Indonesia Travel Guide

Sijunjung has plenty of interesting sights to visit alongs Muaro – Silokek – Durian Gadang (Musiduga). Sijunjung, formerly called Sawahlunto Sijunjung, is one of districts that is located in the province of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The capital was in Muaro Sijunjung. Before year 2004 Sijunjung was the third largest district in West Sumatra, but then the government separated it into 2 districts, Dharmasraya and Sijunjung.

Sijunjung population (2004) approximately 178,204 inhabitants, most as trader or civil servants, the rest are farmers. Since has located in mountains, Sijunjung has many potential of natural resources and tourism that can be developed.

For those who come from outside Sijunjung, you can reach Muaro Sijunjung from three alternative way :

1. From the south (Jambi, Teluk Kuantan, Dharmasraya) you can start from Simpang Tanah Badantung, traveling about 10 KM to reach Muaro Sijunjung
2. From the West (Padang, Solok, Sawahlunto) you can start from Simpang Muaro Bodi, traveling about + 8 KM to reach Sijunjung
3. From the north (Batusangkar, Bukittinggi, Payakumbuh, Pekanbaru) you must take the Jalan Negara Lintau Setangkai route towards Tanjung Ampalu, traveling about 7 KM You will reach Muaro Sijunjung

If you want to stay in the small, beautiful and peaceful town, there’s has some accommodation facility starting from 3 star hotel until the mid-to-low hotel, which has various range of price rate according to the hotel class.

Route to Musiduga itself, starting with the bridge Ombilin with +150 m long, passing down a small winding forested street and the steep rock hills, towards beautiful downstream watershed, Batang Kuantan. These lines are former railroad built by forced labor system during the Japanese occupation , or better known Romusha premises.

Rafting
The strong current of Batang Kuantan river is great for rafting sport adventure, with level of difficulty level 1 to level 5

Batang Kuantan River Padang

Ngalau Basurek
Entering this cave (ngalau = cave), you can use flashlights, petromak lamps or torches. Exploring Ngalau Basurek increases your adrenaline, grotto which is flowed small stream, cold air and dark will accompany you, includes the flying bats and passers swallow. Sound of water with lime concentrated, falling from stalactites, formed beautiful charming stalagmite is very fascinating and eliminate the sinister impression, curiosity and wonderingly make you want to go deeper and deeper into the cave, but you still have to be careful because the slippery roads and the rocks can make you have fatal injured if you fall in slips. 

Rafting Batang Kuantan

Cliff Climbing
Your sense of adventure do not just stop at Ngalau Basurek, not away from the cave you’ll be presented with steep cliffs on either side of the river flow. If you look up to the cliff, you’ll face the gape cliff rock wall. This hill area is also often used for sport climbing. If you are a climber, you can try it, there’s some climbing tracks lane provided, which has been made by the Nature Lovers Group.

Rafting Batang Kuantan

Pasir Putih (White Sand)
Five minutes walks from Ngalau Basurek, you will find with a stretch of white fine sand, though not at the edge of the sea, but this is the only sand (Pasia: Padang people calling for the beach / waterfront) in this district, although situated on the banks of the river, white and fine sand was not inferior to the seashore sand. You better not do traveling in the rainy season because in rainy season, Pasir Putih Kuantan river is flooded and overflowing. Passed from the White Sands you will reach Koto Nagari Silokek.

Air Terjun Palukahan

Approximately 3 KM walk into the village Gadang Duarian you will be tempted by the presence of a waterfall. If you drive, you can park your vehicle at the curb, with the tariff Rp. 1000 – 2000 per vehicle managed by local youth, your vehicle will be safe to leave. Towards this waterfall you must have extra energy and extra careful, steep slope track will make your breath struggling, but this exhausting journey will pay off when you enter the waterfall area, waves of water from 40 m height just more like dew combined with the mountain air makes very soothing fresh breeze.

Further explore the beautiful Kuantan trunk you will see a pile of scrap metal, an object of cultural heritage conservation Japanese Colonial located on the roadside Durian Gadang – Silukah, approximately 1.5 KM from Gadang Durian market. Steam locomotives were still perched firmly remind us how hard and terrible the Japanese occupation treatment to the forced labor during the establishment of the railroads to Logas Sijunjung to Logas Riau.

1 KM further, you will find an other older site ,two rocks, known by locals as the Rock and Stone Basurek seats with inverted position, is said by locals this stone came from the Malaysia (Negeri Sembilan).