Harau Valley is in WestSumatra in Indonesia. It is an area of natural beauty located halfway between Pekanbaru and Bukitinggi. Rice fields are dwarfed by cliffs.
Bus from Bukittingi to Payakumbuh and on to Harau Village, from there by motorcycle taxi to Harau Village. Call a homestay for a pickup and/or a tour around the valley.
Harau Valley is located in Desa Lubuk Limpato, Nagari Tarantang - Kecamatan Harau, Kabupaten Limapuluh Kota. West Sumatera Province. It is about 7 KM from SARILAMAK City the new capital city of Kabupaten Limapuluh Kota ( the previous one is Payakumbuh ). If you drive a car from Bukittinggi it will take around one hour.
Go for a trek in the mountains and enjoy the view and bathe in hidden waterfalls.
If you want to buy small souvenirs there are few item you can find at Echo Homestay, which is key holder and t-Shirt with special design. The price is OK.
There are some smaller shops and restaurants at the entrance to the valley, but as you get deeper on the country roads there is nothing. Try to stock up on food before arriving. The selection is quite limited at the small shops. There is a nice restaurant by a pond about 1 km outside the park entrance.
Abdi Homestay, ☎ +62 852 637 81842 (ikbal_harau@yahoo.com). A former employee of Echo Homestay (see below), Ikbal has started his own place but is keeping it small. He has three newly built bungalows with a rice paddy on one side and a 50 meter waterfall from the mountain on the other. He is also on Face Book under Ikbal Harau Valley where one can see some great photos. He can also arrange treks around the valley and up the mountains (Rp. 250,000 per person). Great value, and the friendly Ikbal will do everything he can to make your stay as good as it can possibly get.Rp. 60,000. edit
Echo Homestay, ☎ +6281266191501 (finaldo_moechtar@yahoo.com). Has a bunch of mid-range alternatives, and also conference arrangements. Echo Homestay has 9 cottages with total 21 rooms you can choose to stay. The most expensive room price is Rp. 540.000.- per-night. Find further information at www.echohomestay.blogspot.com and www.lembahecho.blogspot.com You are suggested to make reservation one or two month before visiting day because of room availability. Echo Homestay always fully booked in peak season.edit
Ik's cabins (was going to be named after his son), Harau Valley (Ask for Ik (owner)). If you are going to this amazing place of Harau Valley you should no doubt stay in this fantastic place! Ik is the guy who owns it and he is the friendliest person you can imagine. He has built three basic (but clean and with bathroom/toilet) cabins situated just on the edge of a rice field and beside a beautiful waterfall and his wife and he will cook great local food for you and bring it by the cabin 3 times a day. Often he will stay and talk while you eat and share his life and ideas with you which is a treat! Also he will take you on hikes (if you wish) in the breathtaking landscape and he is the perfect guide. We went on two trips with him and both were fantastic. While walking he would find us local fruits to taste, show us all his favourite places and introduce us to people he new. If all of this has not convinced you, it should be noted that he has started up this place in the hope of generating enough money to send his small son to university when time comes. Go there and support his dream! I can only hope he will succeed. When you arrive to the valley, you should just ask people around for Ik and they will show you where to go. I can't remember the exact price but it was extremely fair and we stayed there for about five days.edit
