Palembang

Kuto Besak, the Ampera Bridge and a ketek to Kampung Al-Munawar

A day in Palembang follows the Musi river. Start at the Grand Mosque, first opened in 1748, see Benteng Kuto Besak, the sultanate's fort, from outside, walk under the Ampera Bridge, and take a ketek boat across the river to Kampung Al-Munawar, the old Arab quarter.

Morning. Start at the Masjid Agung, the Grand Mosque first opened in 1748. Walk round to its western side to see the original prayer hall and minaret, whose roof blends Malay, Chinese and European ideas. A few minutes away on the riverbank stands Benteng Kuto Besak, the sultanate's walled fort completed in 1797. It is still used by the army, so you see it from outside, but the Museum Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II next door covers the sultanate and Srivijaya.

Late morning. Take a ketek from the Kuto Besak pier across the Musi to the south bank. Kampung Kapitan keeps the houses of the old Chinese captains, and a short ride downstream, Kampung Al-Munawar is a cluster of Arab-descended families living in 19th-century wooden houses.

Afternoon. Charter a boat downriver to Pulau Kemaro, where a Chinese temple and pagoda stand on a small island; the trip takes around half an hour each way. Back on land, rest through the heat or visit the songket workshops at Tangga Buntung.

Evening. Return to the Kuto Besak plaza for sunset, walk part of the Ampera Bridge and eat at one of the floating warung east of the bridge as the lights come on.

Pempek kapal selam, pindang patin and martabak HAR along the Musi

Palembang cooking is built on river fish, and pempek is its pride: fish and tapioca dough shaped, boiled and fried, from the egg-filled kapal selam to crisp kulit, all dipped in sharp cuko sauce. Try pindang patin, a sour catfish soup, and martabak HAR, the egg-and-curry pancake at its namesake shop.

Pempek comes in many forms: the kapal selam ('submarine') hides a whole egg inside, lenjer is a long roll, adaan is a round fried ball with shallots, and kulit is made with crisp fish skin. All are eaten with cuko, a thin sauce of palm sugar, chilli, garlic and vinegar, poured into a small bowl so you can sip it. Pempek shops are everywhere and most open from morning to late afternoon.

The same fish dough turns up in soups. Tekwan is a light broth with small fish balls, mushrooms and glass noodles; model is a fish cake stuffed with tofu in a similar broth, and laksan is pempek in a coconut milk sauce.

For a full meal, order pindang patin, catfish in a sour and spicy soup flavoured with pineapple and tamarind. Mie celor is noodles in a thick coconut and shrimp broth, a breakfast favourite.

The local martabak HAR, an Indian-style egg pancake served in a potato curry, comes from an Indian-descended family business that has been frying it for decades. Wash it all down with es kacang merah, iced red bean with syrup and milk, and take home a bag of kemplang, the crisp fish crackers.

Rain, river levels and the bidar races through Palembang's year

Palembang is hot all year, so plan around rain and river levels: November to April is wettest, peaking near 350 mm in March and December, while June to September is drier. Visit Srivijaya Archaeological Park, take a boat to Pulau Kemaro's pagoda, and watch the bidar boat races held on the Musi.

Heat is constant here, with highs between 31C and 33C all year, so planning comes down to rain, river levels and smoke.

The wettest stretch runs from November to April, peaking at around 350 mm in both March and December. The river runs high, the floating warung bob and afternoon storms can stop boat trips. From June to September the rain drops to about 80 to 110 mm a month, the best time for the Musi. The catch is haze: in dry years, especially El Niño years, fires on the peat swamps around the city send smoke over Palembang from about August to October, sometimes closing the airport.

Two events stand out. Cap Go Meh, at the end of Chinese New Year, brings crowds of pilgrims to the temple on Pulau Kemaro, with boats leaving from the Kuto Besak piers through the night and morning. Around Independence Day on 17 August, long wooden bidar boats with dozens of paddlers race on the Musi near the Ampera Bridge, cheered on from the riverbanks.

For a quieter outing, go to the Taman Purbakala Kerajaan Sriwijaya, an archaeological park on the western edge of town where Srivijaya-era finds were made, and to Bukit Siguntang, a small sacred hill with old graves linked to Malay royal legend. Both are calm, green and rarely busy.