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The core industries of oil refining, fertilizer production and cement manufacturing scent the air with a distinctive odor you might first mistake as your own funk.
The town is also a major port, being only 80km from the mouth of Sungai Musi. When Sumatra’s oil fields were discovered and opened in the early 1900s, Palembang quickly became South Sumatra’s main ex- port hub. As well as oil, the port handles exports from the province’s seemingly endless rubber, coffee, pepper and pineapple plantations.
A thousand years ago Palembang was the centre of the highly developed Sriwijaya civilisation. The Chinese scholar I Tsing spent six months in Palembang in 672 and reported that 1000 monks, scholars and pilgrims were studying and translating Sanskrit there. At its peak in the 11th century, Sriwijaya ruled a huge slab of Southeast Asia, covering most of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, southern Thailand and Cambodia. Sriwijayan influence collapsed after the kingdom was conquered by the south Indian king Ravendra Cho- ladewa in 1025. For the next 200 years, the void was partly filled by Sriwijaya’s main regional rival, the Jambi-based kingdom of Malayu.
Few relics from this period remain - no sculpture, monuments or architecture of note - nor is there much of interest from the early 18th century, when Palembang was an Islamic kingdom. Most of the buildings of the latter era were destroyed in battles with the Dutch.
The city’s name comes from two words: pa (place) and limbang (to pan for gold). The prosperity of the Sriwijayan city is said to have been based on gold found in local rivers.
Orientation
Palembang sits astride Sungai Musi, the two halves of the city linked by the giant Jembatan Ampera (Ampera Bridge). The river is flanked by a hodgepodge of wooden houses on stilts. The southern side, Seberang Ulu, is where the majority of people live. Seberang Ilir, on the north bank, is the city’s better half, where you’ll find most of the government offices, shops, hotels and the wealthy residential districts. The main street, Jl Sudirman, runs north-south to the bridge. The bus terminal and train station are both on the southern side.
Information
Palembang has branches of all the major banks and there are ATMs all over the city. Outside banking hours, the bigger hotels are a better bet than moneychangers.
BCA bank (Bank Central Asia; Jl Kapitan Rivai)
BII bank (Bank Internasional Indonesia; Jl Kapitan Rivai) BRI bank (Bank Rakyat Indonesia; Jl Kapitan Rivai) Moneychanger (Jl Kol Atmo)
Palembang city tourist office (Museum Sultan Machmud Badaruddin II, Jl Pasar Hilir 3) A useful office at the Museum Sultan Machmud Badaruddin II, off Jl Sudirman; the staff can arrange trips down the Sungai Musi and handicraft tours.
Post office (Jl Merdeka) Close to the river, next to the Garuda monument. Internet facilities available.
Provincial tourist office ( Jl Demang Lebar Daun) Outside of the centre of town; a useful office.
Telkom wartel (Jl Merdeka; h8am-9pm) Next to the post office; international phone calls can be made here.
Wartel (Jl Kapitan Rivai)
Sights
Museum Sumatera Selatan (Jl Sriwijaya 1, Km 5.5; h8am-4pm Sun-Thu, 8 - 11am Fri) is well worth a visit. It houses finds from Sriwijayan times, as well as megalithic carvings from the Pasemah Highlands, including the famous batu gajah (elephant stone). There is a magnificent rumah limas (traditional house) behind the museum. The museum is about 5km from the town centre off the road to the airport.
Museum Sultan Machmud Badaruddin II (Jl Pasar Hilir 3; h8am-4pm Mon-Thu & Sat, 8-11am & 1.30-4pm Fri) has a few dust-covered exhibits.
Other Palembang attractions include the imposing Mesjid Agung (Jl Sudirman), built by Sultan Machmud Badaruddin at the beginning of the 19th century.
The remains of a late-18th-century Dutch fort, occupied today by the Indonesian army, can be seen to the north of Jl Merdeka. Only sections of the fort’s outside walls still stand.
Tours
Carmeta Travel (Jl Dempo Luar 29/30) Agents can book city and river tours and trips to Bangka and Danau Ranau.
Festivals & Events
Palembang’s annual tourist event is the bidar race held on Sungai Musi in the middle of town every 17 August (Independence Day) and on 16 June (the city’s birthday). A bidar (canoe) is about 25m long, 1m wide and is powered by up to 60 rowers.
Sleeping
The midrange hotels in Palembang are typical Indonesian breeds: personality-less multistorey boxes with prices that make a backpacker wince. The upmarket business options are slowly but surely maturing to match international standards.
Hotel Al Fath Melia (Jl KS Tuban 19) Set on a quiet street, this is a decent choice with fairly basic rooms.
Hotel Sari (Jl Sudirman 1301) On a noisy junction, this hotel has the best ‘deluxe’ you’ll find for the money.
