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A quiet provincial capital, Bengkulu doesn’t have much to do for tourists but chat up the locals, most of whom don’t speak English. Alternatively, you could pass through as a UFO - unidentified foreign object.
Although Bengkulu is by the sea, most of the town is set back from the waterfront, touching only near the fort, Benteng Marlborough. The coast is unexpectedly quiet and rural, just a kilometre or so from the town center.
The commercial spine of Jl Suprapto and the nearby Pasar Minggu Besar are in the modern town center, which is connected to the old town area around the fort by the long and straight Jl Ahmad Yani/Jl Sudirman.
Information
INTERNET ACCESS
Satelit Internet (Jl S Parman 9; h10am-8pm)
MONEY
There are plenty of ATMs around town. BCA bank (Bank Central Asia; Jl Suprapto 150) The best place to exchange money.
Bll bank (Bank Internasional Indonesia; Jl Suprapto) BNI bank (Bank Negara Indonesia; Jl S Parman) Travelers cheques and US dollars can be changed here.
POST
Main post office (Jl S Parman) South of town centre; also has poste restante.
Post office (Jl RA Hadi 3) More convenient, opposite the Thomas Parr monument.
TELEPHONE
Telkom wartel (cnr Jl Suprapto & Soekarno-Hatta; h7am-10pm) International calls can be made here.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Sanindo Wisata Tours and Travel (Jl Mt Haryono 73) Sanindo Wisata can arrange historical city tours, as well as tours to the Curup tea plantations and offshore islands.
Sights
Set on a hill overlooking the Indian Ocean, Benteng Marlborough (h8am-7pm), a former British fort, was restored and opened to the public in 1984 after a long period of use by the Indonesian army.
Benteng Marlborough became the seat of British power in Bengkulu after 1719, when it replaced nearby Fort York, of which nothing but the foundations remain.
Despite its sturdy defences the fort was attacked and overrun twice - by a local rebellion just after its completion in 1719, and then by the French in 1760. The old British gravestones at the entrance make poignant reading. There are a few interesting old engravings and copies of official correspondence from the time of British rule. You can also see where the Dutch incarcerated Soekarno during his internal exile.
Bengkulu has a number of other British reminders. The Thomas Parr monument (Jl Ahmad Yani), in front of the Pasar Barukota, was erected in memory of a British governor beheaded by locals in 1807. The Monumen Inggris (Jl M Hasan), near the beach, is dedicated to Captain Robert Hamilton, who died in 1793 ‘in command of the troops’.
Former president Soekarno was exiled to Bengkulu by the Dutch from 1938 until 1941. The small villa in which he lived is maintained as a museum (Jl Soekarno-Hatta; h8am-4.30pm Mon-Thu, 8am-noon Sat & Sun). Exhibits include a few faded photos, a wardrobe and even Bung’s trusty bicycle.
During his stay, Soekarno, who was an architect, designed the Mesjid Jamik (Bung Karno mosque; cnr Jl Sudirman & Suprapto).
Museum Negeri Bengkulu (Jl Pembangunan; admission by donation; h8am-4.30pm Tue-Thu, 8am-noon Sat & Sun) has a poorly labelled collection of standard Sumatran fare. Bring your own light if you want to see anything.
The graves in the European cemetery (Jl Ditra) behind the small church are testament to the colonialists’ vulnerability to malaria.
Bengkulu’s main beach, Pantai Panjang, al though not the best in Indonesia, is clean, generally deserted and a good place for a walk. Strong surf and currents make it unsafe for swimming.
Sleeping
BUDGET
Vista Hotel (Jl MT Haryono 67) Near the bus agents, Vista is excellent value. You might have forgotten what clean means in Sumatra, but Vista can remind you, with a good range of clean rooms.
Wisma Balai Buntar (Jl Khadijah 122) In an old Dutch villa, this is Bengkulu’s version of backpacker land. The enormous rooms are a little faded, but the neighbourhood is worth a wander.
Hotel Bumi Endah (Jl Fatmawati 29) A friendly rambling hotel with quiet rooms and airy common spaces in a residential neighbourhood.
Hotel Samudera Dwinka (Jl Sudirman246) Located in the center of town, Hotel Samudera has rooms that are inexpensive without being depressing.
MIDRANGE & TOP END
Hotel Dena (Jl Fatmawati 28) A popular option with clean, comfortable rooms - all with hot water.
Rio Asri Hotel (Jl Veteran 63) For such a staid town, Rio Asriis a daring ’80s-inspired design experiment.
The rooms are equally as smart and some have high-top views over the garden city.
Horison Hotel (Jl Pantai Nala 142) The fanciest hotel in town, with well-dressed rooms and a swimming pool overlooking the beach.
Eating
In the evening, several warung cause a traffic jam along Jl Sudirman, serving freshly grilled seafood and martabak (stuffed savoury pancake).
Roti Holland Bakery (Jl Suprapto 124; h8am-5pm) Chocolate doughnuts are wrapped thoughtfully in a cardboard box for those with self-control. The rest of us can tear into the pastries at the café tables.
Sri Solo (Jl Suprapto 118) The equivalent of an ice-cream parlour, Sri Solo serves local families after church, gangs of schoolkids and courting couples plates of ayam baker (grilled chicken) and tasty fruit juices.
Rumah Makan Si Kabayan (Jl Sudirman 51; h6-10pm) This is where Bengkulu entertains guests, with fitting VIP prices.
Simpang Lima Bakso (Jl Soekarno-Hatta) Bengkulu is bakso (meatball and noodle soup) crazy and this simple warung does a thriving business beside the city’s crazy five-way intersection.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Merpati, Sriwijaya and Adam Air operate daily flights to Jakarta. The Merpati office (Jl Sudirman 246) is in the Hotel Samudera Dwinka. Other tickets can be purchased through Sanindo Wisata Tours and Travel (Jl Mt Haryono 73).
BUS
Bengkulu has two bus terminals: Air Sebakul terminal, 15km east of town, serves long-distance destinations, while Panorama terminal, 7km east, is used by local buses.
However, it is much easier to go to the bus company offices on Jl MT Haryono, as almost all long-distance destinations can be reached from here.
To get to Air Sebakul take a yellow opelet to Panorama and then a white one to Air Sebakul.
Putra Rafflesia (Jl MT Haryono 12) services Palembang (15 hours) and Padang (16 hours). Bengkulu Indah (JI MT Haryono) services a wide range of destinations. San Travel (Jl MT Haryono 73) goes to Bukittinggi (17 hours).
PO Gunung Kerinci (Jl Bali 36) runs buses up the coast to Sungaipenuh in the Kerinci Valley (18 hours). Tanjung Indah (Jl MT Haryono 108) runs minivans to Palembang and other destinations.
Habeco (Jl MT Haryono), at the northern edge of town, has daily buses along the coast road to regional destinations, such as Lais (2 hours), Ipuh (5 hours) and Mukomuko (8 hours).
Getting Around
The airport is 200m from the main road south, from where there are regular opelet to town. Tell the driver where you want to stay or simply ask for the benteng (fort). Opelet and ojek also greet buses when they arrive at Jl MT Haryono/Jl Bali.
There are no fixed routes for opelet; tell the driver your destination or general area and you might get a nod of approval. The city is roughly divided up into the Kampung (the area around Benteng Marlborough), Simpang Lima (the intersection of Jl Suprapto, Parman, Fatmawati and Soekarno-Hatta) and Minggu (the area around Pasar Minggu).
