M

edan, the westernmost major city of the nation, is best known as a thriving hurly-burly of commerce. But visitors will find it is more than just a fly in-fly-out stopover on a business trip. With a 2010 population of 12 million people, from various ethnicities and backgrounds, it is also a colorful travel experience, boosted by that prospering economic growth.

There are numerous shopping centers, including Medan Mall located in the center of the city, and seven dynamic traditional markets, including the Fish Market which, despite its name, offers countless options for textile products.

History is seemingly found on every corner. There is the hereditary Malay sultanate’s residence of Maimun Palace, built between 1887 and 1891, and the famous mansion belonging to late prominent Chinese tycoon Tjong A Fie. Descendants of both the sultan and Tjong still reside in wings of the historic buildings, which are deteriorating due to poor maintenance.

Tourists can also visit several religious sites, from the Great Mosque, which was built in 1906 in the Moroccan architectural style by Dutch architect Dingemans, or Annai Velangkanni Catholic church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health, with its multicultural architecture combining Tamil Hindu and Chinese design.

While it may seem a distance from Jakarta, the city is served by a growing number of airlines (construction of a new airport is in the works), and also hotel accommodation to fit all budgets. A growing trend is the positioning of Medan as an ideal site for the MICE market, especially as the gateway to other attractions of North Sumatra, from the Berastagi mountain resort to sprawling Lake Toba.

One of the hotels banking on the tourism business is the four-star Santika Premiere Dyandra Hotel and Convention Medan, home to the city’s largest convention center and where The Jakarta Post was invited to stay.

The convention center, which can host around 3,000 people, is one of the available rooms within the hotel, in addition to two exhibition halls, ballrooms, with a capacity of up to 1,200 people, and eight meeting rooms equipped with essential facilities.

The 12-story hotel has 324 guest rooms of various types, including the eponymous Santika suites. Each room is outfitted with modern amenities, from high-speed Wi-Fi connection and a wide selection of cable TV channel. On site, there is a fitness center, spa, swimming pool, Gramedia bookstore and restaurants for those guests who wish to unwind at the hotel.

“There is only one entrance to access the rooms to ensure security. Therefore, we can always monitor every single person coming in and out of the hotel,” said Melina Elvi Zahra, the hotel’s sales director.

Its central location in the heart of the city also means that visitors can take in the major attractions. The nearby Merdeka Walk, only a 15-minute stroll from the hotel, is a 24-hour culinary adventure of local dishes and drinks. The durian pancake is one delicacy that many visitors bring home for family and friends.

Visitors should also be sure to taste the city’s well-known bika Ambon – a rich cassava cake – or Meranti rolls, available close to the hotel on Jl. Majapahit.

Transportation ranges from bus, taxi to the local traditional motorized pedicab, known as bentor. The latter is a practical means for tourists in getting around the city, and its open top means they can enjoy the view.

The replacement of the currently overcrowded Polonia airport, now swallowed up by urban sprawl, with the larger Kuala Namu International Airport in Deli Serdang is expected to facilitate the tourist boom in Medan and North Sumatra. It will be able to accommodate up to 8.1 million passengers when it begins operations early in 2013.