Wisma Bari (Jl Letnan Sayuti 55) Well positioned in a quiet lane, the postmodern rooms are modest but tolerable.
Hotel Swarna Dwipa (Jl Tasik II) In a leafy area, this mini resort is filled with Indonesian big-wigs, but the rooms don’t quite deliver.
Aston Hotel & Convention Centre (Jl POM IX) The very modern Aston is decorated in the
reigning trend of global minimalist. The business travellers stay self-contained here for conferences.
Hotel Sandjaja (Jl Kaptain Rivai 6193) This smart, upmarket hotel has rooms that match what you would get back home for the same price, plus a few more fingerprints. But when measured on the Sumatran scale, this is top-grade.
Novotel Palembang Hotel & Residence (Jl R Sukamto 8A) Outside of the town centre, the Novotel is a stone fortress resort with chic rooms oriented around a central pool.
Eating
Palembang lends its name to the distinctive cuisine of southern Sumatra (including Lampung and Bengkulu) in the same way Padang lends its name to West Sumatran fare.
The best-known dishes are ikan brengkes (fish served with a spicy durian-based sauce) and pindang, a spicy, clear fish soup.
Another Palembang speciality is pempek, also known as empek-empek, a mixture of sago, fish and seasonings that is formed into balls and deep fried or grilled. Served with a spicy sauce, pempek is widely available from street stalls and warung; you typically pay for what you eat.
Palembang food is normally served with a range of accompaniments. The main one is tempoyak, a combination of fermented durian, terasi (shrimp paste), lime juice and chilli that is mixed up with the fingers and added to the rice. Sambal buah (fruit sambals), made with pineapple or sliced green mangoes, are also popular.
Rumah Makan Mahkota Permai (Jl Mesjid Lama 33) Near the junction with Jl Sudirman, this is a good place to try Palembang food.
Rumah Makan Sri Melayu (Jl Demang Lebar Daun) For the full immersion of Palembang food and culture, visit this showpiece restaurant with polished wooden seating around a stylish coy pond.
Floating Restaurant (Seberang Ulu; hnoon-10pm) Directly across the Sungai Musi from the museum are Palembang’s favourite date restaurants, serving local specialities.
Pondok Selera (Jl Rambutan) Near the Songket Village, this open-air lunch spot pulls in the government workers for Palembang style ayam baker served with fresh vegetables and sambal.
French Bakery and Indo Cafe (Jl Kol Atmo) Near the bus ticket agents, this bakery and café offers all sorts of carb-loaded dishes and fancy coffee drinks.
The main night market (Jl Sayangan), to the east of Jl Sudirman, has dozens of noodle and sate stalls. Missing Padang food already? Load up at our old pals Pagi Sore (Jl Sudirman) and Makan Sari Bundo (Jl Kaptain Rivai).
Shopping
Tanjung Tunpung, 2km from the town centre, is the handicraft village where Palembang’s local songket industry is based. Ground-floor showrooms display sarongs used in marriage ceremonies and traditional costumes, as well as more functional scarves and textiles. Above the storefront are the workshops where it takes the young weavers a month to weave one sarong and chest wrap as well as keep up with the daily soap operas.
Makmur Jaya (Jl Ki Gede Ing Suro 12) Beyond tourist-market selections of fine silk and batiks.
Pasar 16 Ilir (Jl Mesjid Lama; h6am-6pm) Near the river, just off Jl Pangeran Ratu, this market sells batik and other textiles from Sumatra and Java, as well as house wares.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Sultan Badaruddin II airport is 12km north of town. There are flights by Silk Air to Singapore three times a week. Garuda flies daily from Palembang to Yogyakarta and Surabaya.
Garuda, Adam Air, Wings Air, Lion Air, Batavia Air and Sriwijaya all fly to Jakarta. Merpati flies to Batam daily and Medan four times a week. Garuda, Wings, Lion, Merpati, Jatayu and Batavia also have flights to Medan. Batavia Air serves Jambi daily.
Carmeta Travel (Jl Dempo Luar 29/30) can handle all of these ticketing arrangements.
BOAT
There are several services each day from Palembang’s Boom Baru harbour to Mentok on Bangka (4 hours).
There are direct ferry services to Batam (10 hours). Boats depart from Boom Baru on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7.30am.
BUS
The Karyajaya Bus Terminal (cnr Jl Sriwijaya Raya) is 12km from the town center.
Most of the bigger companies have ticket offices on Jl Kol Atmo, just near the former Hotel King. These agents are convenient for buying advance tickets and checking departure times, but it is recommended to catch the bus at the terminal instead of dealing with the extra transfer fee and extra wait time from the agents’ offices.
There are several companies on Jl Veteran offering door-to-door minibus services to Jambi (6 hours) and Bengkulu (15 hours).
