Bukittinggi is a great place. A small, walkable city with beautiful views, a cool breeze and friendly locals. As a strategic base for exploring more of West Sumatra, it is unbeaten. Harau Valley, Pagaruyung Palace, lake Maninjau and more all within about an hours drive.
As for the city itself, there’s a great market to explore and pick up local treats and handicrafts, as well as some brilliant local attractions such as the ‘Great Wall’ of Bukittinggi – a walk connecting the city with neighboring Koto Gadang (for traditional silversmiths), a Japanese war bunker left over from WWII, and of course Jam Gadang, the dutch clocktower in the center of the city. There are plenty of cafe’s and a few chain restaurants, too, Though we would recommend opting for the local eateries as not only will you get better food but it will cost around half as much.
But there is also something else that brings us back again and again.
At the top end of the market (walk from Jam Gadang down the right hand side of the new ‘Pasar Atas’ shopping center, keep walking straight, then veer down to the right at the end of the road…), there is a big second hand clothes market.
I don’t know about you, but I HATE clothes shopping in Asia. It takes me forever to find something that I like, only to discover that not only does it not fit me, but it is made for an entirely different body type and suddenly I feel like a mutant giant with impossibly long limbs and manly shoulders.
The clothes at the secondhand market come from a variety of different countries, and the joy of it is that there is ALWAYS something worth buying and ALWAYS plenty that fits. I know that second hand clothes aren’t to everyone’s taste, but I’m all for them – it’s a chance to update my wardrobe for a very cheap price, is environmentally more sound than buying new, and often there is some genuinely really good stuff. The average price per item is around 30,000idr ($2 USD), and haggling is definitely recommended. You can find everything here, from winter jackets to summer dresses, men’s, women’s and children’s.. most things will be in excellent condition, too, though of course always check.
Before settling down here, I spent a few months traveling across Asia and I definitely remember the struggle of needing to replace an item of clothing. Now that I live here, the struggle is still very real, but over the years I have managed to narrow down where to find new clothes and without a doubt the Bukittinggi second hand market is my absolute favorite.
And now you know, Bukittinggi is a great place for sightseeing, souvenirs, and buying some ‘new’ clothes, too.
Jen is an English girl who found herself in Sumatra one day and never went back. A wife, mother, traveler and book worm, she has lived in Padang long enough to speak the language and unearth plenty of useful hints and tips for the weary traveler…
