Palembang

Palembang is located to the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatera and is the capital of the province of South Sumatera. It is a city steeped in history, culture, beauty and tradition. Once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sriwijaya and then colonized by the Dutch, it is now a flourishing city.

State Museum – Established in 1977, the museum holds various historical items from the province itself and will tell the story how Palembang came to be. It houses a collection of over 2000 relics and antiquities and interesting ancient items on display including household utensils, hunting tools, a bridal room and preserved animals of the region.
Limas traditional house – Traditional houses built along the riversides but it is not built facing the waterfront to ensure privacy to the families living in them. These ornate wooden houses are built on stilts with hand carved columns, doors and frames and can still be found scattered around the province. This must-see architecture usually comes in 15-20m in width and 30-60m in length.

Songket Sarong. – The best songkets can only be found in here. With influences from Palembang’s cultural heritage made up of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, these sarongs are weaved by womenfolk in a cottage industry which has survived through the centuries. Most are made up of geometric and floral designs and comes in various colours of the rainbow.
The Musi River – The river flows trough the city, cutting it into 2 halves called the Ulu bank and Ilir bank and is linked by a famous bridge of considerable length and size called the Ampera Bridge built in 1962. Catch an unforgettable sunset and sunrise from the bridge or from a vantage point beside the river. One can also indulge in the local cuisine atop the floating boats beside the river while watching the river traffic go by.

Food – One must never leave Palembang before having a taste of the famous ‘Pempek’ aka Palembang fish cake which is served with a special sweet and sour soya sauce made from palm sugar, tamarind/vinegar, chillies, shallots, and garlic.There are many varieties available which comes in different shapes and stuffing ranging from one whole egg to young papaya meat.