Between the lake at Singkarak and the rice plain near Solok, the Sumatran railway that carried coal to the sea runs through some of the quietest and prettiest country in West Sumatra. It was an engineering challenge, with a steep climb handled in places by a toothed rack rail and tunnels cut through the hills, and UNESCO now treats the whole network as heritage.
The railway never made Sumatra rich in the way the colonial planners hoped, and it carried plenty of misery, since the workforce at Sawahlunto included convicts and forced labourers. That history sits uneasily with the beauty, but it makes the stations and storage sheds worth a thought as you pass. In Sawahlunto itself, a steam locomotive known as Mak Itam is sometimes brought out for tourist runs.
The riding in this area is relaxed. The main road runs beside Lake Singkarak, a big lake in a volcanic basin with hills on every side, and then on through the Solok district, famous across Indonesia for its rice. Fields shine bright green when the paddies are flooded, and farmers work with buffalo and small tractors. Road surfaces are decent along the main route and rougher on the lanes, and traffic is a mix of trucks, buses and motorbikes, so patience pays. Mornings are clear and mild, while afternoons often bring cloud and rain, particularly in the wetter months from October to December.
Solok is the town to know for fuel, food and a cold drink, and it sits under ten kilometres from the point. The Minangkabau cooking here is hot and rich, with rendang, chilli and coconut milk, and little restaurants serve dishes laid out on plates that you choose from at the table. Fish from the lake, especially tiny dried bilih, turns up as a snack. Take your time, because the best parts of this stop are the unplanned ones, such as a stop for tea beside a flooded paddy.