Just behind Padang, along the western coast of Sumatera, is a beautifull highland with mountain ranges and valleys. Fertile ricefields, impressive vulcanoes and spectaculair crater lakes take turns. The
luak nan tigo or the 'three valleys', roughtly form a triangle with in the centre the holy Gunung Merapi (2891 meter), the highest and most active vulcano in the environment; this should be the place where the first Minangkabau ancestors lived.
South and east of the vulcano is the Tanahdatar Valley (Flat soil) around the town of Batusangka. This was the centre of the Minangkabau principalty from the 14th to the 19th century. Old graves, inscriptions, remains of palaces and other remains are scattered over the area. Tanahdatar was famous about it's gold- and ironmines.
The Agam Valley, north and west of Gunung Merapi, with Bukit Tinggi as it's centre, has developed quickly over the last two centuries, due to contacts with the Europeans in Pariaman and Padang.
Limapuluh Kota, the third and also the most fertile valley is towards the east around the big city of Payakumbuh. It is considered that this valley was inhabited the most early of all valleys. This area also knows dozens of megalithical remains. The big rivers Kampas and Indragiri connect the area with the eastern coast.
Mighty mountain ranges with high rising volcanoes and two hug crater lakes, Maninjau and Singkarak, decorate the valleys. Just as in the Toba area these vulcanoes contribute to the fertility of the soil; the Minang highlands have been low populated for almost all the known history.
However culture and language do not differ much from eachother, every valley has it's own specific history and environment. That's why we give a route description with Bukit Tinggi as starting point below; first the western way, then the southern and the eastern. These areas can be visited in a series of daytrips; longer trips are also possible, along picturesque roads around two crater lakes and over impressive mountain roads which separate vulcanoes. Staying a night in small villages is possible, but maybe fascilities are primitive, but the Minangkabau friendlyness should make up everything.
Danau Maninjau
Western Sumateras most famous place of visit is Danau Maninjau, (
maninjau means 'view over') embedded in a crater of seventeen bij eight km, and surrounded by steep 600 meter high forest covered borders. Danau Maninjau can compare itself with Danau Toba, only it's a bit smaller. On quiet days the surface is almost like a mirror; the lake if full with fish, which shoot up to the surface whenever they think there is something to eat. An ideal space to relax or to enjoy nature. There are nice swimming fascilities and paths for walking, hotels, restaurants, boats and even waterskiing is possible.
The journey of two hours to the lake is an experience on itself. Take the main road towards the south from Bukit Tinggi and turn right after five km. This road runs along the foot of Bukit Kapanasan, through the small city of Matur, then crosses a forested valley and runs from the crater-edge towards Embun Pagi ('Morning Thaw'). The view is breathtaking (altitude 1097 metres).
Ask the driver to make a fotostop over here. There also is a small hotel. In the early morning small children sep brightly colored handycrafts of straw. From Embun pagi the road descends in 44 sharp turns towards the village of Minijau (on 470 meters), at the border of the lake.
Puncak Lawang, another, higher viewpoint, is north of Embun Pagi. From here a walking path runs towards the crater edge and the lake near Bayur, a village four km north of Maninjau. Take for Puncak Lawang the northern route (right) near matur to the village Lawang, a distance of about five km. A sign points towards the lake on the left side, near the toll gate.
Don't start the descend right away but first take a walk of about half an hour towards Puncak Lawang (or get a
bemo-driver to drive you to there). This is the highest point on the edge of the crater. The steep path descends along dense forests, coffee plantations and village gardens. Take two to three hours for the total descend. From here the road back to Maninjau is easy to find.
In Maninjau, small ferries maintain a service along the short of the lake, the way for touring around to visit several villages in the neighborhood. Along the northern shore, a small road runs along the villages of Bayur and Kotokecil towards Mukomuko at the western side. Here, a river crosses the crater edge and irrigates the water from the river; nearby a hydroelectric power station and a hot water source are to be found.
Along the southern side of the river is a fairly rough path from Maninjau towards Mukomuko. From here the main road leads towards the west to Tiku, at the shores of the Indian Ocean. Take the coastal route towards Pariaman and padang. Take at least three to four days for this journey, in which you use a full day for the lake alone.
Pandai Sikat
The famous weaving village Pandai Sikat (or 'Sikek', the name lit. means 'weavers') is twelve km south of Bukit Tinggi, between Gunung Singgalang and Gunung Merapi in the far south of the Agam Valley. Weaving has been very important since 1780. Cotton was grown in the western lowlands, but the demand for itwas so high that they also imported it from Surat in India. Nowadays weaving is still important, together with woodlogging, iron- and copperworking.
