http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2256963
Above link will take you to the first report.
I hope some of the info within the last report and this one helps some of you:
Good Luck with your travels and have fun:
21st Sep Friday – Arrived at Sungai Penuh.
Left Pak Subandi’s Homestay and caught bemo (white) to Sungai Penuh (SP) at a cost of 10,000Rp, the journey was easy.
Arrived at SP, and got dropped off adjacent to the central market area, not long woken and I always try to spend 10 minutes of a journey into a new area, checking out my notes and any local maps I manage to get my hands on before arrival. Alighting from the Bemo, I had no idea what side or end of the market I was at. I slouched my Deuter over my shoulder and walked for a warung. Luck would have it the warung owner used to work in Jakarta for an International NGO; he spoke good English. A plate of pedas nasi goreng and I was well fed, not just with food but also with information. I later used this warung as a place to store my bag, ever so helpful and friendly.
Attempted to get into Hotel Yani, but no economy rooms available and they wanted 125,000 for the next room up. I headed for the next choice which was a quick five minute walk up the hill (opposite Yani adjacent to Central Police Office). Arrived at Hotel Matahari and was shown a price list starting at 85,000…. The place was run down and past its best, but is still accommodating to a budget traveler as I am. (LP book suggests the run down part, this is something me and 2010 LP book can actually agree on). The room is upstairs and is small, but clean with a single bed on either side of the room with a double window on the opposite wall to the door. A previous occupant has written his name and cellphone number on the wall, probably not a number for food delivery!! The stone floor is the smoothest surface before you get to ice rink status!!! It does remind me of a prison cell though, the windows have wrought iron decorative bars and overlook the surrounding houses and beyond. The beds remind me of the beds I saw while visiting SP21 in Phnom Penh several months ago – wrought iron but with a decent mattress, as opposed to restraining shackles/manacles on the bedsteads at SP21!!!! The toilets are downstairs and probably shouldn’t be mentioned; they had a water supply which was all I needed.
I paid 70,000 up front for this room – The hotel was ideally located opposite Bank BNI which I had some business with over the next few days – the visit to this bank was pleasant and made me wonder whether all BNI branches have model like cashiers!?? – This one certainly did.
During my stay at Matahari I met Ali, who is the nephew of the elderly owner, he’s also a guide and speaks passable English, though he wasn’t used for a guide I still spent time with him on several occasions during my SP stay and was also a guest to his house.
After some SMS contact, I met Luke Mackin of TT fame, I say fame because in my books this man was a Godsend. We met and grabbed some food at Minang Soto (Padang style eating) while having a great chat over a couple of hours. It’s always great to meet someone who you’ve communicated with on travel websites; to meet them in person has never been a disappointment for me.
There was a possibility that we would climb Gunung Kunyit that weekend but my injury made that impossible to do so we decided on a camp night out on Tapan Hill with some of Luke’s’ friends, leaving on Saturday afternoon.
22nd Sep Sat –
Checked out of Matahari – Deuter was dropped off at Luke’s house for my duration up Tapan Hill. 4WD hired and I meet Chua who works closely with Luke. We load the car up with the tents and usual camping equipment – no need for cooking gear as there are warungs we can use - now when I say we load up the usual camping equipment, there’s an aluminum case which is also loaded…. Inside this case is the longest and brightest flashlight I’ve had the honor of using – the beam could cause problems for airline pilots ;-)
We collect the fourth person on this 2 day mini expedition, Lisa. Off we go and drive up Tapan Hill to an area with a wooden building called “Tapan Hill Resort” This will be out camp area for the night.
I head off with Luke as we walk along the road, heading towards Tapan (the road eventually leads towards Painan / Padang area – coastal road) The scenery is amazing, we walk for some time and every new vista is better than the previous. After an hour or so we re-trace our steps and arrive at the campsite just after darkness. We meet up with Chua and Lisa and head off for some makan malam of mie rebus and minum.
Now, we passed this area on our climb up towards the camp area and I know what is beyond the warung and into the darkness – it’s beautiful scenery by daylight, but complete blackness at this time of night. Luke notices some eyes way off in the distance; his mega flashlight has picked up the reflection of a pair of eyes near the top of a distant tree. Too far away to see who the eyes belong to but it was great none the less…. With the light of the warung there are some wonderful insects to be seen, including a large yellow moth and also a yellow bodies wasp type insect… these apparently inflict a few days of pain if stung.
We return to the campsite and continue past it – we’re still in the vehicle and we drive slowly along the road, shining all the flashlights into the treetops, adjacent to the road on either side as well as further out over the tree tops to the left, some of which are at the same level as us. After some time we (me and Luke) decide to walk for a while, with the 4WD following us – there was a report of tiger tracks not long ago in this vicinity, so the vehicle is our back up just in case!!! Doubtful, but Luke has lived in this area for some years now and quite rightly, takes no chances.
