From Padang's Muara Harbour, catch a canoe across the river. There is a clear path over the hill, through the colourful Chinese cemetery, along the path are many clove trees and the scenic beauty of nature. The path over Gunung Monyet ( Mt Monkey) is cool and pleasant, take 45 minutes walk. The beach at Air Manis nice though not the best for swimming.
The view is what makes this beach so popular for other tourists. The locals will happy to put you up and may even be able to go out night fishing. During the low tide you can walk out to Pulau Pisang Ketek (Small Banana Island ) but keep an eye on the idea. Go on walking over the next hill for a fine view over the harbour of TelukBayur, walk down then and catch a mini-bus back to downtown. The beach can be reached by bus from Pasar Raya via Mata Air Village and ride up the hills and down to the beach in twenty minutes.
Take a walk in five minutes and watch the sunset along the promenade. On the Westcoastv Padang Beach comes alive in early evening when the locals take a stall to watch the sunset while having the taste of special food 'Rujak' (mixed-fruit) and enjoying the impressive fishermen's motorboat lamps off-shore nearby. Without enjoying the late afternoon splendour and tasting the specific food atthe impressive Padang Beach, the
visit of yours to Padang, uncompletedly.
Padang : Airmanis Beach ( Pantai Air Manis )
Bukit Tinggi : Sianok Canyon
Just a few blocks from our hotel in Bukittinggi, the beautiful Sianok Canyon is a favorite spot for tourists. From a scenic overlook, one can see down the canyon for several miles in both directions. Deciding to strike out on my own for the afternoon, I hired a guide (a friend of Arman's named Ujang) to lead me on a hike through the canyon. To get down to the river from the scenic overlook, we passed through a series of tunnels (the Japanese Tunnel is a massive excavation used by the Japanese to hide troops and munitions during WW II), roads, and paths.
After the first mile or so, there was no longer any semblance of a trail, so we waded back and forth across the river to whichever side had the best river bank. Eventually there was no river bank (just a narrow gorge) and we travelled down the center of the river, which was generally about one to three feet deep, feeling for rocks and dropoffs with our feet and bracing ourselves against the current.
When we reached the point where there's normally a path out of the gorge to the plateau and rice paddies above, we discovered that the route was impassable because of the water depth and strength of the current. So, we backtracked to a point about a mile down the river, and scrambled up the steep canyon wall (thick bamboo, slippery mud, wet leaves). Ujang removed his sandals and had better traction barefoot than I did with my hiking boots.
Then we had to walk back to a highway which we followed for a few miles to the rim of the canyon, with the town (and hotel) on the far side. Here there was a decent path back down to the river, with a precarious suspension footbridge to cross, and then a short walk back to the hotel. It was a fun and spectacular afternoon.
