 Sumber: asset.kompas.com |
A friend once told me that Sawahlunto is a civilization in its own right. Nestled on a crater-like landscape guarded by the hills around, Sawahlunto is a sight to behold. It is a quaint city with diverse culture and beliefs still adorned with remnants of dutch colonial buildings that to this day still function as hospitals, hotels and government buildings.
Coal has always
been intertwined with the history of Sawahlunto. In 1891, coal deposit in
Sawahlunto was estimated to be at 205million tonnes and the coal mines in
Sawahlunto reaches its peak between 1920 and 1921. The coal mining went on for
over a century and was eventually depleted. Soon the mine workers started
departing the bustling town leaving it back the quite town it used to be.
2001 was the
turning point for Sawahlunto as it was declared a historic site and opened for
tourism. Tourism spots was established throughout the city including info
box and coal mining gallery, Soero pit left from the coal mining days, Museum Goedang
Ransoem and Train and
Rail museum of Sawahlunto.
Sawahlunto
becomes the capital city of coal mining tourism of Indonesia
In June 2019,
from what was an almost forgotten relic of the past, Sawahlunto was restored to
where it should be and was named as one of the UNESCO world site heritage,
“Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto”. It was named as the UNESCO world
site heritage through the unique architecture of the city and the mining
technology of the time marking an advancement of technology development by
mankind.
Sumber:
whc.unesco.org
Traveling and
Exploring Sawahlunto
Surrounded by
rows of hills and situated in the province of West Sumatera, this city is
roughly one third the size of Jakarta or is estimated to be 283 km2. The city
is well equipped with various tourist destinations to satisfy the curiosity of
travellers.
When in
Sawahlunto, don’t miss visiting the now defunct coal mines that were newly
crowned as UNESCO World Heritage Site, commemorating the rich history that this
city has to offer. Traveling to the city takes a bit of extra effort which will
all be paid off by the beauty of the city. You would land in Padang, a more
well-known nearby city, Minangkabau International Airport. From the airport you
can take a number of transportation option, travel minibus to directly head to
Sawahlunto or for the more adventurous, take public busses and go through
several terminals before reaching Sawahlunto.
sumber:
republika.co.id
The trip to
Sawahlunto from Padang using a travel bus would take 4-5 hours and costs around
Rp. 100,000.- which would take you directly to the city only stopping for
toilet rests. While if you are feeling a bit more adventurous and is on a
budget trip, taking the public bus will be a better option which will costs you
around Rp 25,000.- to Rp. 35,000.- and takes around 5-6 hours to reach
Sawahlunto. You can directly find the public bus named Tranex from the airport,
from there you would want to go to Solok Terminal and exchange towards
Sawahlunto Terminal from there. However, the West Sumateran government now
provides a direct route using Tranex bus from Padang Terminal to Sawahlunto
terminal that costs Rp. 30,000.-.
The trip will
take you through Padangpanjang city in the Sitinjau Lauik area. The route will
be a bit steep and will have a number of sharp turns. However, the view on
either side as you are sitting on the bus will be hard to miss. You will enjoy
the view of the city of Padang from above and afar, giving you a magnificent
view of the whole city.
Sumber:
beritagar.id
The city is
well-accommodating for tourists as it offers a wide range of accommodation
choices that varies with price and facility. It ranges from homestay to hotel.
The costs will be in the range of Rp. 200,000.- to Rp. 700,000.- per night
depending on the facilities and location of the accommodation. You can easily
book the accommodation via traveling apps like Booking.com.
Hotels are also available nearby the Ombilin river which still preserves the
dutch colonial style building.
Traveling around
the city itself can be done by riding the city’s public transport, named angkot
(a public minivan) or ojek (motorcycles operated personally). Travelling by
renting a car is also another option, which is more convenient but is much more
costly. Several travel agents
provide cars to be rented and also local day tours so that you don’t need to
plan the trip yourself.
Not only rich in
history, being in West Sumatera, the Minangnese food here is also a must-try
experience. It will provide wary travellers with flavorful culinary experience.
The foods here are rich in flavour combining savouriness and spiciness from the
spices used to prepare the foods. We recommend that you taste the Gulai Banak
(Savory and spicy curry with cow’s brain) and Pical (mixed vegetables and
noodle in peanut sauce), a delicacy of Sawahlunto and West Sumatera.
Aside from the
famous coal mines and museums, there are several other attractions such as
waterfall, park and lake that you can visit. The ticket price varies but are
relatively cheap ranging around Rp. 10,000.- to Rp 15,000.-. The attractions
and tourist sites information including opening time and costs can be found here. Another option is to sightsee the
picturesque view of the city still adorned with colonial building can be
observed from Cemara hill in the outskirt of the city. Of course, you cannot
forget to bring back some delicacies and souvenirs on your way back home, there
are Keripik Balado (Spicy cassava chips), also a Minangnese delicacy, and
handicraft made from coal.
Sumber:
kebudayaan.kemdikbud.go.id
This is a story
of an almost forgotten city in Sumatera where thousands of people once flooded
in to extract the riches of mother earth over a century ago. Now, it is
restored to what it is supposed to be, a famous mining city of Sawahlunto. Its
past are eternalized by its museums and its history is recognized worldwide as
a UNESCO World Site Heritage.
This is a guest post from dearest colleagues of Anak Rantau
