Thursday, January 8, 2015

10 Things To Do in Palembang Besides Shopping

I spent about four days in Palembang with no intentions whatsoever to go shopping. I didn't realize until just recently that I have many friends who lives in Palembang and I decided to pay them a visit. And while visiting, they introduced me to these spots below which I considered sharing with my blog readers.

1. Have lunch with a local... guy.. :P

It was not intended but I had to buy this poor lad a meal for helping to fetch me from the airport (arranged by a friend of mine who was out of town) and sending me to my friend's place!

Here's dedek Irwin, fresh from college. 

2. Take a walk near the Musi Pier

The waterfront is bustling with locals and their families, some were flying kites, cycling, jogging or just lazing around enjoying the evening breeze. This particular spot however faces Palembang's iconic Ampera Bridge, which says to resemble San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

Upin Ipin is still a hit among the locals and surprisingly still airing on their neational TV!
3. Visit Museum Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II

The museum is just a walking distance from the waterfront. I wasn't interested in entering and it was closed by the time I reached there. Hehe. But the building itself is a historical legacy, as it is a monument of the golden age of the Palembang Sultanate.
Nope, I doubt the princesses of the Palembang Sultanate wore a t-shirt and skirts during their days. Haha!
4. Visit Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat - MONPERA 

This spot bear witness to the locals' battle against the Dutch for 5 days and 5 nights. It is also a museum that houses statues of the fallen heroes, war artifacts like armor and coins, photo gallery and the history of their fight for freedom. 

The entrance to MOMPERA.
5. Gorge on Palembang's famous local delight - Pempek!

You could either choose it boiled or fried and it comes in many variety. It's main ingredient is fish mixed with flour and within it you could find egg, meat or mixed vegetables. Pempek is sold almost in every cafe in Palembang and the locals eat any time of the day!

I love PEMPEK! I WANT MORE!! 
6. Dine, shop and catch a movie at Palembang Icon's Cinemaxx

Why Cinemaxx? It is boasted to be the largest cinema in Indonesia being able to fit 1475 movie-goers in one night!!! The cinema only opened in October 2014 and I'm glad to have experienced the Ultra XD screen. Movie tickets costs 30,000 rupiah each and I watched Big Hero 6 here. Hehe.
Palembang Icon, one of the modern styled malls in Palembang, with a huge cinema to boot!
7. Take a boat to Kemaro Island 

Located some 6km downstream from Ampera Bridge, Kemaro Island is a recreational place that houses a Chinese temple and a grave of a princess of Palembang. Legend has it that the princess jumped into the river when her father thrown pots of vegetables given by her husband, the king of China into the river. She drowned. Her father expected gold but found vegetables instead. But there were actually gold in some of the pots. The princess was later buried at this island.

Open during Cap Go Meh during Chinese New year. 
8. Pray at Masjid Muhamad Cheng Ho

I never did know that Cheng Ho had Muhamad in front of his name. Haha. This mosque is located quite far from the city center but since my friends brought me here, all I could do is marvel at it's Chinese-like architecture. 
Ni hao ma? Red is the deal here. 
9. Visit Jaka Baring Sport City

This place was the official venue for the 26th Sea Games of 2011. The area is so huge and still intact that many locals get to utilize the well-maintained sports' facilities. I was brought to the Ski Air venue where you'll find a huge lake and a view point. It rained when we reached there and didn't get to explore much.

Ski Air Jaka Baring Sport City... 
10. Have dinner at Kampung Kapitan and enjoy the lit up Ampera Bridge
  
The food here is a bit pricey so we opted to drink hot tea only. Hehe. Our real intentions was enjoying the night view of Palembang city across the Musi River. Lit up like a Christmas tree!

Does it resemble the one in San Francisco? Hehe. 
And with that I end my trip in Palembang. I would love to thank these people for making my stay a most memorable one!

... Ziske for hosting me
....Perni for driving on my second day in Palembang
....Suriani for driving me around during the night
Thanks a million girls!!! 

Girls day out. It was actually my first time traveling without a guy involved. Muahahaha! 

5 comments:

Unknown said... [Reply]

Macam bes je

Noor Azlin @ Bizznurse said... [Reply]

The "pempek"look tasty yum yum...

Jard The Great said... [Reply]

@ ivan.. memang best!! especially when people bring you around with depending on tour guides. hehehe

@ noor azlin... it is!! must try when you're in palembang!

violetless said... [Reply]

mana beg pink?

Jard The Great said... [Reply]

@ violetless... belum cuci.. jadi dia bercuti kejap. muahahaha!