Nothing is spotted but just the fact that I’m in this area, shining high powered torches into jungle/forest, in search of local wildlife, is good for me. On the return drive towards the campsite Luke spots another pair of eyes, Chua stops the vehicle and we’re out in an instance – we catch glimpse of a civet in the trees and photos are taken by Luke. The civet is happily sitting in the branches of a tree very close by, maximum 10 metres and it’s happily watching us. He moves now and again but probably to get a better look at us, as we are doing to him!! It’s a great end to a great evening, a good walk, followed by food in a local warung with some truly entertaining and easy going sociable people, followed by another drive combined with a walk through the darkness of Tapan Hill road, in search of local wildlife. Just to hear the different noises of the night is a magnificent experience.
Camp is made up which is quick and easy, using Luke’s pop up tents. We sit for a while outside the tents and talk but are soon tired and need sleep as we will be up early tomorrow morning to do another Tapan Road walk at daybreak before breakfast.
22nd Sep Sun
Damn, it was cooler than ever during the night – the morning is still cool and the air has a “crisp” feel to it, the sun is showing and it’ll soon get warm.
Another walk down along the same road, we don’t see any mammals but some gorgeous birds observed. We check out a WW2 Japanese bunker (with lone photogenic bat quite happily watching us watch him). On the other side of the road is a tunnel, probably again used by Japanese during WW2 – this tunnel has been man-made, at least in part if not entirely, and houses some “swifts”, I get some great photos of on location nests which are used for “birds nest soup”, I also have to take immediate action to make sure the swifts don’t hit me as they fly around the tunnel. There’s an egg in at least one nest so after some quick photos we make a retreat.
We breakfast at the middle warung while taking in some great views – I have to say, the views are some of the best I’ve seen during my many months in Indonesia.
So’ it’s back to SP, collect my bag from Luke’s’ house and Chua will take me to Hotel Mahkota, Luke was good enough to take me out there yesterday to check it out and I reserved a 3 night stay.
The Mahkota is a place that Luke highly recommended before I even arrived in SP, he did mention is was on the outer side of town (to Central 30 minutes’ walk – 5 minutes Ojek – 2,000rp).
I’m happy to stay here – free Wi-Fi in lobby, buffet breakfast and a swimming pool – it’s called Hotel Mahkota Hotel and Resort – all for 70,000Rp (+10% taxes) for economy room, which is located within an annex which has a communal area with TV for guests. No fan (it’s cool at night) but comes with double bed and attached mandi, wardrobe; table etc – a bargain. Luke is on the look-out for a rented bike for me to hire which will allow me to get around on my own – I’m an avid believer of local economies and don’t mind paying people to show me around; but to be honest I hate being part of any tour operation, unless I really need it. If you give me a book; a map and a my own transport then I can look after myself
23rd Sep Monday
Breakfast by the pool consisted of buffet mie / nasi goreng with the usual accompaniments of fried egg; tomato etc. Eat as much as you want as well as re-fills of tea’ coffee or water. During my stay I noticed some guests were eating maybe Bakso but not sure if that was by special arrangement. Eating the breakfast poolside and looking up into the backdrop of hills was so easy on the eye… and stomach!
Today I didn’t do much, a quick walk into SP to visit the local Tourist Office (positioned beside the previously mentioned Police Office). Through the main doors, along the main corridor and out the back door, climb the outer stairs will take you to the actual Tourist Office where the guys are more than helpful. I was given some leaflets on the area but the most important one was called “An Inside Look at the Secret Valley of Sumatra” a 64 page glossy book on all attractions in and around SP. It was published 2003 so the info regarding accommodation etc is out of date…. But for the natural attractions, well they’ve been around for thousands of years, so a 10 year dated book isn’t a problem and the directions to these attractions are still in date! There’s also the National Park Office which is also very helpful and gave me good information during several visits while I was at SP. This office is within easy reach if you have your own transport, best way to locate it is ask/follow signs for the civilian hospital (not the Army hospital on Jl Jend A Yani); the NP Office can be found further up the hill on the right hand side, just before a soccer field.
I did some walking around town, grabbed some food and grabbed an Ojek (2,000 to 3,000rp) for the return journey to Mahkota. All Ojek rides are 2,000Rp around town. There are Bemo’s which run form the Bemo Station (Central) to the outlying villages – make sure there are return Bemos that same day, or at least when the last Bemo returns.
