Padang Travel Forum

Hi there,
I am a Taiwanese. I have a question...Is it safe for a Taiwanese
to travel in Padang alone?! Because I've heard a lot about Indenisia,
but I still think it's a nice place to visit...So can anyone give me some
suggestion about travelling ALONE in Padang...
Thanx

Hm...Thanx for that.
Coz sometimes I watched news which reported that some Chinese-Indonesians were being treated unequal. I don't know if this is true or not. And that it's all I am worrying about!!
But I think the media usually horribly biased, so...It seems that there is nothing to worry about now!!

oops Jason, maybe I'm too late to reply ; )

Fazahar & I just got back from Padang. stationed at Bukittinggi by night, we went on Day Tours to Batusangkar, Danau Singkarak & Payakumbuh [our pages for these under construction now]

the Minang people have Chinese roots, and there are still pure Chinese there that has not inter-married : ) we actually spent at the groceries & restaurants of the Chinese there too! ; )

I'd say, of all of Indonesia that I've been, the Minang land is the safest with prices, they hardly jack up their prices! but then again, I'm not sure if their honesty is topped up by the less tourists' arrival due to media...

you will be safe here, Jason. keep us posted if you go

sha

Hi Sha Stallion,
Looking forward to seeing your pages on West Sumatra. It is one of my favourite areas of Indonesia and I have visited there in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003 2004 and 2005. I spent 19 days travelling around there this year in January 2005 in a hired Kijang with my driver and 3 Indonesian friends. We visited Painan ( 2 hrs south of Padang) where I hired the Kijang and then we travelled to Padang, Pariamin, Embun Pagi (above Lake Maninjau), Lake Maninjau, Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh, Solok, Muara Labuh, Kersic Tau, Sungai Penuh, Muara Sako, Tapan and back to Painan.
I have a whole lot of photos some of which are on this website
http://community.webshots.com/album/394086449oYfNie
I must try to find the time to do my pages on this website as well.
Pamela Sydney Australia.

Hi Jason,
I'm not Taiwanese but live in Tpe, and was also planning to go to Padang at the end of january (the same - seduced by Tiger airways..)) but so far not sure if I can go there as I have to choose between Padang and Vietnam...

hi Todos

you should choose between Padang or Vietnam for two different reasons.

if you choose Padang, you must go to Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh & Batusangkar. Bukittinggi is a cool climate. things to see include:
1. majestic bullhorn architecture everywhere
2. luxurious food that goes with rice
3. mountains and volcanoes

Vietnam is a different world altogether... okay so you choose ; )

sha