Jambi Province sits in the central part of Sumatra Island and is mostly visited for the ancient temple complex known as Muara Jambi, which resides near the capital, Jambi.
Jambi is the provincial capital city and a port town, with ferries coming in from other parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Jambi Province sits on the Batanghari River and at large has some fantastic jungle-clad countryside and volcanoes and there are many national parks worth checking out. The Bukit Tigapuluh area features wild elephants, tigers and orangutans, while Lubuk Beringin village is a trekker’s paradise.
Muara Jambi draws the most visitors in Jambi Province. It is essentially Sumatra’s largest archaeological site featuring a huge temple complex. There are eight 14th century temples here, three of which have recently been restored. They are Candi Gumpung, Candi Tinggi, and Candi Kedaton. Muara Jambi lies 26kms from Jambi City on the river and is also a good spot to relax.
Jambi City has the best offerings for visitors after creature comforts, with the best hotels and eateries in the province. Excellent handicrafts can be picked up at the Batik & Handicraft Atelier.
The best time to visit is between April and October and the best way to Jambi Province is by air as this region of Sumatra is fairly remote. Sultan Thaha Airport in Jambi is an hour’s flight from Jakarta and there are six flights per day. The southern parts of Jambi Province are around 5 hours by bus from Bengkulu (Bengkulu Province) and Palembang (South Sumatra).