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span class="inline inline-left">Lake Maninjau Two nights and three days in Padang might not be a long stay, but if you are on a tight schedule, that’s all you need to experience the beauty of West Sumatra.

I arrived in Padang just two days before the New Year, without any fixed travel plans. As I stayed in a hotel located on Jl. Veteran, Padang, I immediately asked the front desk for a map and recommended places to visit.

My first stop was Lake Maninjau, three hours away from the city of Padang in Tanjung Raya. I was welcomed by a serene view of Lake Maninjau at 8 a.m. and with the cool weather, I made a quick stop to enjoy a cup of hot tea on the roadside food stall. The beautiful lake view was also portrayed by Indonesia’s painter Wakidi – the same painting that has also been in my family for two generations.

After being mesmerized by Lake Maninjau, I continued my journey to Ngarai Sianok or Sianok Canyon, once again captivated by the beauty of the green valley and canyon. Just a few minutes’ walk from the canyon, you can find yourself at the Japanese Tunnel — a tunnel 40 meters underground built by the Japanese in 1942 during their invasion of Bukittinggi.

The 1400-meter-long and 2-meter-wide tunnel was used for several purposes — such as meeting rooms, a jail, and to store ammunition — and it also connected to several areas around Bukittinggi to allow the Japanese army to spy on residents during that time.

The tunnel was also specially built to be earthquake-resistant — there had been several earthquakes in Padang — but it survived all of the earthquakes without any damages.

One of the special rooms in the tunnel is the dapur (kitchen). Although it is referred to as a kitchen, my local guide told me there was no kitchenware of any sort found in the room, and it truly functioned as a room to dump dead bodies back in the old days.

Once I was done with my history lesson at the Japanese tunnel, my next stop was Bukittinggi. Located 930 meters above sea level, the small town was filled with tourists and visitors ready to celebrate their New Year. I took a stroll to Jam Gadang — the iconic clock tower of Bukittinggi built by the Dutch in 1827 – followed by a quick sightseeing of the Ateh traditional market, and had lunch at a recommended Padang eatery, Uni Lis, inside the market.

I headed to a natural stalagmite and stalactite cave called Ngalau Indah. In the cave, you can see stones resembling elephants, multi-colored stones or enjoy the sound of the bats squeaking above you, although you can’t really see them in the dark.

In Pagaruyung Batusangkar, you can find the royal palace Istano Basa Pagaruyung, the palace for the royal family of the Minangkabau kingdom. Although the original palace itself burned down a few years ago and is currently undergoing a major restoration, the outside parts of the palace are all done.

The palace truly represents the true Minangkabau traditional house Rumah Gadang, in a more grandiose. The customary pointed roof on Rumah Gadang represents a victorious buffalo. My rental car driver, a true Padang, told me that it takes years and millions of rupiah in order to create a good Rumah Gadang — and special artisans are also needed to build the house.

Pagaruyung PalaceTo end the first day of my trip, I went to Lake Singkarak in Solok, which is also famous for hosting the Tour de Singkarak cycling race. Afterwards, chasing the sunset 47 kilometers away from Solok in the twin lakes of Diatas and Dibawah. The lakes’ names literally mean “Above” and “Below” — one lake is slightly higher than the other. At 6 p.m., the sunset is truly magnificent, creating a wonderful utopia for a natural photographer.

However, you really haven’t visited Padang if you haven’t visited the beaches, since the waves in Padang also attract surfers from all over the world. So on my last day in Padang, a few hours before my flight back to Jakarta, I went on a quick trip to Air Manis Beach.

Although it was very dirty due to the New Year’s celebration on the previous day, the beach is famous for its Malin Kundang legend, in which a man was turned into stone because of his mother’s curse. You can see stones that look like a man bowing down, said to be Malin Kundang himself, amid a shipwreck.

This trip definitely raised some eyebrows among my friends, since Padang is not a favorite holiday destination for local Jakartans. Nevertheless, West Sumatra’s beauty has successfully cast a spell on me.