Bagansiapiapi
Sumatera, Indonesia
Why visit Bagansiapiapi?
Bagansiapiapi is a coastal town in Riau province, on the east coast of Sumatra facing the Strait of Malacca. It is famous for its Chinese-Indonesian community and the annual Bakar Tongkang (Boat Burning) festival. The town is also known for its seafood and as a historic fishing port.
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From Pekanbaru, take a bus east (4-5 hours). The road passes through palm oil plantations.
What are the things to do?
The Bakar Tongkang festival (annual, June/July) — a unique Chinese ritual involving the burning of a model boat. The Chinese temples of Bagansiapiapi. The fishing harbor.
Attend the Bakar Tongkang festival. Eat at the seafood restaurants. Visit the harbor.
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Seafood — especially grilled fish, crab, and prawns. Chinese-Indonesian cuisine.
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Basic hotels are available.
Where to go next?
Return to Pekanbaru (4-5 hours west). Continue to Dumai (3 hours north) for ferry connections to Malaysia.
Nearby in Sumatera
More places to explore around Bagansiapiapi.
Guide content as of July 2026. Portions adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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