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The Riau province covers some 3,000 islands dotting the Straits of Malacca, one of the Straits of Malacca, one of the busiest sea routes ib the world. The region has a romantic past filled with tales of pirates and international conflict. The capital city of Pekanbaru on the Siak river has several old buildings in the traditional style, including the Riau Cultural Park.
Siak Kingdom Palace Complex
The Siak Seri Inderapura Sultanated lasted from the 16th century to 1946m when upheavals following World War II brought it to an end. Located 129 km upstream from Pekanbaru, the Moorish-style palace built in 1889 by Sultan Syarif Hasyim Abdul Jalil Syarifuddin has been converted into a museum. The unique state mosque, summit meeting-hall, royal boat and royal tombs offer a vivid glimpse of the achievement of this historic kingdom. Rare artifacts include a golden throne, crown and regalia.
Elephant Training
Elephants are still used to do logging and other heavy work in Indonesia. At Sebanga Duri, 139 km from Pekanbaru, you can watch young elephants learning the ropes from mature trained elephants and their keepers.
Tanjung Pinang
This busy town in Bintan Island was the old capital of Riau. It remains the most important town and port as it is only two hours from Singapore by boat. This interesting old town is built on stilts over the water. Trikora beach is a popular srop.
Batam Island
Batam, which is two hours by ferry from Pekanbaru and half an hour from Singapore, has been developed as a center of trade and industry. A lovely vacation spot, it has modern resort facilities and a marina.
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