SUMATRA ISLANDS HERITAGE

Sumatra Island is divided into several provinces such as Aceh, Bangka, Belitung, Bengkulu, Jambi, Lampung, Riau, West Sumatra, South Sumatra and North Sumatra. You can easily get to Sumatera by flight from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Or by Sea cruise via Singapore and Jakarta.

In Aceh you can find the famous Mount Leuser National as one of the largest national park in Indonesia. The park is holding over 800.000 hectares of virgin rainforest. This preserve area is the home for orangutans, gibbons, monkeys, elephants, tigers, and Sumatran Rhinoceros. There are also Bahorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and Bukit Lawang to see the habitat of apes in close. In fact Bukit Lawang is considering as one of the most accessible places to spot the primate and the conservation has been done since 1970.

Sumatra is also the home of Bataks. They have traditional longhouses which is used by 10 peoples or more. Built from massive timber piles and have high structure and step palm-thatched roofs and it was built without needing a single nails just using rope and wooden pegs. Bataks is also the guardian of the Ulos. The special hand-woven cloth is distinguished by their distinct motifs which certain Ulos are worn is certain occasion. Rumah Gadang is the traditional house of the famous Minangkabau tribe in Sumatra. The walls of that house are covered with various motifs and each one of it means a different meaning. In here I would like to tell you some of the city in Sumatra that offers various travel experience
Batam Island
Located only about 20km from Singapore and 30km from Johor Malaysia, Batam is the perfect are for holiday. When you are in Batam you should visit its landscape landmark the Barelang bridges which link Batam and other islands. Cycling in these strings of islands has become a favorite activity for tourists and locals. Have a seafood lunch at Barelang and capture yourself with the famous Kwan Im Statue that’s height about 23km at KTM Resort. Afterward you must also see the biggest Buddhist Temple in South East Asia the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Laughing Buddha Temple. And later take yourself to Waterfront city where you find many resort facilities such as swimming, spa, golf, and many tourists came here. From some of the people I’ve meet at Batam some of them are eager to find exotic seafood and some others for the unique adventures in old village.
You also can find some good electronic quality with cheap price I here, Batam is well known for its cheap electronic things. Don’t forget to dive or surf during high tide and some reef fishing will make you excited.
Bintan Island
Bintan is the no. 1 spot for the beach lover and most of the tourist are headed to the north coast around Lagoi while the east coast is still unspoiled and worth to visit. In here you will meet all of the water sports activity accompanied with many gorgeous beaches. There is one club the Mana Mana beach club which provide all underwater needs for your diving, swimming and many others. About northeast of Bintan there is an island called Mapor island. The island is full with green forest with beautiful rock formation that you can see from the boat till 30m below the sea surface. Professional scuba drivers usually dive at Sandy Bay for stretch up and the local tourist guide usually will take you to Maoi Island, the shallow reef that holds possible sightings of nudibranchs and the iridescent Blue Ringed Angelfish. On the ground you can enjoy the International 18th holes of golf course, horse riding, and jungles for trekking. Also available ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) to pump your adrenalin, Go kart Track that can race up to 17 go karts at once. At Bintan Lagoon Golf Club held two international golf championship courses design by Jack Nicklaus and Ian Baker Finch. If you want to see the real forest treasure of Bintan you can join the local tour to see the mangrove forest and its rich habitat. Visit the pasar ikan (fish market) and Akau (night market) and Pelantar (water villages). Watch the turtle lay their eggs on Kelong beach and spend the afternoon at the old palace and fort on the historical Penyenget Island.
Palembang
Palembang it’s the second largest city at Sumatra, and has vital rules as major port 80km close to Musi River. The city is linked by the giant Ampera Bridge and the river is flanked by wooden houses on stilts. At southern side Seberang Ulu is the majority of the people live. And on Seberang Ilir to the north is the city is the place where you find most of the government office, shops, hotels and exclusive residential districts. Visit the Sumatera Selatan Museum which is a megalithic houses carving from Pasemah Highlands including the famous batu gajah (elephant stone) also there is a magnificent rumah limas (traditional house) behind the museum. At the center of the city you can find a coastal village Krui, a perfect place to explore western coastline especially at sunset. Far from the civilization, white sandy beaches with turquoise waters are waiting for their child birth. In the middle of Bukit Barisan you can find the Ranau Lake an excellent place for relaxing and continue to climb Seminung Mountain to the beautiful site of the land. The best known dishes are ikan brengkes (fish served with spicy durian based sauce) and pindang (a spicy and clear fish soup). Another specialty is pempek, a mixture of sago, fish and seasonings that is formed into balls and well deeply fried. There is also Tempoyak, a combination of fermented durian, terasi(shrimp paste), lime juice and chili added to the rice.
Medan
Medan in history it was a small kingdom at Deli river delta. Medan is the capital of a power sultanate and a successful plantation town. One of the Sultanate deli heritages is the Maimun Palace, an intriguing mixture of Oriental Middle Eastern and Western architectural styles design by an Italian architect in 1888. In Medan you also can find the Great Mosque of Medan ( Masjid Raya). The city is also famous for the multi cultural society that creates a unique culture blend. Each ethnic group contributes to a wide variety of tasty dishes. In here you can find Javanese sweet cuisines, hot Padang spicy dishes, savoury Chinese noodles and even Indian curry which is open 24 hours a day. After you in Medan you must see the Toba Lake as the largest lake in Southeast Asia. The lake is created by an enormous eruption that happened about 70.000 years ago. In there you can find the Samosir Island which is big as Singapore and often described as the heartland of Batak culture. Samosir is actually a peninsula divided from Sumatra only by Pusuk Buhit, a narrow canal once constructed by the Dutch, located between Samosir ad its mainland. Try the motorized becak around Medan city and taste spicy seafood restaurant in Kesawan Square at night life. Don’t forget also to taste Medan special’s food Bika Ambon and go to Titi Gantung to visit the unique bridge built over a railway.