Bengkulu Tourism Travel Guide

User Rating: / 7
PoorBest 

Bengkulu Tourism Travel Guide and Tourist Information.

Bengkulu is the one of province in Indonesia located on the island of Sumatra and also has lowest populated, located on the southwest coast of Sumatra Island and bordered by West Sumatra at north side, east side is Jambi, south side is South Sumatra - Lampung and west side is Indian Ocean. The capital city is Bengkulu City. It was formerly the site of a British garrison, which they called Bencoolen.

Bengkulu Province has an indigineous community consisted of Manna, Muko-Muko, and Minang and the main people in Bengkulu mostly Rejang, Malay, Bugis and Chinese. Temperature in Bengkulu Its humidity is 87% and the rainfall ranges 3,598 mm per year. The temperature of this area ranges between 22.2ºC and 31.1ºC.

Bengkulu also became the location where Sukarno (the first president of Indonesia) was exiled by the Dutch in 1938. He was remained there until the Japanese arrive in 1941. Along his exiled, Soekarno was designed a mosque call it Jamik Mosque and met his wife, Fatmawati, who gave him several children, the most famous being the first female President of Indonesia, Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Tourist attraction in the province of Bengkulu very diverse. Ranging from natural attractions, culture, history, until the culinary tour. The main tourist attraction of Bengkulu province is is the Tabot Festival. It is known as the festival of fifty colorful towers (tabots), which are made of bamboo and decorated with colored paper. This festival is attributed to the heroism of Hassan and Hussein, the grandsons of the Prophet Mohammed, the ceremony is held in every year on 10 Muharam (Islamic Calendar). Another tourism object is the “Long Beach”. This beach lies on the west bank extends Bengkulu City. Small waves, white sand and pine trees will we meet the sea during a visit to “Long Beach”. In addition to Long Beach, Bengkulu province has dozens of other beaches which became the dividing line between the mainland of Bengkulu in the Indian Ocean. One of them is the beach “Tapak Paderi” which is a historic coastal city of Bengkulu. In this gently sloping beach can be found another tourist attraction, the Fort Marlborough. Marlborough Fortress is a British Army Citadel Defense in World War II.

Not only beaches, the natural attractions also can be found in Bengkulu such as the mountain tourism: PalakSiring in North Bengkulu district. This tourism object is a mix of natural attractions and historical tourism. In Palaksiring visitor will find the cool mountain air with the clear river water flowing between the rocks. This tourism object also a habitat of Rafflesia Arnoldy flower. Palaksiring also stores a history of the Dutch nation dam used for irrigation in North Bengkulu.

Bengkulu tourism travel guide and tourist information popular destination :

Bengkulu Province Museum.
Bengkulu museum is located on the south side of the main road in Bengkulu city, Pembangunan St. Here, you can see an extensive collection ranging from prehistoric stone and ancient bronze drum to wooden models of traditional houses. Other display include traditional Engganese textile and looms of special interest, the Batik clothes made in Bengkulu called Kain Besurek with design incorporating Arabic Calligraphy and Majapahit sunburst.

Imprisonment House Of Soekarno.
In 1938 to 1941, the Indonesian nationalist leader, who well known later as the first president of Indonesia Soekarno “Bung Karno”, was exiled to Bengkulu by Dutch colonial. The house where he lives along his imprisonment on this present time is become museum, develop by Bengkulu district government as historical tourism object. Soekarno also knos was designed a mosque call it Jamik Mosque and met his wife, Fatmawati in Bengkulu.

Fort Marlborough.
Fort Marlborough is an old fortress Built in 1713 till 1719 by British East India. As a British colonial heritage, Marlborough is located in the main street of Bengkulu. Inside the building, there is a subway connected to the outside. It was as the second strongest fort built by British in the east after Fort George in Madras, India. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1817 was appointed by British Administration as Lieutenant Governor of Bengcoolen (Bengkulu), during his administration, a botanist Joseph Arnold discovered the world largest flower at Manna district, southern parts of Bengkulu, the Flower is well known as Rafflesia Arnoldi. The British ruled the region more than 100 years, then in 1825 under the London treaty, the administration was Handing over to the Dutch until Indonesia get the Independence Day in 1945.

Enggano Island.
Enggano lies about 110 miles (177 km) south of Bengkulu city. It is about 22 miles (35 km) long east west and about 10 miles (16 km) wide north south. Its average elevation is about 330 feet (100 m). Hills, rising to about 922 feet (281 m), cover most of the area. The island covers an area of 40,260 hectares, which is dominated by dense rainforest with its wild buffaloes. Mainly we can see the culture, or the life manners of traditional society and native's Enggano dances. A pioneer boat at Baai Island Harbour or hiring a small boat at Bintuhan seaport can reach the island. Visitors can see the culture, or the life manners of traditional society and native's Enggano dances. A pioneer bat at pulau Baai harbor or hiring a small boat at Bintuhan seaport can reach the island.
There are 5 clans Isukul spread over the entire island: The Kaharuba, Kaarubi, Kaitora, Kaahoao and the Kauno. A matrilineal society, descent is traced through the female line and daughters usually inherit farmlands. Half call them Christian, the other half call them Mosleem. But actually this society is one of the last truly animist strongholds in Indonesia. Engganese culture is sure now to disappear as a result of assimilation into an indiscriminate Indonesian culture.

Tikus Island Sea Garden.
Tikus Island is a group of small islands that include to the bengkulu territory, its surrounded by excotic coral reef is excellent for fishing, snorkeling and diving with easy access. Tikus is the name of a cluster if islets surrounded by coral reefs that teem with various forms of marine life, soft and hard corals, and fish of all colors and sizes. The islets can be seen from Bengkulu town.

