BENGKULU
Bengkulu Province is easily accessible by land, air and sea transportation. You can catch regular buses directly from Medan, Padang or Jakarta.
Flight arrives there times a day. Domestic ships from Jakarta, Padang
and Medan stop by in Baai Harbor, Bengkulu. Like other provinces in
Indonesia, Bengkulu has its own specific cuisine for which it is
renowned, among which are pendap, gulai tempoyak, and bagar kambing.
Most inhabitants here are Malay and the culture and habits are somewhat
similar to neighboring provinces.
Get There
There are no direct international flights
to Bengkulu. You will have to take a flight to Jakarta and then take a
connecting flight to Bengkulu. Alternately, you can also catch regular
buses from Medan, Padang or Jakarta. If you want to go there by bus from
Jakarta, there are two common routes, which are The West Route (Lintas
Barat) takes you from Jakarta to Bandar Lampung and then through dense
tropical jungle of Liwa, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, and Krui.
It takes around 22 hours with magnificent ocean view along the way, but
the road condition is not very good and considered unsafe, and the East
Route (Lintas Timur) goes from Jakarta to Bandar Lampung and then enters
Bengkulu via South Sumatra. It's a longer trip (about 25 hours) but
safer.
There are also several Van travel through
the route between Padang and Bukit Tinggi to Bengkulu City and the
journey take around 19-20 hours. Many drivers tend to use the long
journey via Muara Bungo and Sarolangun rather than use the coast road
(Muko-Muko and Painan) which has an 'absolutely with better view and
scenery'.
PALEMBANG
The second largest city in Sumatra after Medan, is the city of Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra Province which was once the celebrated seat of the rich and powerful Sriwijaya empire that for three centuries - from the 9th to the 11th century - reigned supreme over the Sumatra seas and up north included the strategic Straits of Malacca.
Sriwijaya(or Crivijaya empire) was then known as the wealthy trade hub as well as the center for Buddhist learnings. Monks from China, India and Java came here and congregated to study the teachings of Buddha. In AD 671 Chinese chronicles wrote that the famous Chinese Buddhist monk, I Ching sojourned in Palembang for six months on his way to India. I Ching wrote that there were more than 1,000 Buddhist monks in the city and advised Chinese monks to study Sanskrit in Palembang before proceeding on their pilgrimage to India.
Later, the great Chinese voyager, Admiral Cheng Ho, emissary of the Chinese emperor also visited Palembang in the 15th. century. The Cheng Ho mosque has been constructed here in his honor.
Although structure-wise not much remains to be seen from Sriwijaya's golden age, Palembang's fine silver and gold songket woven cloths that are still produced even today, the fine lacquerware it creates for which Palembang is renowned, and its regal dances and opulent gold costumes are evidence of its precious royal heritage.
Palembang is situated along the Musi River, which has its source deep in the Bukit Barisan mountains, tumbling down to reach the plains where, fed by the converging Ogam and Komering rivers, it then widens into a large river as it reaches Palembang. Its many tributaries and streams that cut through Palembang, caused this town at times to be called 'The Venice of the East'.
Spanning across the Musi river right in the heart of the city, the Ampera Bridge built in 1965 is today's icon of modern Palembang. The view from the Musi river from this vantage point is breathtaking. Watch vendors on boats sell their ware at the floating market by the Ampera Bridge, while at sunset the view with the many houses on stilts along both sides of the Musi and the centuries' old quaint Chinese shop-houses, are sights rarely found elsewhere.
Located in the Musi River delta, another precious gem of Palembang is the tiny island of Kamaro which is adorned with pagodas and Chinese temples. A magnificent Chinese Temple, the Hok Cing Bio stands splendidly here. On special occasions, especially on 'Cap Go Meh' Chinese New Year's celebrations, the island is always packed with locals and visitors coming from Palembang, Java, Kalimantan and overseas from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Another important Landmark of the city is the Kuto Besak Fortress which was built during the 17 th century and a legacy of the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate, that ruled from 1550-1823. Each corner of the fort is strengthened with bastions. The bastion in the west corner is larger and similar to other forts in Indonesia while the other three bastions are architecturally unique, and are unlikely found elsewhere. And as the sun sets in the afternoon, lights glow around the fort, creating sparkles that highlight the walls of the fort: truly a sight to be watched.
Those who wish to take a trip back in time and explore the history of the golden era of Palembang can visit the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum (SMB II) situated on Musi's Riverbank. Not only is the museum rich in its collections, but the building itself is a historical legacy, as is a monument of the heydays of the Palembang Sultanate. Museum Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II is a perfect place to explore the history of Palembang. From the age of Sriwijaya to the Palembang Darussalam Sultanate, through the Dutch colonial era and the Japanese occupation up to the early era of Indonesia's independence are all presented in its 368 collections.
Last, but not the least important is the new Jakabaring Stadium, the new pride of Palembang, where the 18th Asian Games competitions will be held.
As for Food and Shopping, Palembang is a treasure trove to find the best gold and silver songket cloths, laquerware and woodcarvings. When in Palembang you must not miss to try the city's specialty of pempek kapal selam, - or submarine pempek - bathed in yummy sweet and sour sauce.
To Get There:
Palembang is well connected by air and overland. Palembang's Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport connects the city with major cities across the archipelago including: Jakarta, Bandung, Pekanbaru, Batam, Bengkulu, Pangkal Pinang, Yogyakarta, Semarang, and Surabaya.
Among the airlines that serve flights to and from Palembang are Garuda
Indonesia, Batik Air, Citilink, AirAsia, Lion Air, Nam Air, Wings Air,
Xpress Air. There are also international flights to and from Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, and from Singapore.If you are already in one of the cities or capital cities on Sumatra, an overland trip to Palembang is also possible. The Trans-Sumatra Highway connects many cities across the island to and through Palembang which allows you to experience some of Sumatra's natural beuaty along the way.
