Experience the best of Bukittinggi

Bukittinggi sits at about 900 metres in the Minangkabau highlands of West Sumatra, with the volcanoes Marapi and Singgalang rising on either side. The town centre is dominated by Jam Gadang, a clock tower built in 1926 whose Roman numerals show four as IIII. Nearby, Fort de Kock, a Dutch fort of 1825, sits on a hill with views and links by footbridge to a small zoo.

Sianok Canyon, a green gorge about 100 metres deep, lies on the edge of town, and tunnels dug during the Second World War wind beneath the hill. Minangkabau houses with horn-shaped roofs, the rumah gadang, are common. Lake Maninjau, in a volcanic crater, is reached by a road of 44 hairpin bends, the Harau Valley has high cliffs and waterfalls, and a rebuilt royal palace stands at Pagaruyung.

Rendang, beef slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices, is the great Minangkabau dish, and nasi kapau, rice with a spread of curries, is Bukittinggi's own style. Itiak lado mudo, duck in green chilli, is another local plate. Nights are cool at this altitude, and the drier months run from June to September.