Harau Valley

Harau Valley is placed in 50 Kota Regency, at least 15 kilometers from capital regency,Payakumbuh or 47 kilometers in Bukittinggi east cost,West Sumatra,Indonesia. It is a huge ravine with diameter 400 meters. The valley is very excited when you want to sight seeing walk on foot. it has a fresh air and exquisite lancscape around it. The granite mountainsides soured up with surrounding the valley. The granite cliffs that steep have a height around 80 meters until 300 meters. People who was hobby as cliffhanger who has visit to the valley give it name as "Yosemite" Indonesia.

A Dutch colonial monument, which is located at base of Sarasah Bunta waterfall, is proving that valley visited since 1926. Ar that monument, there is Dutch Resident Assistant signature Lima Puluh Koto, F.Rinner and two Indonesia official, Tuanku Laras Datuk Kuning and Datuk Kodoh nan Hitam.

On the top of Harau Valley, there are nature preserve and wildlife reserve around 270,5 acres. This place was declared as a nature preserve since January 10th,1993. There are all kinds of tropic forest rain,which has highland species that protected, and a number of Sumatra rare animals. Long tail monkey (macaca fascirulatis) is an animal that often reveal itself in that area. This animal domesticated and love to move and back to forward around visitors. However, you must be careful, because there are some monkeys, which are annoying.There are often to take some food or goods from visitors and crawl when you want to close them.hemselves. The other

The other animals are siamang (hylobatte syndactilus) and simpai (presbytis melalopos). their voice is often to hear but they never show themselves. The other fauna which protected are Sumatra tiger (panthera tigris Sumatrensis),bear (helaratos malayanus),tapir (tapirus indicus),wild goat (capriconus sumatrensis), and hedhog (proechidna bruijnii). There are 19 birds species like kuau (argusianus argus) and hornbill (anthhrococeros).

The tour objects potential are four waterfalls,cave,the nature slots, and danger cliff,which is formed a wonderful and amazing landscape. There are recreations facility like swimming pool,camps, and valleys for hiking to surround taht area. the ticket to enter to Harau Valley is cheap enough and there is a location map too. if you want to that place,you could take public transportation or rent a car whrere it could find in Bukittinggi and Payakumbuh city.

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Twin Lake

The Twin Lake or it also called Di Atas ( the Upper ) dan di bawah ( the Under ) lake, placed in Bungo Tanjung, Alahan Panjang subdistrict, Solok Regency, West Sumatra. Its 65km from Padang city. It called the Twin Lake because they have almost same width, and not to far each other.

The uniqueness is the lake that located higher called Di Bawah Lake. It has very green and vertile are and the position in 400 until 1,700 meters height from the sea surface. The temperature is around 14-16 Celicius degree in there. Di Atas Lake has a width atoun 1,720 acre and Di Bawah Lake about 1,680 acre. The distance between their both is only 300 meters. There is Talang Lake that located in the foot of Talang Mountain where it is 4.5 kilometers from the Twin Lake.

When do you want to go there, we will see the hills lancscap, Sumatra's wet forest, the sinuous road, and the steep ravine where it is 15 kilometers from Padang city exactly. We can to enjoy the whole Padang city view from the Bukti Barisan ( the Rows of Hills ), in the object of interesting to tourists called Panorama Sitinjau Laut. We will also through the widely tea plantationon the both side of road in the Lubuk Selasih. It is distance 35 kilometers from the Capital town of West Sumatra. We could see Di Atas Lake, which is beautiful. The place is 1-kilometer approach to Bungo Tanjung Restaurant.

The temperature will be cold toward the location, we will see Di Atas Lake in the right side. if you want to use public transportation, we should go of Pasar Simpang (the Branch Market) where it is rally a crossroad. When you want to choose the way to turn right and go down, its mean that you are to Di Atas Lake. It will be seen clearly because the place in the foot of hill. Meanwhile, when you want to turn left, and ascending to the Di Bawah Like.

Usually the tourists will ask why the both name of lake very contradictive with their place ? Why the lake, which located on the top hills, called Di Bawah Lake, while the lake is under the hills called Di Atas Lake ? The Twin Lake or organizer will answer that question with say " Although they are placed in the hills, Di Bawah Lake surface height is same with the bottom of Di Atas Lake.

In that tour area, the visitor could see Di Atas Lake with has height 6.25 kilometers and width 2.75 kilometers. It surface is on height 1.600 kilometersfrom the surface of sea. This lake of shallow enough with deep side only 4 meters. Meanwhile, the surface of Di Bawah Lake has 1.566 meters height from the sea surface. It means that the Di Bawah Lake surface has same depth with the bottom of Di Atas Lake. Nevertheless, the lake which has length 5.62 kilometers and width 3 kilometers, and has depth around 886 kilometers. Not like Di Atas Lake, we cannot touch our hands or foot on the deep water. Nevertheless, the wiew is very exquisite. From this lake, we can see Di Atas Lake. In this area, there are small fruit stalls, which sell the passion fruits and the Dutch eggplants ( terung Belanda ). They are being specialy fruits of local residents. In addition, there are villagers that sell kids of hill's flowers on the small pot.

