Delightful Hill Town With Scenic Vistas

The town of Bukittinggi (lit: “High Hill”) lies at the centre of the Agam valley-one of three valleys which together form the Minang heartland. While Padang is the modern commercial, educational and administrative centre of the province, Bukittinggi is the cultural capital of the Minang realm. The largest city in the highlands, Bukittinggi grew up around a Dutch post, Fort de Kock, built in 1825 during the Paderi conflict. This attractive, bustling town was the birth-place of many Indonesian intellectuals, cabinet ministers and diplomats-including Mohammad Hatta, the nation’s first vice-president. Although less than a degree south of the equator, Bukittinggi has a cool climate due to its elevation-900 meters above sea level. It rains frequently, but many tourists nevertheless find this to be the most hospitable city in Sumatra –everything is within walking distance, food and lodgings are good, there is lots to see and the residents are very friendly.

It rains frequently, but many tourists nevertheless find this to be the most hospitable city in Sumatra –everything is within walking distance, food and lodgings are good, there is lots to see and the residents are very friendly.

A walking tour

Bukittinggi’s principal landmark is the Jam Gadang (“Great Clock”) a clock tower with a miniature Minang house on top overlooking the main square. Visible from many parts of town, it is a good starting point for an exploration on foot. On Saturdays and Sundays, the lively Pasar Atas central market next door spills out into the streets. All kinds of fruits, vegetables, spices and meats (except pork) are sold in open-air stands run by assertive Minang ladies. There are sections for everything brightly coloured plastic wares seem to be the main attraction. Bargaining is a popular social activity here rather than a test of wills or an attempt to cheat the unwary traveller. Keep your sense of humour, and bargain hard if you are buying!
From here, walk up Bukittinggi’s “main-street,” Jalan Ahmad Yani, which is lined with antique and souvenir shops, restaurants and offices. Two unique stair-streets lead down from here to the right, to Jl. Cinduamato, and are lined with more souvenir shops.

To get a good view of the town and the surrounding area, climb up Jl. Cinduamato to Taman Bundo Kanduang park at the top of the hill, where a zoo and a museum are located. The name of the park refers to the legendary “Great Mother” symbolic of the matrilineal Minang. The zoo is crowded on Sundays, when it is the principal place in town to see and be seen, but the animals are kept in the rather miserable conditions.
The museum in the park is housed in a traditional Minang rumah gadang complete with thatched roof and flanking granaries. Inside are examples of wedding customs and tanduk headdresses in the shape of buffalo horns. A small fortune in fine gold jewellery is on display; for several centuries this area was the archipelago’s leading producer of the precious metal. The museum also displays old matchlock rifles used against the Dutch, as well as musical instruments.

Breathtaking panoramas

Bukittinggi was formerly called Fort de Kock, after the Dutch fortification erected at the edge of a steep-sides ridge here in 1825. Stone ruins and a few cannon are all that is left of the fort, known locally as the benteng, but there is a lookout tower that is an excellent spot to watch sunsets and take in a view of Mt. Marapi (“Fire Mountain”), which occasionally vents puffs of smoke. The view alone is worth the walk-to get here, take a path up from Jl. T. Umar, near the corner of Jl. A. Yani.

Another breathtaking panorama is available on the southwestern edge of Bukittinggi, which skirts the lovely Ngarai Sianok Canyon. background, blankets of mist drift around the canyon’s 100-meter cliffs. A river meanders through rice fields below, disappearing in the hazy distance beyond. A lookout point known as Panorama Park overlooks the canyon and is a popular spot with locals who come to stroll in the afternoon air. A path leads down into the canyon, past Japanese built tunnels under the park. One can explore these tunnels, but a flashlight and quite are essential.

Hike to Kota Gadang

Kota Gadang is a village of silversmiths a few km from Bukittinggi across the Sianok Canyon. Walk one km down into the canyon, turn left and cross a small bridge over the river, and follow the trail up a long flight of steps. From here the village is ten minutes’ walk: ask for directions along the way. The speciality here is delicate silver filigree. You can buy pins in the form of orates flowers, tiny earrings in the shape of Minang houses, and a plethora of exquisite miniature objects. Larger items include model sailing ships, traditional Minang houses and the clock tower.

—John Miksic
[text taken from "Sumatra", Periplus, 1996]

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