Blogs from Pekanbaru, Sumatra, Indonesia, Asia

Sunday, 8th March 2020 We still had sometime to explore the city this morning before our evening flight back to Singapore. After extending our room check-out time to 4pm, we headed back to the town centre for breakfast. Porridge became my staple during this trip to Pekanbaru even though the highlight this morning must be the fish soup and the fried bee hoon from Kian Wee Seafood Soup. After our hearty meal, we walked towards the riverfront where the iconic Rumah Singgah Tuan Kadi is located. This is a historic building located next to the Siak River which is rather posh for its time. The house is elevated by short pillars which perhaps served to prevent it from being flooded by the overflowing river during the rainy season. Back at the hotel in the afternoon, we ... read more

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 ... read more

... "Uh, No. That would be Cuba," came our reply! We have survived 7 of the most miserable days known to Team Canada (or to mankind in general)! After Singapore, our plan was to take a ferry to Sumatra (an island of Indonesia), and spend a few weeks up north checking out beaches and Banda Aceh (the area most affected by the tsunami), and do a few jungle treks to see orang utans. Plans did not go quite as we had hoped! The ferry from Singapore to the island of Batam was all peaches, and the ferry from Batam to mainland Sumatra (Dumai) was a little less peachy, but doable. From Dumai to Pekanbaru (about 200Km inland), not peachy, or doable or anything even remotely okay with us! The 200Km ride should have taken about 2 ... read more