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The Sianok Canyon

The Sianok Canyon is located in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra,Indonesia. There are two hills wall which convictions face to face almost straight.Its height is 100-200 meters and length around 15kilometers. Its wall curved like a gorge where there are wide rice fields and Sianol river's bends on its base. Sianaok River is able to to cross by a canoe that facilitated by Qurays Water Sport Organization at this time.the routes that will be gone trough are from Lambah Village until Sitangkai Batang Palupuh Village along 3.5 hours. On its bank, there are founded are all kinds of plants such as Rafflesia and medicine plants. The wild animals founded like long tile monkey, gibbon, deer, wild boar, panther and tapir. In Dutch Colonial, the chasm also called "Kerbau Sanget, because there are much wild buffalo that lived in free around the river. Woods and grasses on its top plant it.

The scientists concluded that this canyon is apart of fault, which separated of Sumatra Island to be two stretches along a length path ( Watermelon fault ). The beauty of The Sianok Canyon is very very amazing if it seen from Panorama Park. The storng rock that are not change although they forced by heat and rain in turns. This is the specialty of Sianok Canyon, in addition when the sun is rising until sunsets. Almost the visitors from foreign countries recognize that they are will not satisfied before they visit Sianok Canyon if they want to go to Indonesia.


Beside from Panorama Park, the beauty of Sianok Canyon is can be enjoyed if we go down to the base its canyon through between the road from Bukittinggi and rice fields. The tourists also can enjoy Japanese Cave as location far a tour in Panorama Park. Its location is below Bukittinggi city and comes out to Sianok Canyon. Sianok Canyon Panorama Park locations placed on Bukittinggi city where the distances are between Jam Gadang ( Big Clock ) and Pasar Atas. The tourists are able to reach it by vehicles or walk on foot while heat the Bukittinggi fresh air.

Photographers and and local painter will not miss the beauty of Sianok Canyon as well as foreigners to record for posterity. In the North of Panorama Park, there are merchandises stall which sell t-shirts, bag, rattan handycrafts, until paintings which record the exquisite of Sianok Canyon

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Batu Batikam ( The Stabbing Stone ) and Batu Basurek ( The Written Stone)

A stone has become is located in Dusun tuo, Nagari Limo Kaum, Tanah Datar Residence in West Sumatra. It has size 55 x 20 x 45 centimeters where its shape is like a triangle. It has distance 15 minutes from Batusangkar town at least. According to legend, this stone was a peace symbol between the leaders who where in charge at that time. There are Datuk Perpatih Nan Sabatang and Datuk Ketemanggungan.

Not far for Batu Batikam(The Stabbing Stone), there are numbers of stone which set up surrounding with a back lean each of stone where it called "Medan Nan Bapaneh". It had function as place for discussing between the Chief of tribe. A long time ago,this place used to discuss any kinds of problem in society where they sit like a half circle in this outdoor. The villagers was attention their discussion. It has been surroundings leafy trees which hundred years old.

Batu Basurek ( The Written Stone) is place in Kubu Rajo Limo Kaum where it distance 4 km from Batusangkar city. It is located above the King of Adityawarman's resting place. The Written Stone epigraphy wrote on ancient Java written with Sanskrit language. It has width 25cm's, height 80cm's,thickness 10cm's, and weight around 50kg's. According to history, it was founded by P.H. Van Hengst ( an residence assistance of Tanah Datar )in December 16th, 1880. the scientist who studied this ancient inscription was Prof. H. Kern ( Dutch Historian) in 1917. He tried to translated that written: "Adityawarman move to forward courageously. he is a Kanakamedinindra or Swarna Dwipa ( Sumatra or The Golden Sand )King. His father, Adwayawarman,was from Indra's family. Adityawarman himself was a Dara Jingga descent, a Princess of Dharmasraya in Batang Hari Bank's river, Jambi. In addition, his father, Adwayawarman, was a from Singosari palace family.

Because of his serve to Majapahit, Adityawarman became a King in Dharmasraya and moved his kingdom from Siguntur Sawahlunto to Pagaruyung at last. There are different opinions that was he a King Pagaruyung or Minangkabau until now.

Make a tour to Batu Batikam and Batu Basurek will add your knowledge to uniqueness Minangkabau history. It is different on this day where people are able to make site in cyber world. The King of Pagaruyung loved to make his own site and wrote about himself in a stone where it can see and visit by tourists around the world.

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Jam Gadang,is it like 'small Big Ben'?

Jam Gadang is an o'clock as landmark of Bukittinggi City,West Sumatra. This special symbol from West Sumatra has story and unique because it has been there for teens years old.

