Exploring Kota Jambi and Campground Taman Alam Sebapo

Jembatan Gentala - My highlight at Kota Jambi

JULIEWANDERS.COM - The trip from Palembang to Jambi was really a reality check for us. The Lintas Timor showed its true colors and we realized that it might take us a lot longer to reach Sabang than we thought. What we expected to be an easy 280km long ride from one large city to another turned out to be a nerve-wracking two-day long trip on a very congested road with tons of potholes and truck drivers with a love for high-risk manoeuvres.

So, we were glad when we finally made it to Jambi. It’s a great place to recover from the crazy traffic, stock up on supplies in one of the large supermarkets and enjoy city life for a day or two.

My favourite place in Jambi was Jembatan Gentala. It is a curved pedestrian bridge spanning around 530 meters over Batang Hari River. The two access points to the bridge are at Ancol Kota Jambi and at the museum Gentala Arasy Tower. I highly recommend visiting Jembatan Gentala after sunset, when it lights up in lots of different colors. It’s a great place to go for an evening stroll and soak up the relaxed atmosphere. On the banks of the river, you can also find little Warungs selling snacks and drinks. It’s a hangout place for many locals with beautiful views of the bridge. I enjoyed joining the locals and trying different snacks while doing a bit of people-watching and listening to the street musicians.  

Listen to the street musicians while strolling over the bridge.

We found a spot on Jalan Raden Pamuk for our selfie with Black Pearl.

Another place I can recommend is the restaurant Pondok Pindang Sarinande in Jalan Sultan Agung. It’s a simple restaurant with delicious and affordable food. Their Sate is amazing and of course, as the name gives away, you should try their Pindang, a fish or beef soup with lots of spices and herbs.

We stayed at Yello Hotel Jambi, a stylish mid-range hotel in the centre of the city. The rooms are perfect to chill out and from the 9^th floor, we had a beautiful view of the city. Right next to it you can find Transmart with a huge supermarket on the second floor. It’s ideal to stock up on western foods which are difficult to find in Sumatra. What can I say - Italians got to have their olive oil and pasta…

Model at work

City view from the 9th floor.

Camping at Taman Alam Sebapo

Main building at Taman Alam Sebapo

If you’re not in the mood for city life and rather spend time in nature, I got the perfect spot for you: Taman Alam Sebapo. It’s a park run by the Conservation Community Indonesia, located close to Lintas Timor and just 22km outside of Kota Jambi. They have a campground and also offer simple cabins and glamping tents for rent. The place has all the basic campground facilities and is well taken care of by its friendly keepers.

It's also a great spot if you just need a place to recharge and rest for a few hours while on the road.

 

 

Location: Click here

Entrance: around 10.000Rp./person and 5.000Rp. for parking

Tip: Bring your own food or let them know in advance that you’ll come there