Rafflesia Arnoldi.
The world's largest flower is found in many areas in Bengkulu forests, on the slopes of Bukit Barisan Mountains. The flower has a diameter of about one meter in full bloom. It has no visible root or stem, and no leaves. The weigth up to 7 kg, it takes the buds up to 8 months to mature. The flower stays in bloom from 1-15 days and can be seen during the months of September-December. Rafflesia Arnoldi is a big Flower in the worlds, if one visit Rejang Lebong, the Flower was stand at the City Center of Curup as a monument, that is why, the people call Bengkulu is A Land Of Rafflesia, because in a certain seasons, if lucky, visitor can see a beautiful flower of Rafflesia, in the forest, which appear in periodic of 5 years or more.

Bukit Kaba Crater.
Kaba Volcano is located at Rejanglebong Regency. The summit area of Kaba volcano contains three high peaks - Bukit Kaba, Bukit Itam (1893 m) and Bukit Malintang (1713 m) with three craters among them called Kaba west-old crater, Kaba middle-new crater and kaba vogel sang crater, one of them is still active. Vapors incessantly escape from 12 fissures in the earth and hot water springs are found in the vicinity. For those who like mountain climbing, this crater complex is in the sulfurous mountains. Bukit Kaba itself covered about 100 hectares area, located about 104 km from Bengkulu or about 19 km from Curup, the capital of Rejang Lebong Regency.

Linau Beach.
Linau beach located at Kaur – Lampung highway, it is about 20 km from Bintuhun city. The Linau beach has beautiful bay with beautiful underwater view, and also sloping beach with white sand. Linau beach are complete with maritime tourism, nature tourism and historical tourism because not far from the beach there is a Fort of Linau, the remind of colonialism.

Lais Beach.
Lais Beach is located at Lais village about 40 km from Bengkulu city. The Region District Government of North Bengkulu has develop the Lais beach as a prime destination of natural tourism in that region. Lais beach is an exotic beach with white sand, nice wave, and will crowded in weekend and holiday season.

Jakat Beach.
Jakat beach is located about 1 km from Bengkulu downtown. It is sloping beach within 0 to 15 meters when tides. On this beach visitor still can see activities from the local fishermen, it is another tourism attraction besides banana boats, jet skies. Safety issue on this beach is running well with safeguards existence. So far tourism facilities are available and runs.
This beach will so crowded at afternoon with domestic tourists to enjoy the sunset view.

Long Beach (Pantai Panjang).
Long Beach or in Indonesia call it Pantai Panjang located 3 km west of Bengkulu town. The length of this beach about 7 km with white sand and good wave to surfing (best time to surf about early morning; mid to high tide were happen). Beside the beach it self, visitor can ride the elephant along the beach, it is starting right in front of Pasir Putih cottage and it can be rice by 3 person at the time. Elephant ride is available only every sunday, and also in every national holiday. The beach also is ideal for sunbathing and other marine attractions.
There are facility on this beach such as cottages, hotels, street stalls, cafes, swimming pools, fishing ponds, sport court, and many more. Some info to be sure and to beware that the Panjang beach has a big waves, it is good for surfing but too danger for swimming, because in some spots there have a strong currents.

Samudra Ujung Beach.
Samudra Ujung Beach well know as surfing spot in Bengkulu. The beach is not popular as well as Panjang beach or even Paderi beach, but it is clean beach with white sand, and along the beach there are spruces growth naturally. Samudra Ujung Beach located about 17 km from downtown, its near from harbour of Pulau Baai, at Pelabuhan Samudra street. Mostly just a surfer who come to this beach, but not too much. Because this beach not too popular so there are a lack of tourism facilities, there is no inn or hotel, even no cafe, so when you come to this beach for surfing you have brought all stuff to survive.

Tapak Paderi Beach.
Tapak Paderi Beach is located about 10 minutes from Bengkulu downtown. It is among Panjang beach and Jakat beach. At the colonial present, Tapak Paderi beach was a central of British administrative, even near by this beach was built a fortress, name Marlborough, in order of General Governor Thomas Stamford Raffles. In 2006 Bengkulu district goverment has develop Tapak Paderi beach as tourism object and made artificial lake on the beach area for picnic spot. Its nice place to enjoy sunset and even sunrise.

Muko-Muko Beach – Fortress Anne.
Muko-muko Beach is located at North Muko-Muko sub-district which share the border with the West Sumatera province and Jambi province. The distance between this area and the city of Bengkulu is 276 km, this beach is located in the conjunction between two big river estuary, Manjuto River and Salagan River. There are spruce-firs grow along the beach where the tourist can have swimming, sun-bathing or fishing in the conjunction. Not far from this beach visitor also can find a British inheritance fort called Fortress Anne.
Fortress Anne is the third fort built along the west coast of England in Bengkulu. The fort was built in 1898 on the outskirts of the Selagan river.

Tabot Ceremony.
One of the special events in this province is the Tabot Ceremony. Tabot ceremony is an interesting festival ceremony, which recalls the death of Hasan and Husen, the grandchildren of the Prophet Mohammed, who were killed in a fight to defend Islam. The Tabot feast is held annually, in the Islamic month of Muharram. It is known as the festival of fifty colorful towers (tabots), which are made of bamboo and decorated with colored paper. This tabot ceremony is commemurated by Bengkulu people who are descents from India benggala, This ritual is held in every year for about 10 days, starting from 1 till 10 month of Muharram, every Muharram first to tenth (Islamic Calendar). The ceremony is held between 09.00 pm to 01.00 am. Read More Tabot Ceremony >>