Dumai

Dumai is the main port city of Riau province on Sumatra's east coast, facing the Strait of Malacca, with a mid-2022 official population estimate of about 332,000 over a city area of roughly 2,067 km². It is one of Indonesia's principal oil cities — petroleum and palm-oil infrastructure, including drilling rigs and pipelines, is visible throughout the city — and it is one of the few Indonesian cities with regular ferry services direct to Malaysia, making it a significant transit point for travelers crossing the Strait of Malacca.

By bus

Buses connect Dumai to Pekanbaru and onward to other Sumatran cities including Medan, Padang, and Bukittinggi.

By ferry

Dumai has regular ferry service across the Strait of Malacca to Malaysian ports including Malacca (Melaka), Port Dickson, and Port Klang — a roughly 150 km crossing that a fast ferry covers in about two hours under normal conditions. Ferries also connect to Batam and other Riau Islands.

The Dumai harbor and the city's oil industry infrastructure are its defining sights. Nearby fishing villages and mangrove areas along the coast.

Taking the ferry to Malacca, Malaysia is the main reason most travelers pass through Dumai.

Seafood and Malay cuisine are available around the harbor area.

Malacca, Malaysia, by ferry across the Strait. Pekanbaru, inland to the west. Batam and onward connections toward Singapore.