This 9th of March, a Solar Eclipse in Palembang Indonesia will take place and this will be one of ten places in Indonesia that will witness this spectacular event which is attracting thousands of visitors to this part of South Sumatra.
This solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, resulting in the moon fully or partially blocking the sun and creating darkness in the day.
Solar Eclipse in Palembang Indonesia
Known as a rare and spectacular event that can only be experienced along a relatively narrow strip on the earth’s surface, Palembang is one of the best spots to see the solar eclipse and the two top spots to see this is at the Ampera bridge and SKI Air Jakabaring River.
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| Ampera Bridge in Palembang |
The Ampera bride, which is also the main icon for Palembang, will be closed for the solar eclipse, allowing visitors to find the best spot where it will also be a culinary hub with various local food stalls being set up for visitors to experience the unique Palembang food.
According to a website Tempo.co, a total of 500 Malaysians will be heading over to Palembang to witness the solar eclipse, said Acting Chief of South Sumatra Tourism and Culture Service Irene Camelyn Sinaga.
She also mentioned that based on weather forecast information, there will be no rain, and the sky over the city of Palembang will be bright when the total solar eclipse occurs on the 9th March 2016.
Prior to that, I was informed by my tour guide that another huge tourist group from Belgium will also be in Palembang to see this natural phenomenon before heading on to Bali.
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| The traditional Limas House in Palembang which is featured on the 10,000 Rupiah Note |
Best times to see the solar eclipse in Palembang
• Eclipse Start Time – 06:20:31
• Total Eclipse Start Time – 07:20:47
• Maximum Eclipse Time – 07:21:46
• Total Eclipse End Time – 07:22:46
• Eclipse End Time – 08:31:28
I was in Palembang from the 10th to the 13th of February in 2016 for a familiarization trip under South Sumatra Tourism and Culture and we were taken to various places of interest in Palembang, therefore, I am able to share some of these places to those planning to visit here.
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| Pasar 16 Ilir, a local market which is one of the busiest places in Palembang |
Palembang History
Palembang is generally known as a historical city as it one of the oldest cities in Indonesia dating back to the Sriwijaya times of the 7th century.
Most Malaysians would know of Parameswara or Iskandar Shah, who was the first Sultan of Malacca as he fled Palembang during the Majapahit era in the 14th century to then Singapura (Singapore) and then to Malacca (Melaka).
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| The Sriwijaya Museum |
Therefore, Palembang holds a very rich history of the Majapahit empire, especially for those who want to know more about this.
You can visit the three main museums in Palembang which are;
• Museum Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II
• Museum Balaputradewa Palembang
• Museum Sriwijaya
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| Bukit Seguntang, probably the most important archaeological site in Palembang |
Palembang Attractions
Apart from the food and museums, Palembang does have some places of interest, which are located within the city limits.
There is quite a strong influence of Chinese and Arab influence dating back centuries therefore, there are pure Arab villages or Kampung Arab and Kampung Cina in Palembang.
There are also some beautiful temples, pagodas and centuries-old Arab houses to see here. I would recommend visiting;
• Toa Pekong Temple on Kemaro Island (River Cruise to Pulau Kemaro)
• Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque (Chinese inspired Muslim mosque)
• Kampung Al Munawar (Traditional Arab Village, 250 years old)
• Bukit Seguntang (The original place where the Sriwijaya empire started)
• Al Quran Al Akbar (Largest wooden carvings of every page of the Quran in the world)
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| A Mosque with strong Chinese influence in Palembang city |
Palembang Souvenirs
Everyone leaves with souvenirs when they travel and Palembang has some unique ones to take home after your trip here. Among them, fabrics and food are the two top souvenirs here or the local term ‘
Oleh-Oleh‘ that most Southeast Asians hunt for in Palembang, Indonesia.
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| Kampung al Munawar, a traditional Arab village dating back over 250 years |
Palembang Batik and Songket
Palembang is well known for its fabrics which is the Palembang Batik or South Sumatra Batik with the unique designs differing from those in Java.
Songket weaving is also well known here and there are a number of home industries that offer visits to see how the Songket is made and then showing you the amazing collection of fabrics.
One of them that I visited was the Fikri Koleksi Batik and Songket Shop in town and they have a pretty wide range of fabrics available, for both men and women.
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| Local village kids in Palembang |
This trip to Palembang in February 2016 was made possible with the team from the South Sumatra Tourism and Culture Service and we were put up in the beautiful resort-style
Novotel Hotel in Palembang.
Without this trip, I would have very little knowledge of this historical city in South Sumatra and hopefully, I can come here once again to fully explore this place.
For more information, you can visit the official Palembang Tourism Website as they have an English section there too.
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| 18th Asian Games Palembang |
Also to mention, Palembang will be the host to the 18th Asian Games alongside with Jakarta as this is also the first time in history that two cities will be hosting the Asian Games. The dates have also been set from 18th August to 2nd September 2018.
The South Sumatra’s provincial government is also ready to host at least 18 sport disciplines with their existing Jakabaring Sport City Complex which is undergoing renovations for some of the facilities here.
They are also performing a capacity upgrade of Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium from 40,000 to 60,000 seats and also lengthen of the Jakabaring Lake to 2,300 meters.
Conclusion
With this, Palembang is now creating world news as the solar eclipse has also attracted global eclipse hunters from multiple backgrounds including astronomers, enthusiasts, photographers, and scientists while local and international tour operators have already made specialized tour packages to bring visitors in to witness the Solar Eclipse in Palembang Indonesia.
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