Dumai Voyage Tips and guide

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Dumai is the main port city in Riau province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Typical of such cities, it is quite seedy and there is nothing really much to do once you have arrived except to get out as soon as you can. However, you may well find yourself arriving here as it is a major ferry port with connections to the Malaysian cities of Port Klang, Port Dickson and Malacca as well as other Indonesian cities like Bengkalis and Batam.

Dumai is well connected by road from Pekanbaru and Medan. The Trans-Sumatran Highway doesn't directly cross over the city, but goes near the city's edges.

From Pekanbaru, it takes approximately 5 hours to reach Dumai. The primary mode of transport is either buses or "travels" (shared car pool). It costs approximately Rp70,000 per person by "travels" and Rp50,000 by bus. If you book a full car, it is roughly Rp450,000 from Pekanbaru. The roads are not good however.

From Medan, it takes about 10 hours. The cost of travel is approximately Rp200,000-300,000 per person, depending upon the bus.

• Makmur/Halmahera, Jl. Sisingamangaraja Km 6, 7 Medan. Large buses (AC or non-AC), runs daily (usually overnight).

The main bus station is inconveniently located. An office for shared taxis to Pekanbaru can be found about 300 m from the northern end of Jalan Sudirman, on the east side.

• 1.609194101.4335581 Pinang Kampai Airport (DUM  ^IATA) (approximately 10 minutes' drive from the center of town). TransNusa serves Dumai to and from Jakarta 9 times per week (Sunday (2 flights), Monday, Tuesday (2 flights), Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (2 flights)). Wings Air serves daily flights from Dumai to Medan, Batam, and Pekanbaru and back.  

All passenger ferry depart from 1.685101.4582 Dumai ferry passenger terminal. Beware not to go in the wrong gate as the terminal gate is just side by side with cargo port gate.

Ferries operate from the following Malaysian cities:

• Port Klang: Several operators run daily ferries to/from Port Klang, the port for Kuala Lumpur. They include:
  • Indomal Express/Malaysia Express: Contact Doyan Shipping in Port Klang (☏ +60 3-3167 1058). From Malaysia, RM100 one-way. Journey takes just under 3 hours.
  • MV Pelita Jaya Express/Sabang Marindo II: by NKH Ferry Services in Port Klang (☏ +60 3-3166 0122). Daily departures from Dumai at 1300; from Port Klang 1030. From Malaysia RM80/150 one-way/return.

The Port Klang passenger terminal charges a departure tax of RM 20 whether you arrive from Dumai or depart from Port Klang, if you don't have the amount in Malaysian Ringgits you are allowed to pay in Indonesian Rupiah but the rate are quite bad.

• Port Dickson:
  • The Acob Express (Port Dickson Jetty office ☏ +60 6-6471599) operates daily to/from Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan. From Malaysia, it is RM85/160 one-way/return. Departs Dumai 1300, Port Dickson 1030.
  • Indomal Express depart from/to Port Dickson on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Dumai to Port Dickson : 11:00 (local time) & Port Dickson to Dumai : 09:00 (local time)

• Malacca: one ferry daily, operated by Tunas Rupat (Dumai agent at Jl. Jend. Sudirman No. 423, ☏ +62-765-31398/37805, open from 07.00 till 17.00; Malacca Ticketing booth at Jln PM10, Plaza Mahkota Melaka Raya. Tel: +60-6-2816766 or office at +60-6-2832506/2832516). Ferry depart depart at 09:00 local time except Friday depart at 10:30 from Dumai and 08:30 from Malacca. Journey time just under two hours. Tickets from Malacca cost RM110/170 one-way/return (at Dumai, cost Rp 300,000/600,000 one-way/return for adult, children 1-12 yo cost half). On high demand season, they may add more trips daily. You have to check-in 2 hours minimum at ticket counter. Indomal also runs ferries on this route 5 times per week.
• Malacca to Dumai Ferry.. Tickets can be purchased from the Malacca International Ferry Terminal, about a 5-minute walk from the Tourist Information Office near the Clock Tower. When purchasing a ticket, an exit ticket from Indonesia is asked for. If you do not have an exit ticket, they are happy to sell you an open return ferry ticket (195 Malaysian ringgit, as of July 2019). This return ticket is valid for six months. Ferry departure time is 10:00. The immigration office opens at 09:00. Money can be exchanged at the ticket purchasing counter. You are able to carry your luggage on to the ferry, but larger items will be stored separately. It takes about two hours to sail to Dumai and depending on the number of passengers, and where you are in the queue, up to an hour to clear immigration. If you want the 60-day visa on arrival, the cost is 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah (July 2019). This process is rather straightforward with no complications.