Jam Gadang established by an architect Yazid Sutan Gigi Ameh in 1926. The first stone setting up did by Rook Maker's first son when he was 6 years old. The o'clock was a gift from Queen of Dutch to Controleur (City Secretary), Rook Maker. The form of Jam Gadang roof had been changed for three times from time to time. It had a circle shape with a cock statue on the top in Dutch colonial. In Japan occupation, they changed the roof like a Chinese temple roof. In independence era, it changed to four pitched roof like traditional Minangkabau's house with a tip bamboo shoot. On the top of Jam Gadang, we can still see form Limpapeh Bridge with distance 1 km from location.


It has diameter 80 centimeters with base blueprint 13 X 4 meters and height 26 meters. This phenomenal o'clock construction has been spent around 3000 Gulden where it become a symbol of Bukittinggi after that. There is uniqueness from Roma number on Jam Gadang. Usually, the Roman's alphabet written writes 6 with VI and number 7 with VII. But it number 4 wrote with IIII symbol (it should be IV ).


The symbol of Bukittinggi is located in Sabai Nan Aluih Park, in front of Bung Hatta Palace where it has fondation 13 X 4 meters. There are leafy trees around it where it becomes a place to pleasure for city resident. There are "bendi" or horse cart when do you want to go around to go the city. The fare can be negotiating around US$ 2-5 for tourists.

We can do shopping in Pasar Atas that is usually crowded on Wednesday, Saturday and Monday, where it located not far from the Bigger O'Clock in Bukittinggi. You can shop kids of handicrafts such as woven products, silver industry, T-shirt and which show up Minangkabau image in here.

If you want to see the proud of Bukittinggi people in daylight or evening freely, there are inns around it along Larus Datuk Bandaro,Soekarno-Hatta,and Dr.A.Rivai and Soedirman streets. You will get an exotic views and romantic from morning until evening around it.

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The Root Bridge in South Pesisir

Location

Unique,antique,and never think by people before. Maybe, its your comment,when you see a bridge that connected two villages first.There are Pulut-pulut and Lubuk Silaudi Nagari Asam Kumbang,North Bayang subdistrict,Pesisir Selatan Regency,West Sumatra. It has the distance around 65km from Padang,the Capital of West Sumatra.The Root Bridge, which passed Batang Bayang River,its pure from woods root. It had tied together nicely until connected each other and able to pass by man.Nowadays it is very crowded to trough and visit by visitors. Therefor,its fastened by steel wire in the both sides to preservation.

History the building of bridge

According the legend, where the Root Bridge located in Pulut-pulut Village,a teacher who named Fakih Sokan felt concerned with his students which could not go to study reading because a flood of Batang Bayang River in 19th century lately. Although there was a bamboo bridge which made by villagers, but it was not strong enough to hold out a flooding.

Since that event, Fakih Sokan came to his own mind to make a bridge that did not use a post,which embedded in the bottom of river, in order that it did not was away if it overflows. Therefore,he planted two Banyan trees in the both side bank of river,in the base of Bamboo Bridge,which made by villagers exactly. Days by days passed away,The Banyan trees which planted by Fakih Sokan became bigger. Little by little,the Banyan trees root which hang in the both sides wounded by him on the bamboo bridge that cross over Batang Bayang River.Years by years the root trees connected each other at last, and made the bridge became stronger.After 25 years since Fakih Sokan twist the root,it could cross by the villagers at last. Today,the masterpiece of him can you see where it still exist and became one of world wondering.


Facility and accommodation for tourists in Padang is available. You do not worry about security and comfortable. There are hotel and hiring car or public transportation, which is ready to carry you to the Root Bridge.

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The Octopus That has like Human

One more which queer! Padang City, West Sumatra,shocked with sea animal called Octopus. Howefer,its was head like a man. Bizarre but is was real where it happened on Ita, Padang citizen in January 2009. According to her,a woman who told about this phenomenon where is started when she cooked that creature. When it cooked, suddenly appear from wide-mouthed clay pot. She was surprised because that animal she cookedwas not like usual.

"I shocked when I was cooking an Octopus, its head emerge from iron wok resemble a human ahead,"she said. she postponed cooking that thing. Then she told to her husband, that an Octopus she cooked has a head like man.Meanwhile, people around her house uproar because they heart news like that.They hurried to Ita house to see that strange event.

"The Octopus I got from my husband.He bought from fishing ship came from Sipora,Mentawai. because we were house was too small that was why we forced to display in front of our house,"she said. If being to observe, the Octopus head has two eyes,ears,nose,lips and a pair of breast had a size 20cm length. Ita could be predicted that it was a woman.

Now, the Octopus is crowded to visit by people. Some of them try to document with hand phone camera.Indeed, the owner asks money to people which come and documentary it.

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