TRAIN
On the south side of the river, Kertapati train station is 8km from the city center. There are two daily train departures to Bandarlampung. The morning train has economy class only ; the evening train has executive and business class. The trip takes nine to 10 hours.
There are also two trains that go north-west to Lubuklinggau with a stop at Lahat (for the Pasemah Highlands). It’s four hours to Lahat and seven to Lubuklinggau, but the fares are the same.
Getting Around
There are many opelet around the town. They leave from around the huge round-about at the junction of Jl Sudirman and Jl Merdeka.
Any opelet marked ‘Karyajaya’ will get you to the bus terminal. Any opelet marked ‘Kertapati’ will get you to the train station.
DANAU RANAU
Remote Danau Ranau, nestled in the middle of the southwestern Bukit Barisan range, is one of the least accessible and least developed of Sumatra’s mountain lakes. It’s an extremely peaceful spot and an excellent place to just relax or, if you’re feeling energetic, go hiking in the surrounding mountains. It’s possible to climb Gunung Seminung (1881m), the extinct volcano that dominates the region. Temperatures at Ranau seldom rise above a comfortable 25°C.
The main transport hub of the area is Simpang Sender, about 10km northwest of the lake. At the northern tip is Banding Agung, the main settlement. There is no bank, so change money before you get there.
There are several small hotels in Banding Agung, including Losmen Batu Mega (Jl Sugiwaras 269) and Hotel Seminung Permai (Jl Akmal 89). Jl Akmal is the main street leading down to the lake.
The village of Pusri also has accommodation, including Danau Ranau Cottages and Wisma Pusri.
South of Simpang Sender on the western shore is Wisma Danau Ranau, an upmarket place popular with tour groups.
Padang food is about all you’ll find in the restaurants.
Getting There & Away
Most routes to Danau Ranau go through the Trans-Sumatran Hwy town of Baturaja. There are two buses a day to Baturaja from the main bus terminal in Palembang (4 hours). The Palembang-Bandarlampung train line stops at Baturaja, which is about 3½ hours south of Palembang.
There are regular buses for the remaining 120km from Baturaja to Simpang Sender (3 hours), where you can pick up an opelet for the final 18km to Banding Agung. It’s a good idea to arrive in Baturaja as early as possible to give yourself plenty of time to get a bus out again. If you do get stuck, there are dozens of uninspiring budget losmen to choose from.
KRUI
The quiet coastal village of Krui is an ideal base to explore the unspoilt western coastline. Well off the beaten track, it receives few visitors and there’s little to do except enjoy small-town life and the magnificent scenery. Long, white-sand beaches with turquoise waters stretch north and south from Krui and can be explored by taking local opelet up and down the coast.
You can stay at DWI Hotel (Jl Merdeka 172) in the town centre. Hotel Mutiara Alam (3km south of Krui) is an out-of-town possibility right on the beach.
Backpackers might not pay much attention to Krui but surfers come for the unhindered swells that roar in off the ocean. Right in front of the scenic Karang Nyimbor Beach Hotel (10km north of Krui) surf camp is a long reef break surfable during all tides. The proprietors also have accommodation near other breaks that line the southwestern coast.
There are daily buses to Krui from Bandar Lampung (6 hours) and Bengkulu (80,000Rp, eight hours). Opelet depart regularly for Liwa (6000Rp, one hour) and from there to Simpang Sender (for Danau Ranau).
PASEMAH HIGHLANDS
The highlands, tucked away in the Bukit Barisan west of Lahat, are famous for the mysterious megalithic monuments that dot the landscape. The stones have been dated back about 3000 years, but little else is known about them or the civilisation that carved them. While the museums of Palembang and Jakarta now house the pick of the stones, there are still plenty left in situ.
The main town of the highlands is Pagaralam, 68km (two hours by bus) south-west of the Trans-Sumatran Hwy town of Lahat.
The best source of information about the highlands is the Hotel Mirasa in Pagaralam. There’s nowhere to change money, so bring enough rupiah to see you through.
Sights & Activities
MEGALITHIC SITES
The Pasemah carvings are considered to be the best examples of prehistoric stone sculpture in Indonesia and fall into two distinct styles. The early style dates from almost 3000 years ago and features fairly crude figures squatting with hands on knees or arms folded over chests. The best examples of this type are at a site called Tinggi Hari, 20km from Lahat, west of the small river town of Pulau Pinang. The later style, incorporating expressive facial features, dates from about 2000 years ago and is far more elaborate. Examples include carvings of men riding, battling with snakes and struggling with elephants. There are also a couple of tigers - one guarding a representation of a human head between its paws. The natural curve of the rocks was used to create a three-dimensional effect, though all the sculptures are in bas-relief.
