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About Padang

Located on the west coast of Sumatra Island, Padang is famous for its beaches. Padang is also known as the largest city on the west coast of Sumatra, as well as the capital of West Sumatra Province. Occupying an area of 694.96 square kilometres, Padang is surrounded by hills and sits at a high altitude—about 1,853 meters above sea level. Carrying the motto "Taste of Padang", this city is also famous for its cuisine. Padang specialties that are popular among tourists are rendang, sate padang, ayam pop, and karupuak sanjai. Rendang itself has been selected by CNN International as the most delicious food in the world, ranked first in the list of the World's 50 Most Delicious Foods. For this reason, the Padang government then held the Rendang Festival which was first held in 2011.


Top Things to Do in Padang

Offering amazing historical and cultural trips, there are many interesting places in Padang that are a pity to miss. So, here is the list of top attractions in Padang that you need to consider


Museum Adityawarman

Inaugurated on March 16, 1977, the museum's name originated from a king in the 14th century-Adityawarman, The King of Malayapura. Occupying an area of ​​around 2.6 hectares, Adityawarman Museum has a wide collection of historical objects both Minangkabau or national cultural reserves. It has a building area of ​​around 2,855 square metres and located precisely on Jalan Diponegoro No. 10 Kelurahan Belakang Tangsi, Kecamatan Padang Barat, Kota Padang. Of all the museum's collections, the most iconic one is Rumah Bagonjong or Banjuang, which offers characteristics of traditional Minang houses.


Grand Mosque of West Sumatra

Different from most mosques, the Grand Mosque of West Sumatra does not have a dome on it. As the place of worship of the largest Muslim community in West Sumatra, it uses the architecture of Rumah Gadang with four typical angles of Minangkabau-style design. The building itself has an oval-shaped with an area of ​​18,000 square metres. This mosque is also relatively new because it was completely renovated in early 2019. Interestingly, the mosque's building which consists of three floors is designed to withstand earthquakes up to a limit of 10 magnitudes. That way, the Grand Mosque of West Sumatra can also function as a shelter-in-place in the event of a natural disaster at any time.


Sitti Nurbaya Bridge

The name of this bridge is taken from a classic novel titled Sitti Nurbaya. Stretching along 156 meters above the Batang Arau River, the bridge was built from 1955 to 2002. Besides functioning as a connecting path, the bridge is also used as a place to enjoy panoramic sunsets against the backdrop of the Padang Old Town. Plus, you can also enjoy the scenic view of the boats sailing around the river.


Old Town

If you want to explore the history of Padang, the Old Town is a perfect place. As a heritage site that has many old buildings, the Old Town is a witness to the history of the Dutch Colonial era in Padang. The buildings located in Padang Old Town were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The architecture applies the classical European style, neoclassical, art deco geometric, modern, and art deco streamlined. With such amazing views, it is no wonder that Padang Old Town is a great place to hunt some cool photos.


Padang Beach

Padang Beach is a nice place to hunt for sunsets and surfing. This brown sand beach is easily accessible and always crowded by tourists on weekends. Furthermore, you will not be charged to enter the beach. There are so many food stalls available at Padang Beach, serving local delights such as lontong pical, jagung bakar (roasted corn), rujak (some kind of fruit salad), sate (satay), dan seafood.


Pasumpahan Island

This small island is located on the west of Padang Beach, with an area of around 5 hectares. Its crystal clear water and pretty white sand make this island live up to its reputation. Pasumpahan Island is also famous for its degraded waters, from bright, green, to blue. Aside from lying down and sunbathing, you can do other fun activities, such as snorkeling, camping, or just explore its wonderful panoramas.


Air Manis Beach

Locally known as Malin Kundang Beach, tourists will find a human-shaped statue in a prostrate position here. The main attraction of Air Manis Beach is Pisang Island, a tiny island with an area of about 1 hectare. You can reach Pisang Island by walk when the seawater is receding. This island was usually used as a short break while visiting Air Manis Beach. But keep in mind that you cannot linger on this Banana Island too long because a few hours later the seawater will gradually rise.


Top Culinary in Padang

Your vacation to Padang will not be complete without tasting its local cuisine. So, make sure that you do not miss the chance to visit these popular dining places


Soto Garuda

Founded in 1976, you can find this legendary restaurant on Jalan S. Parman No. 110 Padang or Jalan Pattimura Padang. As the name suggests, Soto is the signature dish in this restaurant. Soto Padang has a light but rich flavor, served with small cubes of beef, potatoes, vermicelli, fried beef lungs, and sambal sauce.


Sitti Nurbaya Bridge

At night, the Sitti Nurbaya Bridge will be more crowded with visitors. The reason is that this place is one of the most popular culinary destinations in Padang, which is famous for its food street scene. You cannot miss tasting pisang kapiak, flattened bananas burned on charcoal and eaten with grated coconut and coconut brown sugar.


Es Durian Iko Gantinyo

If you are interested in tasting Durian flavours, stop by Es Durian Iko Gantinyo. Located on Jalan Nipah No. 34B Padang, this restaurant sells a variety of ice made from Durian. While enjoying your Durian ice, you can relax in its comfortable dining space.


Where to Stay in Padang

Aside from offering many tourist attractions, Padang is also one of the largest business centres in Sumatra. For this reason, there are many comfortable places to stay available in this city


Pangeran Beach Hotel

Located near the Grand Mosque of West Sumatra, this hotel provides three types of rooms: Superior, Deluxe, and Junior Suites. It also boasts an outdoor pool and fitness centre.


Favehotel Olo

This budget hotel is suitable for those who want to save more on vacation. Located on Jalan Blk. Olo No.46 Olo, Padang Barat, Padang, Favehotel Olo is only about 1 km from the Adityawarman Museum and 500 metres from Plaza Andalas.


The Axana Hotel

Another popular hotel in the city centre is The Axana Hotel. It offers a variety of on-site facilities such as spa, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and so on.

Make your vacation more memorable by using the Traveloka app! With this app, you can easily book rooms and buy admission tickets of popular tourist attractions.