Bukittinggi is famous as a highland city which is famous for its hilly natural contours. The natural conditions around this city become an individual gift for this city with cool air. Apart from being blessed with fertile land, this city has a very beautiful natural panorama in almost all directions, so that it becomes an attraction for the tourism sector. One example of this beauty is the panorama offered around Ngarai Sianok.
Ngarai Sianok is an eternal valley with steep hills with a small river in the middle. The contours of the Sianok Valley were formed due to the process of descending part of the earth’s plate, causing a fault in the form of a steep ravine.
This canyon stretches for 15 km from the south side of Nagari Koto Gadang to Nagari Sianok Enam Suku, with a cliff depth of up to 100 meters and a gap width of about 200 meters.
This fault in Sianok is part of the Semangko Fault which divides Sumatra Island into two parts extending from Aceh to Semangka Bay in Lampung. The Semangko fault itself is the location of the fault that forms the Bukit Barisan Mountains.
Sianok canyon is the clearest visual form of tectonic movement on the island of Sumatra. The process of forming the fault produces a fertile area with a beautiful panorama.
This area has another name, namely Silent Valley, because the atmosphere is calm and peaceful. Supported by the clean and cool air, accompanied by the background of the sound of birds singing and the gurgling of the river water, this canyon is suitable as a place to release the burden of thoughts from daily routines.
Therefore, many residents of the City of Bukittinggi fill their weekends by exercising around this canyon. The usual sports here include trekking, mountain biking, or taking a light walk to relieve fatigue.
If you are just a layover arranged in Bukittinggi and don’t have much time, there’s no need to worry. You can still enjoy the panoramic beauty of the verdant Ngarai Sianok from a distance in a place called Taman Panorama.
In the park which is located on Jalan Panorama, Bukittinggi City, visitors can relax while admiring and capturing the beautiful scenery of this valley. While enjoying the atmosphere, visitors can also buy some typical Bukittinggi souvenirs at the stalls along the park’s path.