Siak Sri Indrapura

Siak Sri Indrapura is the capital of Siak Regency in Riau, located on the Siak River. It's home to the magnificent Siak Sri Indrapura Palace (Istana Siak), the former seat of the Siak Sultanate, one of the most powerful Malay kingdoms in Sumatra.

From Pekanbaru, take a bus east (2 hours). The road is paved and passes through palm oil country.

The Istana Siak Sri Indrapura (also known as Istana Asserayah Hasyimiah), built 1889–1893 under Sultan Syarif Hasyim Abdul Jalil Syarifuddin, blends Malay, Arab, and European architectural influences in a cruciform layout with 15 rooms — six ground-floor rooms for official functions and nine upper-floor rooms for the royal family's private quarters. The Masjid Raya Syahabuddin, the royal mosque enlarged in 1886 under Sultan Syarif Kasim I, stands nearby with an octagonal-ceilinged main hall on eight pillars. The adjacent royal cemetery complex holds sultanate-era graves.

Tour the Siak Palace and its museum. Take a Siak River boat cruise. Visit the nearby traditional villages.

Malay cuisine from the Riau region.

Many visitors day-trip from Pekanbaru.

Local Riau handicrafts and Malay souvenirs.

Pekanbaru (2 hours west). Continue to Palembang or Dumai.