I met Rycko for the first time that evening – Rycko is a local 30 year old guy and was introduced to me, via SMS, by Luke. He is the man who will rent me a motorbike. Now before I forget, throughout my extended stay in SP, Rycko was Godsend No2 (Luke being No1), we got on really well and he’s very much aware of the foreigners needs. Great English and very knowledgeable with regard to the area, we met many times and would have met more had he not had to travel to Padang due to a family bereavement, but even then, he kept in contact to make sure I was doing okay and not bored – my response always was “Rycko, I’m in Kerinci Valley, how can anyone be bored while here”
So I have a “step-thru” motorbike and I’m good to go!
I could keep writing like this on a daily schedule, but I feel it better to summarize the remainder of my stay (another 7 days) while at SP. Before I continue though, I have to mention the friendliness of the people of Sungai Penuh and the beauty of the surrounding areas. There is tourism here; people make money from tourists, but mostly “local” tourists as opposed to foreign tourists. There is no touting by anyone that I came across, there is very little English spoken in this area, compared to the many other areas of Sumatra I’ve been to.
I chose my favorite warungs and kept to them, I spent many hours in these warungs, the owners knew how hot I liked my food and I was never disappointed, I would be sitting in these warungs and meet some of the most fantastic people I’ve ever met, they would be after only one thing, they wanted to practice their English, they wanted to know about my country and from these meetings and conversations I was being enveloped into the daily life of these wonderful local people.
I also found (well, Luke introduced me to it) a great place that sold juice; shakes and other drinks… I did my best to sample all of their drinks on their menu but the es cappuccino with oreo chunks was always my first choice during daily visits, with me opting for a second alternative drink before carrying on with my day, but I never got to the end of the list of drinks, though, the attempt was made!!
Many people I met just wanted to talk; they wanted to talk to learn better English. I was invited to homes; schools… I was invited to anywhere there were people who wanted to listen to me speak English…. Hell, I love to talk!!!!
I think the most bizarre moment was when I was being shown around the new Plaza by the Manager; behind us we had the security guy along with the cashier manager and then 3 other members of staff – it was like a VIP visit!! Here’s me in my 10 month old travel clothes and I’m proudly being shown around this new Plaza, Again, there was no hidden agenda…. They were proud of their new shopping area, and at the same time the Manager was practicing English – numerous visits to this shopping area always had the same outcome – a sociable chat with coffee and biscuits, on one occasion, and as I was leaving the Plaza, security asked me to wait for the Manager to come from his house – the staff had seen me doing some grocery shopping and called their manager. This turned into a photo shoot in his office and at the front of the Plaza – so, everyone is friendly and wants to entertain the foreign guy – during my stay in SP I saw no other tourist, or none at least, that I could recognise as a tourist.
So, back to my remaining days… there are many natural attractions surrounding Sungai Penuh, far more than surrounds Kersik Tua which bemuses me: why do tourists only make it as far as Kersik Tua when they could travel another 60km down to SP for some even better scenery (and people) – maybe Gunung Kerinci is the only reason they stop and turn back at Kersik Tua…. Well people, those of you who didn’t head further south, shame on you, you missed out. Those who are planning a trip and maybe weren’t planning on further south of G. Kerinci, you’d be crazy not to include SP into your schedule.
Attractions around SP are as follows:
- Semurup Hot Spring – worth a visit; minimal entrance fee
- Tapan Hill Panorama – worth a visit – a must
- Putri Bungsu Tigabelas Tingkat Waterfall – worth a visit
- Mosque Agung – worth a visit – a must
- Flower Park – didn’t visit
- Khayangan Park Panorama – worth a visit; see Mt Kerinci and Lake Kerinci sitting at either end of the valley – a wonderful sight – a must
- Indah Koto Petai Beach – visit this on way down towards Lake Kerinci
- Lake Kerinci Recreational Park – as above, pop in as you drive beyond
- Pancuran Rayo and Pancuran Gading Waterfalls – Rayo was my choice and after taking a “short-cut” I eventually got there; numerous river stream crossings, my jaw dropped when I caught first sight of this waterfall.
- Temedak Adat Forest – I think I got here!
- Cape Pelita (D Kerinci) – good roadside view of L Kerinci
- Mt Kunyit – as like Mt Kerinci, I had to miss this out
- Lake Lingkat – a beautiful small lake; has a warung
- Lake Duo and Lake Kecik – didn’t get to see both of these; I detoured off and time got the better of me.
- Lake Kaco – didn’t attempt to see
- Pauh Sago Waterfall and Cave – headed for this which is furthest from Sungai Penuh and again I spent so much time stopping roadside to watch locals doing their daily chores etc that time again got the better of me. I again detoured from the intended journey; still had a great day, the water mills were great.
