Harau Valley

A relaxing one-hour drive from the bustling market of Bukittinggi in the province of West Sumatra lies the beautiful Harau Valley, - or sometimes called the Arau valley - where lush green ricefields are hemmed in between huge granite cliffs. Here dozens of waterfalls tumble down from 80 to 300 meters height into the valley below, cut by the Batang Arau River. No wonder, therefore, that the Harau Valley is sometimes known as the Yosemite of Indonesia.

Here gibbons and macaques and a variety of wildlife still roam freely as this area in the Lima Puluh Kota district has actually been designated a nature conservation, covering some 669 acres. Its beautiful landscape, its peaceful serenity interrupted only by the calls of the macaques and the chirping of birds, make the Harau Valley the perfect holiday getaway.

Here one waterfall is named the Bunta Waterfall or locally called Sarasah Bunta that pours down fresh water from the highlands with three other waterfalls nearby. It was first visited in 1926 by a Dutch mayor. A carved stone indicating the year when the mayor visited the waterfall is still there expressing the beauty of this valley. Other the waterfalls are called the Akar Barayun, Sarasah Luluh, and Sarasah Murai.

One theory has it that the Harau Valley came into being as a result of a tectonic fracture on an ancient land, with parallel rivers running through it. As one part of the land sank, while the other rose, the waterways broke, and waterfalls eventually ensued from the spillways above the rocky hills. Local scientists believe that this theory may prove to be true.