Unveiling the natural wonder of Indonesia: experience the magic of Harau Valley in Sumatra

​ME.SPOT - Just an hour and a half drive from Bukittinggi in West Sumatra, you get to see this beautiful valley with waterfalls about 100 metres high. This place is surrounded by colourful steep granite rocks with a height of 100 to 500 metres.

by Hanan

Bahasa Indonesia - English

​The Harau Valley is actually a nature reserve with an area of ​​669 hectares. It's a fertile valley in the Harau District in the province West Sumatra. It's one of the most beautiful natural scenery in West Sumatra. It's an area of canyons and rock formations with forest and rice fields in between.

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ABOVE: Harau Valley.

​Here, gibbons and macaques and a variety of wildlife still roam freely at this area. Its beautiful landscape, its peaceful serenity interrupted only by the calls of the macaques and the chirping of birds, make the Harau Valley a place to put at your bucket list.

​It's located on the road between Bukittinggi and Pekanbaru. This amazing piece of nature is about 138 km from Padang and about 47 km from Bukittinggi. Travelling from Pekanbaru in the neighbouring province Riau it's about 44 km. The easiest way to visit one of the most beautiful valleys in Indonesia is with a rental car or you rent a motorbike. Then you can choose how much time you want to spend there. We rented a car with a driver in Bukittinggi for 800,000 Rupiah (50 euro - price October 2022) for a whole day and visited that day also other places in the province.

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ABOVE: Harau Valley.

​The Harau Valley has a tropical climate and fertile land, as well as the beauty of a charming natural landscape. The valley is nicknamed 'the Yosemite of Indonesia' because it has a beauty such as the Yosemite National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada in California, which is famous all over the world. The steep rock cliff fence and straight upright reddish colour surrounding the valley is so captivating to see and perfect for taking photos.

​The steep walls are not only an attraction for photographers, but many rock climbers are also interested in climbing the walls in this valley with 300 rock climbing locations. The steep rocky cliff fence has created a beautiful and challenging relief and can reflect sound (echo). Rock climbing enthusiasts will find their paradise here.

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ABOVE: Harau Valley.

​There are also a dozens of waterfalls tumble down from 80 to 300 metres height into the valley below. These waterfalls flow fresh water from the highlands into the valley, cutting by the Batang Arau River.

​There is a waterfall named the Bunta Waterfall or locally called Sarasah Bunta. It was first visited in 1926 by a Dutch mayor. A carved stone indicating the year when the mayor visited the waterfall is still there expressing the beauty of this valley. Other waterfalls are called the Akar Barayun, Sarasah Luluh, and Sarasah Murai.

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ABOVE: Harau Valley.

​Relaxing is one of the best activities here. Order a cup of coffee or one of the local delicacies and setlle down to write a chapter of your travels and the extraordinary experiences you had in wonderful Indonesia. Or take some time for a short walk and watch how people live. Some of the women here work in the rice fields while men plough the fields behind water buffalos, providing the perfect shot for you to take.

INDONESIA | ME.SPOT | ME.TRAVEL

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​POST BY
Thierry Hanan Scheers
With a backpack  and hiking boots Hanan travels around the world. Destination? Somewhere, nowhere and everywhere.
backpacker and storyteller

PHOTO
Thierry Hanan Scheers
​Apriyan Santoso

25 February 2023