The above areas weren’t all visited by me, the injury I had (still have) stopped me doing some of the longer treks; this still disappoints me, but what I saw was amazing. I’ve travelled extensively around Indonesia over the past 11 months now for one reason, it’s not only to arrive at a new town or village, or visit a certain area, but also very important to me is the journey in between: the experiences, the sights and the people I’ve met and the opportunities I’ve come across while doing the actual moving between places has been wonderful, this also goes for my daily trips around Kerinci Valley area. There were times when I didn’t get to my intended destination, sometimes I saw a road I just knew I wanted to go down and that new route ultimately took me away from my destination; no matter where I ended up, I was never disappointed and I can hand on heart openly say, at the end of every day if someone asked me if it was a good day, I would break into the biggest smile and tell them it was the best day ever, why??? – Because it was another day in the valley!!!!
My days riding down south of Danau Kerinci were wonderful, I got used to the roads encircling this lake; the towns I rode through were just out of this world. Watching daily life of these villages is something I could have done all day. My favorite town was Lempur; I have no idea why, the first time I arrived there I was astounded, why was I astounded> I have no idea why, I truly don’t – it was just a magnificent town, friendly people, great views and magnificent buildings and sights… no different to the other towns, this one just got to me!
It has to be noted, there are some tourist attractions north of Sungai Penuh (heading towards Kersik Tua), but most of the attractions are located around Sungai Penuh which can be easily used as a base for daily trips.
Self-Driving
Renting a vehicle, whether two or four wheeled is easy in SP; and relatively cheap in comparison to all other areas of Sumatra I’ve visited (and there’s been many). I drive with an International Driving Permit while visiting Indonesia; this IDP is a permit only and requires that I also carry my home country Driver’s License. For those of you who haven’t got an IDP, this next part may be useful for you to stay legal on the roads of Kerinci. The aforementioned 2003 issued booklet mentions that a visit to the Police Station to obtain a temporary and short term driver’s license for this area is possible – it states that a visit to the Tourist Office next door should be the initial point of contact – this info is now 10 years out of date and may have changed.
Driving on the SP roads was second nature to me; as was driving into the countryside. The roads to some of the attractions were used by locals; watching a local man carrying a “kios” on the back of his bike along some of these roads doesn’t mean it’s easy – he’s been driving along these roads since he was 10 years of age. For instance, I was told by a local I could drive up a hillside track easily – it would be no problem…. I tried then I turned back after 100 metres, the un-surfaced road was too steep and broken. I walked for about 2 km’s along that road and was amazed at the skillful way the locals rode their bikes.
I stayed a total of 13 nights around Kerinci – 11 of those were nights spent in Sungai Penuh. My reason for leaving this town was to catch a pre-booked flight from Padang to Kuala Lumpur – visa!!!! Had I more time within my visa I would have stayed longer in Sungai Penuh – if I wanted to spend extended time in Indonesia of several months, just to be part of a local community and enjoy local life; to have breathtaking scenery on my doorstep, Sungai Penuh would be a good choice. I think I mentioned this on one or two occasions Luke, you are one lucky guy!!
I still have some difficulty with the 2010 edition of LP Indonesia…. “There is a lively market and fast, reliable internet, but not much else to recommend a protracted stay…..” I think the biggest problem I have with this statement is the fact they have the audacity to make a “recommendation” when they obviously have no idea what they’re talking about and again, they obviously have never been to this part of the valley – if they had been here, the statement would never had made it into their LP book.
My day to leave Sungai Penuh was quite sad for me – I had some of the best times of my Indonesian travels in this area. I met some of the best people and saw some of the best scenery – overall I have to give this place full mark (s)……. for everything.
I left using the same transport company that brought me here – reserving a seat on a travel was quick and easy. PO CW Safa Marwa are a safe and well known company in the Padang / Kerinci area. Their vehicles are spotless and the drivers know how to drive safely. I purchased a ticket from their office on Jn Yos Sudarso; they offer free pick-up from your location but I explained I would bring my Dueter to their office for them to look after for the remainder of the day. I checked out of Hotel Mahkota, said my goodbyes to the great staff and jumped on an Ojek to the transport office.
I dropped my bag at mid-day and had a walk around town for the rest of the day, spending time saying my goodbyes to the people I had got used to spending time with.
The travel left at 7pm and took me straight to Padang Airport – arriving at 3am. The combined cost for this was a well-priced 120,000rp.
I will return to Kerinci sometime in the future, my injury stopped me from climbing the highest volcano in Indonesia. Had I climbed that mountain maybe I would be like most others and left Kerinci Valley heading north – I’m thankful that I headed further south to the wonderful area of Sungai Penuh.
I can only thank those who made it an experience I will never forget.
Edited by: katija
