Venue and Activities

Venue and Activities
Pangeran Beach Hotel, Jln. Juanda No. 79 Padang; on 9 –10 May, 2017; at 7.30 –16.00 WIB.

 

About Padang

Padang, the capital of the province of West Sumatra, is mostly used by tourists as an access point to Bungus Bay, the surfing sites of the Mentawai Islands, the inland hills of Bukittinggi, and the Kerinci Seblat National Park.

Padang was a Dutch historical harbour town, one of the main harbour in Dutch East Indies. The main attraction of the city is the colourful Dutch old town and old harbour in Muaro river, and also its old Chinatown. The city is also the home of the delicious Padang food and the town is stuffed with restaurants and street stalls.

Ladies are advised to wear long pants and at least a t-shirt with sleeves as you are entering a conservative city. Be aware that the men can get overly forward and cheeky.

It rains often in Padang. The roads flood quite easily as the city is still in the process of repairing the damage from the massive earthquake of recent years. Bring along a pair of slippers. These are useful in floods as well as for the beach.

Universitas Negeri Padang is situated in Air Tawar, Padang, about 18 Km from Bandara International Minang Kabau. The Venue of ISELT-5 is conducted at Hotel Pangeran Beach Hotel on Jalan Juanda about 22 Km from the Airport.

Get in

By plane

Minangkabau International Airport (Bandar Udara Internasional Minangkabau – BIM) (IATA: PDG), located 23km north-west of Padang, is the main gateway to West Sumatra, with frequent flights to destinations throughout Sumatra and Java such as Indonesia.

Some arlines serving Padang:

A Rp 100,000 departure tax is levied on outbound international flights and Rp 35.000 on domestic flights. As of 2015 though, all taxes are paid included in the flight.

If you are coming from Bukittinggi, ask a local how to take an angkot from wherever you are to Jambu Air. This should cost you Rp.2,000-3,000. From Jambu Air, take a minivan to Padang. This costs Rp.20,000-30,000 and will take 2-3 hours. It will only leave when relatively full. This van can get excessively crowded. Ladies are advised to wear long pants and at least a t-shirt with sleeves as you are entering a conservative city. Be aware that the men can get overly forward and cheeky.

Get around

Crazily-decorated Angkots run along the two main roads. Prices for a trip start at Rp4,000 (though most commonly Rp5,000). You can get taxis from the Minangkabau International Airport to town for less than Rp50,000 if you speak the language.

You may have to haggle a little, but be fair.

There are several alternatives that you can choose for transportation in Padang, such as bus kota (for city bus transportation), angkutan kota (Abbreviated “Angkot” for transportation in the city), taxi, car rental and Ojek (Motor Taxis). Most public transportations are not very safe and clean compared to international standard. During rush hour, you can see the buses overcrowded. Be careful with your valuables as sometimes there are pickpockets and thieves taking advantage while riding on the public transport, though this is very rare.

If you’re looking to spend a few days in Padang, car rental is the preferred way to go around. All car rentals include the driver, who can also act as your guide. It’s not recommended for tourists to drive around because road signs are not followed by the locals and courtesy while driving almost do not exist in Indonesia.