To Pekanbaru, from Singapore (Mar 2020)

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Friday, 6th March 2020

The trip to Pekanbaru was put together some three weeks ago with H during a friend's gathering. Torn between Kuantan in Malaysia and Pekanbaru in Sumatra, we decided on the latter for a fresh perspective. We flew off on Friday afternoon and it didn't help that I was sick between Monday to Wednesday prior to the trip. Thankfully, I managed to stage a recovery on time and by Friday, we were ready to board the flight from Changi Airport.

Touching down at the modern Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport some 50 minutes later, our hotel at the Zuri Pekanbaru was another 20 minutes away by car. Ideally situated closed to shopping facilities, the modern hotel boasts a beautiful infinity pool on level 19 of the property - a very welcoming respite from the hot weather!

Dinner along the roadside strip was rather uninspiring at first even though things started to look promising later into the night with the local laksa and satay that we picked up from another stall. We also found time to stock up on essentials at the spacious Transmart Carrefour that was next to our hotel.

First impression with Pekanbaru city was positive. The streets were swept clean and our accommodation was pleasant without breaking the bank.

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