Three Days in Pekanbaru: A Short Escape to Riau

It wasn’t a planned journey in the grandest sense. No checklist of attractions, no tight itinerary. Just three days, two nights in Pekanbaru, Riau, a brief yet memorable escape across the straits, a little wander beyond the routine.

Day One: Of Missed Gates and First Steps

Our flight was scheduled for 10:30 AM from KLIA2. As usual, we cut it close too close. Anyone familiar with KLIA2 knows how unforgiving it can be when you’re late. The gates stretch endlessly, like a marathon course disguised as an airport terminal. And we ran both breathless, barely boarding in time, but somehow making it.

Fifty-five minutes later, we touched down in Pekanbaru. The city welcomed us with a gentle pace and warm air. The first plan was to check out a local café. We had looked it up beforehand for some place promising a good vibe and better coffee. But as luck would have it, it was closed. So we walked for a good 2 kilometers back to our hotel. Along the way, we found a spot for coffee. Not the café we planned, but it did the job. Hot, bitter, grounding.

That evening, we wandered out again and this time in search of food. And what better introduction to Riau than a proper plate of Nasi Padang? Rich, fiery, fragrant. Each dish laid out like a ceremony, with sambal that whispered and then roared. Satisfied and slightly overwhelmed, we walked back again. The city seemed to slow down with us. No rush, no pressure. Just small steps in a place that asked nothing from us except to look around.

Day Two: Jalan-Jalan dan Jumaat

We started the morning slow. Breakfast nearby, then a GRAB to Jalan Sudirman for the city’s bustling spine. It wasn’t sightseeing in the usual sense. No monuments or museums. Just walking and watching people, peeking into shops, letting the city carry us.

As Friday approached, we found a mosque. The air shifted with the sounds of azan and the quiet bustle of men gathering for prayer. I joined them and just one among many grounded in ritual far from home.

After Jumaat, we returned to the hotel again on foot. Walking became a rhythm. A theme of the trip. No schedule. Just movement.

Dinner that night was modern: we visited a mall. A change of pace. Air-conditioned familiarity. The kind of place where cities meet and blur and where you could be anywhere, and yet you’re not. You’re in Pekanbaru. And that makes all the difference.

Day Three: Last Strolls and Goodbyes

Our last day was calm. We walked back to Jalan Sudirman, again, one last stretch of streets that now felt a little more familiar. We picked up a few gifts, just small things, tokens for loved ones. Something from Riau for My All.

Lunch was near the airport. Quiet. Simple. Then GRAB to the terminal, one last glance at a city we didn’t quite conquer but gently experienced.

And just like that, back to Kuala Lumpur.

A Note on Travel (and Time)

It wasn’t a trip full of highlights, but that was never the point. We didn’t rush to “see everything.” We walked. We tasted. We prayed. We laughed a little at how far KLIA2’s gates were. We rested. We remembered what slow travel feels like.

Sometimes, the best trips are not the ones you document in real time but they are the ones you remember with a smile after they’ve passed.