palembang: it's...wet. and kinda amazing?
okay, so i just got back from palembang, south sumatra. honestly, i’m still trying to process it. it’s… a lot. like, a really humid, river-filled, ancient-city kind of a lot. i’m not gonna lie, i’m exhausted. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
seriously, the map is the best way to understand this place. it’s basically a giant network of rivers. they call it the ‘venice of sumatra,’ and honestly, it’s not far off. it’s just…wet. constantly. i’m talking equatorial climate - hot, humid, and rainy year-round. december to april is basically a downpour, but june to september is… marginally less awful. i’m not saying it’s good, just less actively trying to drown you.
my hotel was near the ampera bridge, which is this massive, iconic thing. someone told me that it’s the main way to get around, but honestly, i mostly just took a taxi. it’s a bit of a maze, and i’m not sure i could navigate it without getting hopelessly lost. the density is insane - 5,000 people per square kilometer. it’s like a really, really busy ant farm. they’re calling it the 12th-largest city in indonesia, which is… a lot to take in.
and the history! palembang is supposedly one of the oldest cities in southeast asia, founded back in 683. it was the capital of the srivijaya kingdom, which is a name i’m still trying to wrap my head around. it’s like, ancient empires and stuff. they incorporated it as a modern city in 1906, and then added more land in 1988. it’s a weird mix of old and new, which is kind of cool, i guess.
there are a bunch of things to do, or at least things to look at. the musi river is obviously the main attraction - it’s where everything happens. there are these traditional raft houses, which look really interesting, but i didn’t have time to explore them properly. kuto besak fort is another historical spot, and siguntang hill has gardens and trees. and, of course, there’s mount dempo, which is a bit of a trek outside the city, but supposedly has great views. i didn’t make it that far, to be honest.
neighbors? if you get bored, bandar lampung is south, bengkulu is west, jambi is north, and there are ports like tanjung api-api. it’s a pretty spread-out area. i didn’t really explore much beyond palembang itself, to be honest. i was mostly just trying to not get completely soaked.
and the food… well, i didn’t really dig into it. someone told me that palembang cuisine is all about the river, but i didn’t have the energy to try anything too adventurous. i just grabbed some noodles and iced coffee, which was probably a good call.
seriously, the humidity is brutal. and the traffic is… chaotic. they’re building a toll road, which is good news, but it’s still pretty congested. it’s a city that’s trying to modernize, but it’s still very much rooted in its history and its riverine identity. it’s… complicated. but also, kind of fascinating.
overall, palembang is definitely a place that’s worth seeing, if you’re prepared for the heat and the rain. just pack a good umbrella and a lot of patience.
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