Padang

The home of Padang cuisine and gateway to West Sumatra, with a seaside old town, island hopping around Mandeh and the legendary Malin Kundang stone – ideal for a food-and-islands trip.

Padang is the capital of West Sumatra, Indonesia, on the west coast of Sumatra facing the Indian Ocean. It is the cultural centre of the Minangkabau people and the birthplace of "Padang food", popular across Southeast Asia – you can sample beef rendang, sate Padang and all kinds of curries in one go at the city's restaurants. The city's sights are close together: sunset on Padang Beach (Taplau), the colonial old town and Chinatown at the mouth of the Batang Arau River, Siti Nurbaya Bridge and Gunung Padang, the Adityawarman Museum and the Grand Mosque with its buffalo-horn roof, all of which can be seen in a day. The islands are another highlight: from Bungus harbour south of the city, take a boat to hop between Pasumpahan, Pagang, Sikuai and other islands for snorkelling; about 1.5 hours further south is the Mandeh archipelago, from where you can continue to the Jembatan Akar root bridge and Langkisau Hill in Painan. To the north, a scenic tourist train runs to the beaches of Pariaman. The equatorial climate is hot and humid with rain all year; Jun–Sep is relatively dry with calmer seas. Getting there: Minangkabau International Airport has flights to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur; it's about 25 km from the city, with an airport rail link. The Bukittinggi highlands are covered as a separate destination, about 2.5 hours away by road. Plan on 2–3 days, and dress modestly in this Muslim region.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries