Harau Valley

Harau is a flat-bottomed valley near Payakumbuh where rice fields run right up to vertical rock walls more than a hundred metres high. Water falls off the top in several places, feeding pools that people swim in, and the cliffs have become a modest rock climbing venue with bolted routes. The floor of the valley is farmland and a few clusters of guesthouses, and the whole thing can be walked or cycled in a morning. It is one of the more photogenic corners of West Sumatra without being especially developed, and the surrounding Minangkabau villages, with their upswept roofs, are part of what makes the drive worth it.

What you actually see

• The cliff walls - sheer rock faces rising straight from the rice fields on both sides.
• Sarasah Bunta falls - the best known of the waterfalls, with a pool at the base.
• Aka Barayun - a second fall beside a small pool area at the valley entrance.
• The valley floor - a flat walk or cycle through terraced rice fields between the walls.

When to go

Come in the drier stretch from May to September, when the paths are firm and the pools are clear rather than brown. The waterfalls are fuller after rain but the water turns muddy. Early morning gives the best light on the eastern wall and the fewest visitors, since domestic day trippers arrive from late morning onwards.

Honest expectations

In dry spells the waterfalls shrink to a trickle and the pools look uninviting. Parts of the valley have been fitted out with painted photo props and a mock Korean village, which some find fun and others find cheap. Weekends bring loud crowds and litter. There is no public transport to the valley, so you need a driver or a scooter.

Nearby

Payakumbuh, Bukittinggi and Lake Maninjau are all within a couple of hours.