Up to date COVID information can be found here.
So, if you’re planning a trip to West Sumatra there are plenty of practical things to consider. Hopefully this article will make it as easy as possible for you to plan the practicalities of your trip.
Arrival
If you choose to arrive in West Sumatra by plane, you will find yourself in the Minangkabau International Airport (MIA), just outside of Padang. There are plenty of Taxis and ojek (motorbike taxi)’s available to get you to the city (between 30mins and 1 hour). Our advice would be to get a bluebird taxi – they’re metered and are usually pretty good at getting you where you need to be. If you’re not staying in a hotel or guesthouse it is a good idea to have the phone number of the person you’re staying with, just in case the taxi driver is unsure of the exact location.
There are ATM’s located outside of the airport, as well as a couple of places to eat and grab a coffee, but don’t expect any bells and whistles – it’s a small and very basic airport. I would recommend waiting until you get out of the airport to find food, as usual, the airport can be very expensive.
Due to COVID19 overseas flights are not currently arriving at Minangkabau International Airport. You can find more information here.
If you are arriving in Padang from overseas you will need to purchase a tourist visa on arrival ($35 USD – try to have the exact cash, and be aware that there are no cash machines before immigration at the airport), this is a quick process – pay the fee at the small window to the right of the immigration desks, join the queue and get your passport stamped. The visa is valid for 30 days (including the day of arrival) of travel in Indonesia. The tourist visa can also be extended by a further 30 days at the Immigration office in Padang (or any other city) for a fee of 350,000 IDR. Go in the morning at least three working days before your visa expires, and be prepared to go back again three days in a row – painless, but time consuming.
Please note; there is now a waive of the visa on arrival fee in Jakarta and Bali, however this is NOT applicable at the MIA. Currently, if you arrive in Padang from overseas you will still need to pay for the visa.
The currency in Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah, or IDR. You will need to be (or learn to be) very good with 0’s. At the time of writing 1 GBP is equivalent to roughly 20,000 IDR, 1 USD is roughly 14,000 IDR, and 1 AUD will get you about 10,000 IDR. Check Google for the latest figures.
Useful Indonesian;
- How much? – ‘Berapa harga?’
- Thousand (useful for dealing with all those zeros) – ‘Ribu’, Hundred – ‘Ratus’
- It will come in useful to learn to count from one to ten also.
It is a good idea to carry around a mobile phone with a calculator if you’re not feeling too confident with the language, many retailers will also have a calculator on hand and will be able to show you the price.
A stay in Sumatra certainly shouldn’t hurt your wallet, budget accommodation can cost as low as 150,000 IDR per night, a good meal (with a drink) should set you back between 10,000 and 15,000 IDR, a large bottle of Bintang (beer) around 30,000, and cross city public transport can be taken for as little as 4,000 IDR.
I’ll start by saying that the equator runs through West Sumatra. It is hot and humid all year round, with temperatures rarely dropping below 20 degrees Celsius, even at night, and daily temperatures averaging between 27 and 30 degrees. There are two seasons, the dry season (April-October) and the wet, or monsoon, season (November-March). The only real difference being that during the wet season there will, of course, be regular downpours. The majority of these happen from late afternoon onwards – good news for morning people!
Despite there being very little real fluctuation in the weather, West Sumatra can be surprisingly varied. With plenty of cooler mountainous regions, as well as refreshing sea breezes to be had along the coastline and on the many islands dotted around offshore, there’s no need to get too run down in the heat.
If you find yourself in search of cooler climes, a trip to the active Merapi Volcano can satiate this, particularly if you opt to camp overnight to experience the beautiful views to be had first thing in the morning and as the sun rises. – Pack some warmer clothes.
West Sumatra is home to the wonderfully animated Minangkabau people. As with the rest of Sumatra, it is majority Muslim, and the call to prayer can be heard regularly across the region. The people here are very kind, but also very traditional – this means that if you wear hot pants and tank tops most people will likely be very shocked, but would never dream of making it an issue by saying anything.
Out of respect, we would advise that you cover up while in built up areas. There are opportunities to rock a bikini in West Sumatra, but pick your moments.
Don’t worry; regardless of your personal circumstances, (I first came here as an independent young female traveler), you will be treated with warm kindness by the vast majority of the people you meet here, and with harmless curiosity by the rest.
A note on Indonesian attitudes – Indonesians are laid back. This is a wonderful trait to have; you will rarely see arguments, or people looking stressed out. However, for the Western tourist it can sometimes be a little stress inducing. Expect to be given sweets/candies instead of change. Expect to make random stops while using public transport so that the driver can visit an obscure relative, or take a nap. Expect to have questions answered with statements like ‘just wait’, with no further explanation given. My advice is to just go with it. Enjoy these little quirks and take them as part of the experience of being here. Don’t make tight plans, give all things time, and everything will work out in the end – and give you some great stories to tell when you get back home.
- Comfortable sandals/flipflops – nothing too new or pricey, it is customary to take them off before entering most buildings
- A plug adapter for your electronics
- Suncream, sunglasses and a hat
- Earplugs, to avoid being woken up by the first call to prayer (around 5am)
- A jumper for times when you find yourself on a motorbike at night (trust me on this one…)
- Insect repellent – dengue fever and malaria do happen here, particularly at the start of the monsoon season
- A waterproof jacket
If you do forget anything, don’t worry, most things can be purchased here, and usually at a much cheaper price than at home.
If you have any questions, or would like something else to be covered here, get in touch by leaving a comment, or drop us an e-mail at westsumatratraveler@gmail.com. See you soon!
Jen is an English girl who found herself in Sumatra one day and never went back. A wife, mother, traveler and book worm, she has lived in Padang long enough to speak the language and unearth plenty of useful hints and tips for the weary traveler…
I don’t know if the confusing situation about the Visa on Arrival (VoA) still goes on. But there have been reports like this: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/15/your-letters-visa-arrival.html
So you better buy the $35 USD VoA even if you arrive in one of those visa free entry points (Medan, Batam, Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali) but with a plan to exit the country via Padang. Of course the regulations may change (or may already have changed) Or do you know how the Padang Airport immigration staff would react if you tried to EXIT without a VoA or a tourist visa?
Well, it’s definitely an interesting subject. It’s true that there is a massive problem when it comes to trying to exit without the paid for VoA from an airport other than Jakarta or Bali. I haven’t had any experience of this yet in Padang, however, I imagine that it will cause some confusion if anyone tries it! There is a new sign about the free VoA at the airport (next to the desk where you pay for the VoA..) and I have asked the immigration officers if they have any information concerning what happens in this case, but neither the sign or the officers were much help. We would advise that it is best avoided if possible. If not, arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare.