BUKITTINGGI HIGHLAND

The administrative, cultural, and educational enter for the Minangkabau people, Bukittinggi is one of the loveliest, friendliest, most relaxed town in all Sumatra. Cool and sunny, nestled in mountains just south of the equator, the town is very compact with many tourist services.

In the center of town and overlooking the market is a venerable clocktower, the "big ben" of Bukittinggi, constructed by the Dutch in 1827. The zoo is the highest point in town, just behind the museum, lying within the confines of Taman Bundo Kanduang Park. A fantastic place for people-watching; on Sunday the women parade around in their best Minang apparel. In the center of the park is a beautifully reconstructed traditional-style Minangkabau traditional house flanked by two rice barns with fine woodcarving. This is the oldest museum in West Sumatra (1945), specializing in local history and culture. Inside are resplendent traditional wedding costumes, headdresses, musical instruments, architectural models, and old firearms.

On the southeast edge of town lies Panorama Park, which looks out over a four-km-long chasm with sheer rocky walls plunging 100-120 meters down to thje riverbed below. The sides of the valleys in the Minagkabau Highlands are so steep the bufallo that feed on the grasslands often venture too close to the edge and are killed in the fall. This Ngarai canyon, which borders Bukittinggi in the south and west and separates it from the foothills of Gunung Singgalang, is the pride of West Sumatra. Viewed from Panorama Park,it's quite a sights, particularly in the mornings when a veil of mist hangs over the canyon. Don't miss the sunset. Gunung Singgalang (2,877 meters) rises in the background.

Underneath Panorama Park are Japanese tunnels built in WW II. With the help of a guide one can penetrate these bare rock caves for hundreds of meters. From the park, a two-km trail leads down through the layers of faulted volcanic ash, across the river on a small bridge, then up the other side of the canyon to the rim and on to Kota Gadang, a crafts village on the other side of the canyon. Kota Gadang is well known for its fine hand-embroidered shawls, weaving, and silver filigree work.

a tourist center, Bukittinggi boasts a multitude of craft,souvenir, jewelry, and antique shops. Many craft village lie within an hour ride from Bukittinggi. The giant Rafflesia arnoldi grows in a reserve 12 km north of Bukittinggi.

For detail information about Indonesia Tour Packages in Sumatra, please contact: Adventure Indonesia