The province of West Sumatra is the land of the Minangkabau, a tribe that stands out because of a unique combination of their Muslim faith with a traditionally matriarchal society. The beautiful landscape of the province, the unique culture and the rich colonial history are central to this tour. You will get to locations that are rarely visited by foreign tourists. A guarantee for a unique experience!  

Day 1: Bukittinggi - Harau Valley
The drive from Bukittinggi to Harau Valley will take around 1,5 hour. This morning you will be busy with cooking. Minang food (usually referred to as Padang food) is very popular all over Indonesia, with famous dishes like rendang (stewed beef in a thick coconut-based sauce), dendeng (dried beef) and perkedel (potato fritter). You will first visit a local market to buy ingredients and then your hostess will teach you how to cook several local dishes (included in the trip). In the afternoon a local guide will take you on a 3-hour moderate hike through the beautiful Harau Valley (included in the program). You will stay in a basic, but very welcoming homestay in the village (with traditional cold water mandi-scoop for bathing).  

Day 2: Harauvallei - Sawahlunto
Today you will drive from Harau Valley to Sawahlunto. On the way, make a stop in Pagaruyung village, where you can visit the Minang-palace: an impressive traditional building, even though it has quite recently been rebuild after the old building had caught fire. You will arrive in Sawahlunto in the afternoon. There might still be some time to wander through the quiet streets of this former mining town. The local government has renovated several mining buildings from the colonial past and turned these into museums. Visit the former soup kitchen, descent into an old mine and pass by the old railway station, where you can find a steam locomotive and several antique train wagons. In Sawahlunto you will also stay in a welcoming homestay with basic facilities.  

Day 3: Sawahlunto – Lake Maninjau
This morning there is more time to explore Sawahlunto and its colonial mining past. After that, you will depart for Lake Maninjau, but before getting there you will first pass another crater lake: Lake Singkarak. Leaving the shores of this lake you will stop at a lookout point from where there is a magnificent view over Lake Maninjau. The lake is located at the bottom of an almost picture perfect volcanic crater. Going down the crater takes 44 hairpin bends before you end up at the shores of Lake Maninjau. Your hotels is located on the lake. The rooms are pretty basic but the views over the lake make a stay here definitely worthwhile.  

Day 4: Lake Maninjau – Padang airport
From Lake Maninjau you will be transferred to Padang airport, which takes approximately 3 hours.

Day 1: Bukittinggi – Harau Valley
Day 2: Harau  Valley - Sawahlunto
Day 3: Sawahlunto – Lake Maninjau
Day 4: Lake Maninjau – Padang airport