Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By car Seven-seater “travel” cars to Bukittinggi are easily
hailed from anywhere along the main road. Cars for Padang
and Pekanbaru leave from Maninjau's main square.
Destinations
with a decent range of local and Western dishes. A good
place to have a beer or a cocktail (large Bintang Rp35,000;
Irish coffee Rp50,000) while taking in the sunset. Daily
10am-10pm.
Tan Dirih T 0752 61263. Just over 1km north of town,
this is the lake's romantic option, offering a bit more
comfort. Room service is available and all four rooms have
TV, hot water and tubs while sharing a broad porch.
Unfortunately, the outlook across the water is partly
obstructe d by fishin g platforms. Pancake breakfasts
included. Rp275,000
Bukittinggi (every 10min; 1hr 30min;
Rp25,000); Padang (4 daily; 3hr; Rp65,000); Pekanbaru
(daily 8am & 5pm; 8hr; Rp100,000).
INFORMATION
Tourist information There is no o cial tourist
information o ce but local information is generally
available at hotels. At PT Kesuma Mekar Jaya ( T 0812
6699 6610, W sumatratravelling.com), just north of the
BRI Bank and across the road, the ever-present Muhammad
Ali is a spring of knowledge on local activities. Another
good spot is Indowisata Cipta Permai ( T 0752 61418), set
within Bagoes Café .
DIRECTORY
Banks The BRI Bank north of the Bukittinggi junction has
an ATM, although VISA cards are not accepted.
Bike Rental Bicycles can be rented from Beach Guest
House or PT Kesuma Mekar Jaya (Rp35,000/day); the latter
also rents motorbikes (manual/automatic Rp65,000/
80,000 per day).
Bookshops Bagoes Café has the largest range of books
in Maninjau.
Internet A few little warnets are found just south of the
junction leading back to Bukittinggi, among them Be Love
Near (Rp5000hr), while Bagoes Café offers free wi-fi access
for customers (or use of an in-house computer Rp4000/hr).
Post o ce The post o ce is a short hop towards the
lake from the junction on Jl Telaga Biru Tanjung Raya
(Mon-Thurs 8am-4pm, Fri 8am-noon & 2-4pm).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Accommodation options are dotted along the lake's
eastern shore, from about 500m south of the Bukittinggi
road junction to a couple kilometres past Bayur to
the north.
44 T 0752 61238. Bookended by fish farms, these
shoreside bungalows 600m north of town are some of
Maninjau's cheapest, with grimy attached mandi and
simple rooms consisting of a mattress on the floor with
woven-thatch walls. The family is very welcoming and the
café is good value with both Western and Indonesian
dishes. ( n asi goreng Rp12,000;
4
Bintang
Rp27,000).
Rp50,000
PEKANBARU
he oil boom town of PEKANBARU used
to be popular among travellers as a
gateway into Indonesia from Singapore
via Pulau Batam , as well as from Malacca
in Malaysia. In recent years, however,
cheap airfares have reduced ferry tra c to
a trickle, and the city now sees few
foreign visitors. he main street, Jalan
Sudirman, runs north to south from the
river through the centre of town to the
airport - most hotels, restaurants and
shops are within easy reach of this
thoroughfare. Pekanbaru's markets are a
reasonable diversion: Pasar Pusat is the
morning food and household-goods
market, and Pasar Bawah and Pasar
Tengeh in the port area are a maze of
stalls and alleyways, with decent Chinese
goods, ceramics and carpets on offer.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane All domestic and international flights touch
down at Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport, 9km south of the
Arlen Nova's Paradise T 0813 7408 0485, W nova
-maninjau.id.or.id. A couple of hundred metres along a
narrow trail through the rice paddies 2km north of Bayur,
Arlen Nova 's enjoys a peaceful lakeside setting free of fish
farms. There are large bungalows with mosquito nets, hot
water and comfortable beds, a clean and pleasant café
attached with delicious food (tempe tofu curry Rp16,000),
scooters and motor bikes for re nt, and one of the lake's
few sandy beaches. Rp175,000
Bagoes Café Popular traveller's hangout near the centre
of town with wi-fi, a library and a range of tours offered by
Indowisata Cipta Permai. The restaurant offers some of
Maninjau's highest-quality Western and Indonesian food
(green veg curry Rp22,000; beef rendang Rp30,000). Daily
9am-10.30pm.
Beach Guest House T 0812 6626 4483. Ageing, friendly
little guesthouse about 500m north of town. Simple rooms
have great views from the verandas, while out front there
is a small beach and a tangled banyan tree hanging over
the water, handy for launch ing into the lake. The small
café serves drinks. Rp75,000
Maransy Restaurant Beyond the smattering of exotic
animals caged outside its entrance, this local favourite
has a huge deck overlooking the lake just south of Bayur,
 
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