Padang - Bukittinggi [27/8

January 11, 2016

Padang - Bukittinggi [27/8 - 30/8/2015]

Hi Readers.

Last minute i decided to join my member that already planning to go Padang. Supposedly 5 ladies should go but at the end its only me and Amirah. The rest can't join due to sick, family and work. Thank god before that i and Ami already sit down and draft our itinerary and budget,

Date : 27 - 30/8/2015
Duration : 4days 3nights
Accomodation: Orchid Hotel in Bukittinggi & Hotel Alifa Syariah in Padang
Budget : Under rm500 include flight
Flight : Air Asia (RM195) return

Day 1
07.30am - Off flight from KUL
08.00am- Arrived (Padang's time one hour late from Malaysia)
09.00am - Free & easy while waiting for Amirah.
Museum Adityawarman
02.00pm - Meet up with Amirah at Basko Mall
03.30pm - Off to Bukittinggi
06.00pm - Arrive Bukittinggi and walk-in hostel
07.00pm - Check-in Hostel and rest
08.30pm - Walk around Jam Gadang and Pasar Atas
12am - Sleep

This is my first time solo travel. Even though its only one day solo travel but i was nervous. To survive in stranger place but i confident i can make it. When i step out from Minangkabau airport i directly took Bus Damri. Rp 23,000 from Airport to Basko Mall. But on the way i change my mind to visit the Museum instead. But when i said to the bus driver, it said the bus already pass that road. He kind enough to stop me and cross the road with me and ask local that can bring me there. I wait for awhile and a lady with motorbike ask me to hope on and will bring me to the museum. I directly remember about hitchhiking. I trust that lady enough to bring me there. With a heavy backpack that i carried at the bag, i rode with her. When i arrive at the museum i gave her Rp 3,000 for the tips. Quite an experience.

The entry fee of the Museum Adityawarman is Rp 2,000. I enter and explore the Museum. It exhibit the Minangkabau history, culutre, Minangkabau roots, Sarong and everything about Minangkabau culture. After exploring, I wanted to rest and eat lunch at Basko Mall. From Museum, I took Angkot (Mini van) orange color. The cost id Rp 4,000 but i believe of you are local it suppose to be only Rp 3,000.

Museum Adityawarman

Angkot van

In Basko Mall, I ate my lunch at KFC. The sauce is quite salty. Many youngster came here to hangout and study. I also pray at the ground floor in this mall. At 3.30pm, Amirah arrive at Basko Mall. She bought breads and JCO Avocado Coffee (I am the one that craving that and ask her to share with me) hehe. We step outside to look for a van that give service to go Bukittinggi. We paid Rp 25,000 for the ride. Took us nearly 3 hours to get there (Traffic jam ontheway to Bukittinggi).

Avocado Coffee :)

Road to Bukittinggi

Once we reach Bukittinggi, we directly survey for our accommodation and we found Orchid Hotel. Walk-in rate is Rp 150,000 per night for 2 person (without hot water). Cheap right? its about RM 46 for 2 person. After rest and pray, we went for dinner. Luckily at jam gadang they have a mini concert and they had already celebrate the event for 10 days. We ate Bakso and Satay for dinner.

concert dangdut!

Day 2

0500am - Subuh
0900am - Sianok Canyon
1100am- Danau Meninjau
1120am - Museum Buya Hamka
1230pm - Lunch Ayam Penyet
1400pm - Puncak Lawang
1530pm -Off back to Bukittinggi
1700 pm - Bukittinggi
2000pm - Pasar atas and Jam Gadang ( Free and easy)

