Have you heard about Harau Valley?
Harau Valley is a lovely place in West Sumatra, with its lovely topography, panoramic view, and the culture of its people. Its also called the Yosemite of Indonesia, because it has a beauty like the Yosemite National Park which is located in the Sierra Nevada of California which has been famous throughout the world.
Harau Valley is a popular destination for photographers because the main feature of the valley is its sheer cliffs in each side and the fertile land between them, so make this place becomes the destination for traveling for young people, who want to fill their social media feeds in Instagram or Facebook with wonderful pictures. This place is surrounded by colorful steep granite stones with a height of 100 to 500 meters.
Location
Harau Valley is located in a strategic position. That means that you can easily get to this valley on public transport because it the located just by the main road that connects Bukittinggi (West Sumatra) to Pekanbaru (Riau). Its needs one and half-hour trip from Bukittinggi to the west.
The Harau Valley is located in Harau District, Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra Province. Located about 138 km from Padang and about 47 km from Bukittinggi or about 18 km from the City of Payakumbuh and 2 km from the center of government of Lima Puluh Kota Regency.
History of Harau Valley
Harau is believed to have originated from the word ‘parau’, a local term which means hoarseness.
In the past, the residents who lived on Jambu Hill often faced floods and landslides which caused uproar and panic. The inhabitants often scream hysterically and eventually make hoarse voices. With the characteristic voice of the people who hear hoarse, the area is called ‘orau’ and then changed its name to ‘Arau’ until finally the mention is more often to ‘harau’.
Beautiful view in the Harau Valley
The Harau Valley has a tropical climate and fertile land, as well as the beauty of a charming natural landscape. As you know, the Harau Valley is a nature reserve covering an area of 669 hectares. The Harau Valley consists of three area :
- The Resort Sarasah Bunta
Here, there is Bunta Waterfall or Sarasah Bunta Waterfall. This waterfall flows fresh water from the highlands with three other waterfalls in this valley.
Sarasah Bunta Waterfall was first opened on August 14, 1926 by the resident assistant of Lima Puluh Kota (City), F. Rinner with Tuanku Laras Datuk Kuning Nan Hitam and the assistant Demang Datuk Kodoh Nan Hitam. - The Resort Rimbo Piobang.
Here, the steep walls are not only an attraction for photographers but rock climbers are also interested in climbing the walls in this valley where there are 300 rock climbing locations. On the other hand, the steep rocky cliff fence has created a beautiful and challenging relief, especially for those of you who like rock climbing. The steepness of the cliffs in this place reaches 90 degrees with a height of 150 to 200 meters.
- The Aka Barayu Resort
Aka Barayu Resort has a beautiful waterfall and swimming pool plus a beautiful natural atmosphere. In addition, it also has the potential for the development of rock climbing because it has steep rocky hills and is able to reflect sound (echo).
