorcycle http://singaporedream-rtw.blogspot.com/, you would know that you can ride your bike just about anywhere on Earth.

[newcomer]

wow how long would that take to put ur bike on a ferry to india? and wats the cost and procedures involved?

[FB666Y]

Well, you could ride all over and get into most countries without much hassle with a bike. Many people do it.

 

However whats lacking most of the time is not effort and will - but money and time.

 

All you need is a carnet for the bike and visas for all the relevant countries, plenty of time and patience and very deep pockets.

[FB666Y]

I just found out you can take your bike on a ferry from Port Klang to India. From India, you can move off to Pakistan etc. Interesting eh? Not sure about the documentations needed though.

 

Anyway, if you follow our fellow Singaporean's RTW trip on a motorcycle http://singaporedream-rtw.blogspot.com/, you would know that you can ride your bike just about anywhere on Earth.

 

Its great what he's doing. I hope he'e enjoying himself - but he seems almost bitter at times. He really needs a PR consultant. Especially with that post about the methodist school.