We woke up and had breakfast provided by hotel. Today will be an adventure day. We rent a motorbike (9am until 5pm) for Rp 75,000. As expected we did get lost. Ask the local to get to Sianok Canyon. Somehow it was not to as our expectation. With just a few snap we get our bike and heading straight to Danau Meninjau via Sianok Road. We stop to bought 'kerepek' and enjoy the view. On the way to Danau Meninjau, we need to use Keluk 44. Wow by that time our butt are getting itchy and hurt. Luck is not at our side due to bad fogging. We cant see the view from the top but thank god the scenery along the road is beautiful and greeny. You can see paddy rice, lake meninjau, buffalo, school, kids, local people and mosque. After Danau Meninjau, we heading to Museum Buya Hamka, who was an Indonesia ulama, famous novelist, philosopher and political activist. He was born in Danau Meninjau, Padang, West Sumatera Indonesia. We actually were very tired and hungry! So we saw Ayam Penyet Restaurant at Danau Meninjau Town. We does not have any clue that we need to go through Keluk 44 if we want to go to Puncak Lawang. Gosh. =___=" We went up the Keluk 44 and heading to Puncak Lawang....and again we were so unlucky because we just can't see the view due to the haze..we only see white just like white canvas! I was so sleepy and decided to sleep at those greeny carpet grassland and the wind is like the cherry on top. Recharge our energy and 2 hours later we went back to Bukittinggi. Amirah was getting familiar around the Bukittinggi already. Proud of her! We rest until Maghrib. Heading out for dinner and shopping a lil bit.

2 motorbike girls :)

Shopping kerepek!

We rent motorbike for a day. Tq so much amirah for being a rider..even kite ade jatuh sekali di one of the keluk 44. haha pengalaman. This is Sianok Canyon.

Really wanted to do some activities here especially paragliding but unfortunately the hazed (jerebu) is worsen. We even didnt get to see the view. But we have fun on our own nevertheless.

Day 3
0500am - Subuh
0800am - Off to Kampung Malalak
0930am- Langkuik Tamiang Waterfall
1230pm- Off to Bukittinggi
0230pm- Bukittinggi
0400pm - Off to Padang
0700pm- Check in Hotel Alifa Syariah
0830pm- Dinner with Sandra
0130am- Sleep

Hiking in the early morning. We are the first to come here.

In love with this nature :)

We hike with these guys. They setup their little shop. Selling maggi, water, candies and shampoo. The guy in the middle (forgot his name) lived in Klang, Malaysia for couple of years. He shared his experience with us while hiking.

Wake up early and get ready to ride those motorbike. Now heading to Kampung Melalak for Langkuik Tamiang Waterfall. I would like to personally thank you to BBM facebook group for make this place known. This waterfall just open early August 2015 and this place is so beautiful. Luckily we reached there early. With 45 minutes trekking to Waterfall point, it was just magnificent! We need to pay for parking and the guide. Rp15000 each. We were so lucky coz in the morning there not many people. We got all for ourselves! Such a privacy. Done Brunch Maggi that we bought there and swam, at 12.30pm we started to trekking to go back. Surprisingly on the way, there were many youngster heading to waterfall. I can imagine the place were getting crowded. fuuh. I also notice that almost 90% old man, guys and kids are heavily smoking. For them it is culture and good for diet ( I strongly disagree). Rode back to our hotel,took a bath and pray. We took private van cost us Rp 100,000 to take us to Padang. Met with independent travel solo from France. She told us that she quit her job and make 60days travel around indonesia and asia. Such an inspiration. We slept for hours in the van and finally we reached our hotel. Amirah's friend, Sandra came by and took us for dinner (we were so deadly hungry coz we skipped lunch!). We went to the Famous Padang Seafood, Rumah Makan Fuja. Wow the seafood there were so fresh and delicious! Thank you sandra for the treat. Then she took us around Padang. she told us if saturday night all the youngster will go out until the early of the morning. Macet jadinya! aduh aduh! Sandra bought us to Es Durian Ganti Nan Lamo. Es Durian is like ABC in Durian flavour. I loooove the original Es Durian coz we can taste the richness of the Durian. My stomach was so so full. I just can't take anything more. So we planning on karoeke. i never karoeke outside from malaysia so I eagerly wanted to know how it feels. We karoeke and i've got alot of 100 marks! haha. Done singing we went back and I have only 2 hours sleep before wakeup and getting ready to go airport.