Sculptures of this style are found through-out the villages around Pagaralam, although some take a bit of seeking out. Tegurwangi, about 8km from Pagaralam on the road to Tanjung Sakti, is the home of the famous
Batu Beribu, a cluster of four squat statues that sit under a small shelter by a stream. The site guardian will wander over and lead you to some nearby dolmen-style stone tombs. You can still make out a painting of
three women and a dragon in one of them.
The village of Berlubai, 3km from Pagaralam, has its own Batu Gajah (Elephant Stone) sitting out among the rice paddies, as well as tombs and statues. There is a remarkable collection of stone carvings among the paddies near Tanjung Aru. Look out for the one of a man fighting a giant serpent.
GUNUNG DEMPO
This dormant volcano is the highest (3159m) of the peaks surrounding the Pasemah Highlands and dominates the town of Pagaralam. Allow two full days to complete the climb. A guide is strongly recom- mended as trails can be difficult to find. The lower slopes are used as a tea-growing area, and there are opelet from Pagaralam to the tea factory.
Sleeping
The best place to stay in the highlands is Pagaralam.
Hotel Mirasa (Jl Mayor Ruslan) There is a range of rooms to choose from and the owner can organise transport to the sites or guides to climb Gunung Dempo. The hotel is on the edge of town, about 2km from the bus terminal.
Hotel Telaga (Jl Serma Wanar) A basic place with simple but clean rooms and very little else.
If you get stuck in Lahat, there is Hotel Permata (Jl Mayor Ruslam III 31), conveniently close to both the bus terminal and the train station.
Getting There & Around
Every bus travelling along the Trans-Sumatran Hwy calls in at Lahat, nine hours northwest of Bandarlampung and 12 hours southeast of Padang. There are regular buses to Lahat from Palembang (5 hours), and the town is a stop on the train line from Palembang to Lubuklinggau. There are frequent small buses between Lahat and Pagaralam (2 hours).
There are opelet to the villages near Pagaralam from the town centre’s stasiun taksi (taxi station).
PULAU BANGKA
Bangka is a large, sparsely populated island 25km off Sumatra’s east coast. Bangka has several white-sand beaches and a peaceful way of life but little in the way of alluring accommodation. Resort hotels were originally designed for wealthy visitors from Singapore and Malaysia, but they, like everyone else, have been spooked by security in Indonesia.
The island’s name is derived from the word wangka (tin), which was discovered near Mentok in 1710. Tin is still mined on the island, although operations have been greatly scaled down in recent years.
There are only small pockets of natural forest left on Bangka with a large part of the land cleared for rubber, palm oil and pepper plantations.
Pangkal Pinang
Bangka’s main town is Pangkal Pinang, a bustling business and transport centre with a population of about 140,000 people.
Most places of importance to travellers are close to the intersection of the main streets, Jl Sudirman and Jl Mesjid Jamik. The bus terminal and markets are nearby on Jl N Pegadaian.
SLEEPING
There are quite a few cheap losmen around the centre of town.
Penginapan Srikandi (Jl Mesjid Jamik 42) Simple and clean, and, best of all, cheap.
Bukit Shofa Hotel (Jl Mesjid Jamik 43) A large, modern place with a choice of decent rooms. Sabrina Hotel (Jl Diponegoro 73) A midrange place with comfortable rooms on a quiet side street off Jl Sudirman.
EATING
There are lots of small restaurants in Pangkal Pinang, including plenty of places along Jl Sudirman and in the markets near the main junction.
Restaurant Asui Seafood (Jl Kampung Bintang) Behind the BCA bank, this is the place to go for seafood. Gebung, known locally as ‘chicken fish’ because of the firmness of its flesh, is worth trying.
Mentok
Mentok, on the northwestern tip of the island, is the port for boats to/from Palembang. Most people hop on a bus directly from the port to Pangkal Pinang.
In Mentok, there is little of interest other than a memorial to 22 Australian nurses shot dead by the Japanese during WWII. If you get stuck, try Tin Palace Hotel (Jl Major Syafrie Rahman 1).
Beaches
The best beaches are on the northeastern coast around the town of Sungailiat, the island’s administrative center.
Pantai Parai Tenggiri is one of the most popular and is monopolised by the Parai Beach Hotel (Jl Pantai Matras). The deserted Pantai Matras, 5km further on, is even better.
Getting There & Away
Merpati flies three times a week to Jakarta.
There are several services each day from Palembang’s Boom Baru jetty to Mentok on Bangka (4 hours).
Pelni ships stop in at Mentok travelling to Bintan. The Pelni office (is out-side the port gates in Mentok.
Getting Around
There is regular public transport between Bangka’s main towns, but most opelet stop running in the mid-afternoon. After that taxis are the only option.
There are public buses from Mentok to Pangkal Pinang (3 hours) and Sungailiat (3½ hours).