Take the main road from Bukit Tinggi and turn right near Kotabaru, and follow the small road. Along the road young men cut decorational materials and furniture, while the girls are busy weaving with making traditional gold and silver
songket. Those who think the
songketin Bukit Tinggi are too expensife, can see how much work it is to make one: a full working day produces about ten cm of fabric.
An extra attraction of Pandai Sikat is the decorated and painted village house in which the quran is read, marriages are blessed, and village affairs are talked about. The village mosque is almost entirely surrounded by a bassin in which the villagers wash and bath.
West of Pandai Sikat the sleeping volcano of Gunung Singgalung (2877 metres). A good path leads from a tv-station to the top in four hours. On a plateau at the top is a small lake. Go out early, when it's most likely to be clear weather. For the way back you can take another route, but that will cost you twice as much time. This will bring you to Kototua, along the road to Maninjau. From here the Merapi can also be climbed, however this is a much more risky . If you really want to, you can better start from the other side, the southeastern side.
Valley of the ancestors
Fertile rice terraces and traditional houses are scattered over the Tanahdatar Valley, south and east of Gunung Merapi. This has been the centre of the old Minangkabau principalty for over 500 years, after it was conquerred by the Paderi-rebels in the early 19th century. Most places of interest can be seen in one day on foor and
bemo.
Travel towards Padangpanjang from Bukit Tinggi, ans turn right, towards the east. The route leads you along nice villages with nice examples of traditional architecture. Don't forget to stop in Batipuh for the big wooden
surau (men house), built in aristocratic Koto Piliang-style.
Just after Batipuh, you turn to the left, towards Batusangkar. The road follows the southern flank of Gunung Merapi, and after about five km a small path on the left side, crawls over the steep slope of the vulcano towards the traditional village of Pariangan, 850 metre above sealevel. Pariangan is located in a very nice valley; stairs lead to the houses, big ponds and a royal grave. The population is very friendly. About four in the afternoon the population returns from the ricefields, while the sun slowly sets over the green-golden landscape. The traditional
surau is still used; outside is an hot water source.
The name Pariangan originates from
para hyangan, which means 'place of the ancestors'. The legend goes that this was the first village to be founded by the Minangkabau ancestors, after they descended from Gunung Merapi. Numerous pieces of evidence indeed proove this is the oldest village on the island. A stone near the hot source and the
surau contain an inscription from Adityavarman; the local name from this hot source it 'Raja's Hot Water'.
Another place of interest is the Medan Nan Bapane ('Hot Field'), a place for meetings in the open air and stone seats. On the same field is an artificial hill (
munggoh), and a very big grave of more than twenty metres long, possibly the resting place of Tun Tejo Gerhano, the architect which built the old court room in Tabek.
One km past Pariangan is a plain with the name
sawah gadang setampang beniah, the 'big ricefield of the seeds'. Followin the story this was the first cultivated area in Western Sumatera, and all rice from the area originated from one single bunch of riceseeds. On the hill across the path, is known as Bukit Seguntang, the same name as the sacred hill in Palembang, where the first Malay ancestors founded their village. The should have been a stone construction on the hill once, which was destroyed by floods later on. Stop on the way back in the village of Tabek, just before the main road, to view a few examples of traditional Minangkabau architecture. The city council ('Balairung Sari') probably is the oldest building in Western Sumatera.
Seven km more east is Dusun Tuo ('Old Village'), with on the left side of the road, inside the fences, the old
batu batikam, the 'stone with the hole' on something like an alther with stone seats for the ancestors. An old legend tells about two rival Minangkabau leaders which were in a fight, Datu Ketumanggungan and Datuk Perpatih Nan Sabatang. One of them damaged the stone. Nowadays, the place is restaurated. Some anthropologists have said that the stone is a female symbol, which could be used in religious ceremonies. Neighboring traces of terraced agriculture point to the fact that there used to be much more activity.
Just nother km more towards the east is the village of Limo Kaum ('Five Clans'). A low shed houses the Kubu Rajo, three raised stoned and several other stone objects, like a grinder and an inscription. The big stones probably form the back of stone seats. The number three is important, probably because it once was related to the ruling three people of the old Minang principalty. Once this were the three seats of the three kings, which were used during audiences or ceremonies. The name 'Kubu Rajo' can be interpreted as 'Raja's Fortress' or 'Raja's Grave'. The first meaning is the most likely.
