Explore WEST Sumatra

The Harau Valley is located in the Harau sub-district, Limapuluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra. From the city of Padang, it is about 140 km and from the city of Bukittinggi, it is about 50 km. The location of valley is divided into the territory of two villages, the village of Tarantang and the village of Harau. This 669 Ha valley is a nature reserve tourist area that has towering granite cliffs. The height varies from 80 meters to 300 meters with a cliff slope of 90 degrees.

Once entering the Harau valley, tourists will be treated to a natural atmosphere of mountains and river flows accompanied by 6 waterfalls with a height of about 100 meters. In addition, the expanse of rice fields and gardens will add to the beauty of the Harau valley area.

Tourists who want to visit the Harau Valley can choose one of three tourist sites in the Harau Valley area, namely Sarasah Bunta Resort, Aka Barayun Resort and Rimbo Piobang Resort. Each resort has its own uniqueness.

Sarasah Bunta Resort has 4 waterfalls, namely Sarasah Luluih Waterfall, Sarasah Bunta Waterfall, Sarasah Aie Angek Waterfall, and Sarasah Murai Waterfall. Sarasah Bunta Waterfall which is one of the most popular waterfalls by tourists because of its swift water discharge and natural pool. Also, Sarasah Murai Waterfall which has 7 levels with a height of about 10 meters to 15 meters, Its water is very clear and refreshing. Likewise, Sarasah Aie Angek Waterfall with its a water flow that is quite heavy and high, causing a very cool breeze. Meanwhile, Sarasah Aie Luluih Waterfall is at the top of a cliff and has a pool of water that is about 6 meters deep.

Near the Sarasah Bunta waterfall, a miniature European building was built. Miniature buildings of the French Eiffel Tower, Dutch waterwheels, and Gothic-style houses decorated with flower gardens are the main attractions for visitors. Various good photo spots can make you happy to do selfie activities. You need to know that at this attraction, there are not only European photo spots, but also cool rides, including zip line bikes, hot air balloons, canoe rides in the pool area, Paintball games for children, and others.

The Aie Barayun resort area presents the beauty of rock cliffs, becoming a location that is visited by many visitors who have a tough adventurous spirit. In this area, if you scream, your scream will cause an echo because the sound waves bounce off the cliffs.

In this area, there are also two waterfalls, namely Sarasah Jambu and Sarasah Aka Barayun. Sarasah Jambu Waterfall is located close to the entrance gate from Payakumbuh city, while the location of Aka Barayun Waterfall which has a height of about 200 meters is close to the parking area.

Meanwhile, the Rimbo Piobang resort is still under construction. Not much is visited by tourists to this area.

The Harau Valley is dubbed as Yosemite (a national park in Nevada, United States) – of Indonesia. The valley has about 70 rock climbing tracks with different levels of difficulty. Starting from fun track that can be climbed by all walks of life, to difficult track for trained climbers. The Harau Valley is often used as a training center location for rock climbing athletes who will take part in competitions.

Several routes are quite popular and are a favorite for climbers, including:

1. The Wisata Track is for beginners with a slope of about 120 degrees. There are three paths beside the Aka Barayun waterfall. The track has a grade of 5.8 – 5.10a with a height of about 22 meters
2. The Toilet Track with grades 5,10 – 5,11a. The track is known for its large gap, the track has a height of 25 m.
3. The Biadab Track with grade 5.12b is favored by athletes to test their abilities, this track is 25 meters high.
4. The Maghribi Track, with a height of 70 meters has a grade of 5.10 – 5.11b
5. The Liang Limbek Track with grade 5.13b. A path that intrigues trained climbers. The path with a little overhang that makes this track so technical and challenging. The length of the track is about 20 meters.
6. The Legendary Australian Track. The path with a grade of 5.14c is deliberately made as a competition. If anyone can climb it, they are entitled to a free flight ticket to Australia. But since the path was made no one has been able to climb it until now.

These are just a few of the popular tracks in the Harau valley. The other track is no less interesting to climb because they have different characters. Those who want to climb in the Harau valley only need permission from the local hamlet office holder and most importantly always maintain cleanliness and pay attention to safety factors.