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SUNGAIPENUH |
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The most popular access point into the park is SUNGAIPENUH , a small,
attractive town, located 277km southwest of Padang in a high fertile
valley of rice, tea, coffee and clove plantations. You can get all
necessary information and hire national park guides here at the national
park office , Mitra Kerja, on the edge of town at Jl Basuki Rahmat 11 (Mon-Thurs
7am-2pm, Fri 7-11am, Sat 7am-12.30pm; tel 0748/22250): look for a white
gateway with red lettering. Fees for non-English-speaking deep-forest
village guides are around US$6.50 per day and for porters US$5 per day,
but rates vary. Trekkers pay for their guide's food and transport, and
it's traditional to provide in addition a daily packet of cigarettes.
The park office also issues permits (Rp1500 for Gunung Kerinci or Danau
Gunung Tujuh), as do offices closer to each place.
The bus terminal is in the market area between Jalan Prof J Amin and
Jalan H Agus Salim; waiting dokar (horse-carts) ferry arrivals around
town. The most luxurious accommodation in town is Aroma, Jl Imam Bonjol
14 (tel 0748/21142; $5-10), conveniently central and with some hot water.
Matahari on Jalan Basuki Rahmet (tel 0748/21061; under $5) offers large
rooms in a big old house, some en-suite, and a huge amount of local
information. Slightly more central, Yani, Jl Muradi 1 (no phone; under
$5), feels less spacious and is on a busier road, but offers similar
accommodation. For eating , Soto Minang, Jl Muradi 4, serves good,
inexpensive Padang food, as does Simpang Tiga, on Jalan H Agus Salim in
the market area: the brains in coconut sauce are particularly renowned.
The BNI bank, opposite Matahari, has foreign exchange facilities, the
24hr Telkom office is on Jalan Imam Bonjol, and the post office is at Jl
Sudirman 1a.
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