We had the privilege to do just that in Feb 2003 for 3 Days and 2 Nights, when we made a trip to Pekanbaru, Indonesia on an official study trip with Temasek Polytechnic to meet up with the the mayor and ministers to discuss on ways to promote Pekanbaru as a tourist destination.
Pekanbaru, Indonesia is the capital of Riau. It is located along the Siak River, which drains to the Strait of Malacca.
Our itinerary:
15 Feburary
0715 Meet World Trade Centre, Singapore
0805 Depart for Batam, Indonesia
0945 Flight to Pekanbaru, Indonesia
1130 Meeting with Governer of Riau
1300 Lunch meeting with Mayor of Pekanbaru
1500 Depart for Siak River, accompanied by Mayor of Pekanbaru
1915 Meeting at Hotel Lobby for Formal Dinner
16 February
0700 Depart for Rokan Hulu
1030 Meeting with Mayor of Rokan Hulu
1130 Field visit accompanied by Mayor of Rokan Hulu
1900 Dinner and cultural show at Governer House
The trip was definitely an eye opener for us. We had the local police escort us wherever we went, meals were hosted at the Mayor and Governer's places, we experienced our very first press conference, were fed once every 2 hours, were greeted with garlands and cultural dances everywhere and even had a local television crew following us around.
We breathed in polluted air, answered nature's call into holes and got our shoes dirty with mud everywhere we stepped. Despite all of that, we emersed in their way of life with big smiles on our faces! Simply because the hospitality from the locals, be it the ministers or the villagers was nothing but incredible. Hospitality and sincerity is what we believe, truly touches a tourist's heart at the end of the day!
Siak River right behind us
With the Mayor outside his home
Learnt how they made brown sugar at the village
One recommended site about travellers' comments about Pekanbaru, Riau can be also found at http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Indonesia/Riau_Province/Pekanbaru-1210217/TravelGuide-Pekanbaru.html
VirtualTourist is a worldwide travel community where real travelers and locals share real travel advice and experiences.As the single largest source of unbiased, user-generated travel content in the world, VirtualTourist (VT) is the premier resource for travelers seeking an insider’s perspective.
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We have our own VT pages as well, and we have made alot of new friends through this friendly community of members. Personally, before we travel, we tend to visit Virtual Tourist to check out the different reviews on the hotels and the highlighted destinations to visit.
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