Destinations in Indonesia

Overview

The beautifully intricate and bright textiles produced by the Minangkabau people are famous throughout Indonesia. West Sumatra has a reputation for exquisite hand-loomed cloth.

The fabrics produced here are known as ‘kain songket’. Songket weaving uses gold and silver threads to create a pattern on silk or cotton material.  The patterns on these cloths are often inspired from nature, such as elaborate floral designs to images of mountain landscapes.

Minangkabau is also known for its exquisite embroidery. These textiles reflect a Chinese influence. The Minang wedding costumes for example, are richly embroided on bright red and black satins in the style of Imperial Chinese colours, designs and traditions. Some tourists come to this region to specifically search for these wedding costumes and decorations. These finely embroided fabrics (sarongs and selendang) make the perfect souvenirs from your trip to West Sumatra.


This region is also famous for its silverwork. Filigree jewelery, which is intricately designed and painstakingly made, is a specialty. There are many handicraft villages surrounding Bukittinggi where such handicrafts can be found.  

For visitors interested in learning more about the handicrafts of West Sumatra or in shopping for some souvenirs, take a trip to Pandai Sikat which is a town famous for songket weaving and woodcarving. The name Pandai Sikat literally translates to mean ‘clever craftsmen’. This small village is located 13 kilometers from Bukittinggi and can be reached by opelet (local bus) from Aur Kuning bus terminal.