Pekanbaru

Pekanbaru is the capital of Riau province in Indonesia. It is a centre of oil production. Pekanbaru has the reputation of being one of the cleanest big cities in Indonesia, and is the third largest city of the island of Sumatra after Medan and Palembang. The city is developing rapidly, but still has much unique architecture with a taste of Malay culture.

By boat


No ferries travel from Malacca in Malaysia anymore. You must catch the ferry in Dumai.

By bus


Mini-Bus Dumai to Pekanbaru (July 2019). The Karya Maju Travel Agency is on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman No 160 Dumai (Between the small side streets of gg Kuini depan (Jl Kuini) and Jin Sutomo (Jalan Dr. Sutomo)). This is a door to door service, meaning that the driver will pick you up from and drop you off at your hotel, guesthouse etc. Departure times are 08:00, 10:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 20:00. Cost is Rp120,000 (July 2019). Journey time is 5½ to 6 hours. There are other mini-bus companies, but this company is reported as reliable regarding taking you to where you want to be dropped off.

Get around
There are mikrolets (minivan share taxi), buses, ojek (motorcycle taxi), and taxis.

A new mode of transport is the Trans Metro Pekanbaru, a bus rapid transit system like the Transjakarta in Jakarta. Tickets must be bought at the bus stop before riding, and the one-way fare is Rp 4,000. Only part of the system is operational, and other lines are still under construction

The intercity/interprovincial (AKAP) bus terminal is 5km from downtown. From the bus station to town there are many public buses that stop at pre-determined stops. Tickets cost Rp 4,000 and can be purchased inside the bus stop from a ticket agent.

See
Pekanbaru is not a tourist destination for either Indonesians or foreigners, but does have some interesting buildings and places to visit, including some distinctive buildings constructed by local government:

Buy
There are three major malls in Pekanbaru. The two best are Mall SKA and Mall Ciputra Seraya. The older Mall Pekanbaru is not as well appointed as the other two but is still a good mall and offer a decent selection of restaurants. The location of the three malls are locally well known so getting there shouldn't be a problem. There are several other less interesting malls in Pekanbaru, some are closer to an indoor market then a mall and are great places for bargains.

Eat
Aside from eating durian at durian stalls along Jl. Jend. Sudirman, here are some recommended restaurant in Pekanbaru:

Sleep
Online booking for hotels in Pekanbaru is not available, except for high end hotels as listed below.

Nearby towns

 * Siak Sri Indrapura, a town of old Siak Sultanate. Visit Siak Sultanate Palace and many historial buildings.
 * Dumai, a little port and beach town.
 * Bagansiapiapi, a little fishermen's town. Famous for Chinese festivals like "Bakar Tongkang", Chinese New Year and Cap Go Meh.

Nearby provinces

 * West Sumatra, the Land of Minangkabau culture. - Padang, only 6 hours drive, Bukittinggi 4½ hours drive.
 * North Sumatra, the Land of Batak culture, lake, waterfalls, mountains, and orangutans.
 * Riau Islands, which include Batam and Bintan Islands, both beach resort islands. Popular to many Singaporeans.

Nearby countries

 * Singapore
 * Kuala Lumpur and Malacca in Malaysia.