There are plenty of tourism object in Indonesia, for example Bali, Borobudur Temple, Ratu Boko Temple, Kraton Yogyakarta etc. And so for Palembang, there's a lot of place to visit.Palembang is a city on Sumatra Island that is divided into two by the Musi River, the Ulu side and the Ilir side. This geographical situation has made water transportation system a part of the people's daily life. Along both banks of the Musi there used to be moored raft dwellings, called Rakit, some of which served as shops. The houses along the banks stand facing the water and are built on stilts. Because of its orientation towards the river, the city has an elongated profile along both sides and does not stretch far inland.
Palembang is sometimes called the Venice of the East because of its network of waterways, but the Musi no longer functions as the city's main street. The wide river, the banks of which were once considered unbridgeable, now has a bridge that has become a symbol of the city. This Venice of the East located on important trade artery between India and China since ancient times has determined the character of Palembang as a port city. Now the two sides of the city are connected by one big bridge, AMPERA, which is short for Amanat Penderitaan Rakyat.
Visiting Palembang means that you can pamper yourself with the delicious fishcake Pempek, as you can find this kind of food everywhere, from street vendors to fancy restaurants. You can also see what remains from the glorious Sri Wijaya Kingdom in Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum located on the side of the Musi River.
Pempek, Palembang typical food that has been famous throughout Indonesia. By using the main ingredients of fish flesh and sago, Palembang society had managed to develop these basic ingredients into various types pempek by varying the field as well as other additional ingredients such as chicken eggs, fish skin, and know the basic ingredients. Variety of pempek are pempek kapal selam, pempek lenjer, pempek keriting, pempek adaan, pempek kulit, pempek tahu, pempek pistel, pempek udang, pempek lenggang, pempek panggang, pempek belah, dan pempek otak - otak. As a complement to eat pempek, Palembang people usually add colored thick black sauce made of boiled brown sugar, chili, and dried shrimp are by local people called the vinegar sauce (cuko).
Near the Museum, you can see a building called Benteng Kuto Besak, which used to be the residence of the Sri Vijaya kings in the 18th century. From the Museum area, continue your walking trip to Mesjid Agung. An architectural proof of the acculturation of Chinese, native Palembang and modern cultures in a harmonious way. Built in 1738, this greatest mosque in Indonesia of that time has continually been rebuilt and renovated. The last renovation in the year 2000 has given the touch of the 21th century style to this unique mosque.
Palembangnese is a member of the Malay family, the people speak Malay as their language but with their own dialect and they called it Bahasa Palembang or Bahasa Musi. Other people that are not native to Palembang but still came from South Sumatra usually blended their language with Bahasa Palembang, such as Bahasa Komering, Lahat, Rawas, etc. There are also people that came from outside South Sumatra. Most of them are Javanese, Chinese, Arab, Indian, Minangkabau, and Sundanese.
The major religion in Palembang is Muslim. But many of the inhabitants also practice Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Konghucu.
One thing that you shouldn't miss when visiting Palembang is seeing people weaving Songket, the traditional Palembang's sarong. Palembang's traditional kain songket, symbols of a family's wealth, are usually made of silk, then given an overlaid design of gold or silver; buy one in Pasar Ilir 16. Also, the tourist office can suggest a few weaving centers to visit. Go in the mornings; weavers tend to take the afternoons off. In Rumah Bari, see the small diorama of weavers, traditional textiles, some spinning wheels, and an exhibit of the whole nine-phase process.
Take a becak ride to Jl. Ki Gede Ing Suro, on the way, you can see several Palembang's traditional houses, limas houses, with their unique roof shape. You can ask your becak driver to wait for you while you are browsing around the weaving houses along the street. You can also buy a sarong that you fancy. When you bargain for the desired item, bear in mind that one sarong needs one full month to finish.Enjoy Palembang, Enjoy the Venice of the East, Enjoy your trip in Indonesia!