West Sumatra
West Sumatra is green, cool and quiet. Most visitors land at Minangkabau International Airport near Padang, then drive up into the highlands. The best base is Bukittinggi, a busy hill town at about 930 metres, where the nights are cool and the Sianok Canyon opens right at the edge of town. From there, easy day trips reach the rest of the region. Harau Valley has tall cliffs, waterfalls and rice fields, with small homestays at the foot of the rock. Lake Maninjau sits in a huge old volcano crater, and the road down to it has 44 numbered hairpin bends. Lake Singkarak is even bigger, with fried fish stalls on the shore. This is also the home of Padang food: rendang, curries and chilli sauces, served in a way you will not see anywhere else. The Minangkabau people build houses with tall curved roofs that look like buffalo horns. You will see them in villages all over the hills. Plan four to six days.
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All West Sumatra Guides
6 in-depth guides to West Sumatra — food, nightlife, beaches, transport, money and the practical detail that is hard to find.