Another part of the area contains a number of stones on small terraces. One of them once contained an inscription of the 14th century ruler Aditvayarman, in which he compared himself with the heavenly tree of wishes, the
kalpataru, a motive that is common on old temples on Jawa. Lomi Kaum also has good examples of the Minang architecture, built in the early Sumateran-islamic style. The roof counts five storeys and is supported by 121 wooden pillars; neighboring to a big bassin.
The old royal capital
Six km east of Limo Kaum is Batusangkar, the biggest city in the Tanahdatar area. The Dutch built fortress 'van der Capellen' here in 1821, during the Paderi wars. The city counsil (
balai adat), in the southeastern corner of the city square, was built in traditional Minang style in 1967 and decorated with rich local motives.
There is little that remains of the colonial time. The old Dutch fortress (now a police station), was devastated during the times, only the house of the former resident, now the residence of the
bupati, remained in tact. In front of the house of the
bupati is a collection of objects from the early history, among them an inscription from the 14th century and a fountain with a woman-like shape. Similar fountains were found near royal baths in Eastern Jawa and Bali. There also is a strange statue of two broken figures, which are attached to eachother in the waist area; the bottom part probably belonged to a female goddess, the upper part originated from a male god.
From batusangkar you can take a small tour along several historic sites. Three km northeast of Batusangkar is payarruyung. This small village can be reached on foot, by bemo or taxi. This place was the location of the last Raja Alan of the Minangkabau, sultan Arifin Muning Alam Syah. In 1815, members of the Paderi-movement killed all of the royal family, except the sultan and one of his grandchildren.
The palace is totally demolished, but vistors can still see the 14th century inscriptions and other stones. The inscriptions probably originate from Bukit Gombak, a little more south, from a location where much more 14th century inscriptions were found.
The road follows the Selo River towards the south until Gudam, the next important village. High point is the islamic burial site with it's unique gravestones, like for example a knife in a belt. Following the stories the stones mark the locations where members of the royal family of Pagarruyung were buried. In the neighboring Padang Magek, these stones are told to be a part of a racing track for horses. Traditional races like the ones from the past were still held in more recent times, and probably date from the pre-islamic period. It is very common that such stones were later used to make islamic graves.
Just a little ahead, in Padang Siminyak, is the famous Balai Janggo, the recenty restuarated palace of the Minangkabau rulers. It was destroyed by fire in 1976, but after six years of hard work, it has now resurrected fully. This enormous rectangular building looks like an traditional
rumah gadang, but on a much larger scale. The visitor enters the building through a long central hallway with heavy wooden pillars, which are richly decorated. Across the gallery is a number of rooms. Along both sides of the hallway, stairs bring you to the upper floors of the building with historical objects and Minangkabau arts. Guards giver permission to see all of this, and on special demand they will also show you the ceramics that was saved from the fire. The upper floor also gives you a nice view over the area.
In front of the palace are two rice sheds (
rankiang), with behind them the royal bath which leads to the royal hunting area. Luckily the building has stayed free from bright colors during a restauration and the environment is nice. A small entrance fee is collected. Visit the palace early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid guided tours with big groups.
From here, the road crosses the Selo River and follows the foot of Bukit Gombak, to return to Batusangkar, and which also ends the tour through Tanahdatar. Instead of taking the same road back to Bukit Tinggi, you can use the small and picturesque roads between Gunung Merapi and Gunung Malintang, along traditional villages like Raorao and Tabatpatah. On a clear day a mountain range after Tabatpatah offers a panoramic view over entire Kota-Limapuluh area, the Payakumbuh and Harau ravains, with ricefields and fuzzy mountains in the distance.
Danau Singkarak
South of Tanahdatar is Danau Singkarak, a craterlake about the same size and beauty of Danau Maninjau. From Batusangkar, a side road on the low crater edge will bring you to the nice village of Blimbing ('star fruit'), a traditional location with several
rumah gadang. Some of them are ought to be about 300 years old, and are built without a single nail. The dark wood of the houses also gives a taste of history. Inside the ceilings are black because of the numerous fires.
Near Umbilin the road reaches the shore of the lake, with hotels and restaurants; a nice place to stay for the night. Traffic is more heavy than in Maninjau, but boats can be rented and it's a very nice place for a swim, a walk or just to be lazy.
