Bengkulu, the Land of Rafflesia

Fort Marlborough, Bengkulu, Indonesia

Bengkulu is the capital of the Bengkulu province in Sumatra Island, Indonesia. The province bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west, the South Sumatera province to the east, West Sumatra province to the north and Lampung province to the southeast. Its location which is directly facing the Indian Ocean, make the British built a trading post in the 17th century. Exactly in 1714 the famous Fort of Marlborough was built here. 

Bengkulu is a coastal city formerly known as Benconden. It was the place where Sir Stamford Raffles first came to Indonesia and left the remains of British influence. Bengkulu was once handed over to the Dutch in 1824 before becoming the part of Indonesia. The first president of the Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno, once exiled to this province during the struggle against the Dutch colonial by the nationalist movement. The pepper, nutmeg, coffee and sugar cane are the primary crops which are the reason for the European arrival. The rare exotic Rafflesia Arnoldi flower is one of the nature charms of Bengkulu.

The House of Bung Karno (The First President of Indonesia)

The cultures in Bengkulu today are mostly influenced by Islamic culture. Bengkulu has a popular traditional festival called “Tabot Festival”. Tabot Festival is a kind of ceremony of an Islamic community to commemorate the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hasan and Husein. The tradition firstly brought by the Shia Muslim workers from India whom intended by the British to build the Fort Marlborough. The ceremony’s actually not only in Bengkulu, but also in several regions in Sumatera Island. However, the Tabot Festival became one of the cultural attractions in Bengkulu province.

Rafflesia Arnoldii

There a lot of interesting places can be seen in

this province. The historical building such as Fort Marlborough, Hamilton Monument, Thomas Parr Monument, British Cemeteryand Fort York are the prominent historical sites. The house of the first president of Indonesia, Soekarno, still standing and can be visited by tourists. The house of Bung Karno (The First President of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno) is also interesting historical building to visit. The natural attractions such as Bukit Kaba (Kaba Hill), Jakat Beach, Duayu Sekundang Beach and Harun Bastari Lake are interesting destinations for your travel. The Enggano Island of Bengkulu in the Indian Ocean also famous for its beauty. So, make your travel there now.

Bengkulu is easy to access by land, air or sea. The direct bus route from big cities in Indonesia such as Medan, Padang and Jakarta regularly takes the passengers. The domestic ships are stopover in Baai Harbour, while the domestic flights are at the Fatmawati Soekarno Airport.

For Further Information & Reservation:

Garuda Indonesia Branch Palu

Jl. Moh. Hatta No.6 Palu

Telp. (0451) 454 888 / 486 886

Fax. (0451) 428 666

http://www.garuda-indonesia.com

Best Regard,

Diah Rizkawati

Sales Supervisor

Garuda Indonesia Branch Palu