From Umbilin the road runs towards the city of Singkarak, at the southern tip. Just before Singkarak, the road turns towards the east, over a steep road which gives a very nice view over the lake. The road will eventually bring you to the far-away mountain village of Sulit Air (Difficult Water), where a giant, 64 metre-long rumah gadang can is located, it contains upto twenty separate appartments. It does remind of a Dayak longhouse, which is seen as the last remains of their ancestral adat. Young men which returned from the
rantau, stayed in the rumah gadang to make themselves familiar with the village habits again, before he was able to marry. The building is about 100 years old and is located on the same spot where an older house burned down.
Limapuluh Kota
The wide and fertile valley Limapuluh Kota ('Fifty Villages'), spreads along the northern foot of Gunung Malintang (2262 m). The biggest city is Payakumbuh, an administrative centre and a market place, 33 km east of Bukit Tinggi. The entire valley is intensely cultivated and scattered with numerous megalyths which are left behind by an unknown prehistoric population. These remains can point at the fact that is could be the earliest living area of the Minangkabau ancestors. Within a range of twenty km around Payakumbuh, there are more than 20 of these locations, mainly along the banks of the Sinamar River, northwest of the city. A small road follows the river and brings you to the village of Guguk after 13 km. At the right side of the road is the old village council of
balai adat. The neighboring open space houses a number of megalyths, the biggest 2,75 m. Most of them are typical Western Sumateran menhirs, straight stones with a bend upper part, which may resemble to the grip of a knife or a birds head. There are nine vertical stones and eight flat ones, which probably served as seats. The rest of the village offers even more stones. Among them are 26 menhirs, an unusual surrounding or river stones and four stone objects which are commonly names
lumpang batu. Almost the same stones are used in more recent times to grind rice with. These stones are very important in daily use, associated with the powerfull female sexe, and they are also common in Minangkabau tradition.
Legends describe even other things than grinding rice. They would also have been used to support the pillars of the house or as step to get on the horses. The big variety of shapes, sizes and decorations, causes suspicion of even more other use.
More menhirs and stone objects can be found south of Guguk, around Kuranji and Sungai Talang, and in the northern villages Balabus (15 km north of Payakumbuh), Limbanang (20 km) and Suliki (26 km). The last three are along the same road and can be visited in several hours.
From Limbanang, a path takes you to the far away, bowl-shaped Mahat Valley. This valley is about five km wide and is surrounded by steep mountains with hundreds, maybe even thousands of interesting megalyths. During the colonial period, the Dutch were strongly moved by the natural beauty and the historical importance of the valley, and they started building a government compound here.
The road to Riau
Limapuluh Kota's most famous attraction is 14 km northeast of Payakumbuh, just off the highway towards Pakanbaru in the neighboring province of Riau. It's the impressive Harau valley, of which the hundred metre high granite walls enclose a wildlife reserve of 315 hectares. Here, you can treck trough dense rainforests, play in refreshing falls, and watch monkeys, birds and reptiles. The reserve is also inhabited by tigers, panthers, tapirs and much more, but most of them only leave traces for the visitors. A museum offers the animals in a stuffed form. Follow the main road from Pakayumbuh towards the north for about 11 km towards the village of Lamaksari. A road on the left leads to the reserver, three km ahead. Stalls sell food and drinks, but take your own when you spend a longer time in the park. A small entrance fee is obliged.
Three km north os the village of Kotobaru, where the beautifull Minangkabau
songket is made. From here, a long detour towards the north (three to four hours), over the border with Riau, takes you to the remains of Muara Takus. Here is, on an open space in the forest, the biggest classical masonry building of Sumatera, a stupa surrounded by ruines and several other masonry structures.
This masonry stupa, Candi Mahligai, has the unusual shape of a tower, instead of the common bell shape, which is much more common in the buddhist architecture. It was restaurated in the 1980's and the earlier building was pushed away behind a new construction, to protect it in the future. The open space along the western side however, still shows a part of the older structure.
In the neighborhood, there still are some other fundaments. To the west is Candi Bungsu, a raised location whith two stupas and Candi Tua in the north, originally the biggest structure of all in the environment, with two stairs leading to one stupa. The temples are surrounded by stone walls. An earth dyke with a total length of two km can still be distinguished from it's environment.
This mysterious location is in a remote area, but must have been of some importance, because the size of the ruins tells that there once lived a big population as well. Reports of a principalty in this area are not known, but short inscriptions which have been found in the ruins, are withnesses of dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. A legend describes this location as a burial site of a hinduist ruler which transformed into an elephant, and it is said that wild elephants come to this spot when it's a full moon to pay their honour to the deceased ruler by performing a dance.