• Batam, Bintan and other Riau Islands:
  • Dumai Express (☏ +62 765-31820; Office at Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No.425) operates several ferries to/from Batam and Bintan. Most ferries stop by Bengkalis off the coast of Riau, and also Tanjung Balai on Karimun Island.
  • Batam Jet (☏ +62 765-35888; Office at Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No.441) has daily ferries to Batam.

In Batam, ferries dock at Sekupang, next to the international ferry terminal where there are connecting ferries to Singapore. In Bintan, ferries arrive/depart from Tanjung Pinang harbour in the middle of town.

• Other islands:

Indonesia's national passenger shipping company Pelni ships call at Dumai, linking it with Sumatran ports like Medan and other Indonesian islands like Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

Nothing much to see even if you don't have a transport. The town is quite small where you can walk around in half a day just like Kuah, Langkawi, Malaysia. Grab car serves the city.

There's a public park in Sudirman street called Taman Bukit Gelanggang where you can rent a "delman"; a traditional horse-drawn cart.

• 1.674688101.4056871 Hock Liong Kiong Temple (Klenteng Hock Liong Kiong), Jalan Kelakap 7 (about 5 minutes walk from bus terminal). A Chinese temple. (updated Oct 2022)
• Vihara Buddha Padma, Jalan Nangka no 35 AB. A buddhayana temple. 
• Vihara Mudita Maitreya, Jalan Kamboja. 
• 1.581062101.3860632 Grand Mosque Al Mannan (Masjid Agung Al Mannan), Bagan Besar, Bukit Kapur. (updated Oct 2022)

• 1.641687101.5459383 Koneng Beach (Pantai Koneng), Medang Kampai. A white sand beach. (updated Nov 2022)

• 1.642562101.4118121 Kolam Renang Sasana Tirta, Komplek PT. Pertamina Refinery Unit II, Bukit Datuk, Dumai Selatan, ☏ +62 765 443 328. Sa-Th, 07:00-18:00. (updated Oct 2022)

• 1.659438101.4361882 Gor Bulu Tangkis Olympia, Bukit Datuk, Dumai Selatan. (updated Oct 2022)

Prices are high here because of the small size of the town, and the fact that nothing is grown in the area except palm plantations. There is small shopping mall called Ramayana. For fruit and vegetables there is Pasar which is open during the day 7 days a week.

Keripik cabe, cassava crisps with chili spices

• 1.711313101.3848121 Keripik Cabe Ika, Jl. Raja Ali H., Purnama, Dumai Barat, ☏ +62 813 655 34469. 07:00-21:00. (updated Oct 2022)
• 1.708063101.3876872 Keripik Cabe Maisatun, Jl. Raja Ali H. Jl. Indah Sari, Purnama, Dumai Barat, ☏ +62 812 764 99994. (updated Oct 2022)
• 1.661812101.4706873 Keripik Cabe Barokah, Gg. Barokah, Tj. Palas, Dumai Timur, ☏ +62 823 877 73526. 05:00-22:00. (updated Oct 2022)

You can taste a lot traditional food in Dumai. Ayam Penyet (Smash Chicken) is a fried chicken with hot/nice traditional chili. You can find sellers in Patimura street, Sei masang, and almost every street in Dumai. Pecel Lele is a fried fish with traditional chili. You can find a lot of food in Hasanuddin (Ombak) street, especially fresh seafood.

Beware though if you visit here during fasting month of Ramadan, it will be very hard to find food for lunch. Only several fast food chain and Chinese-operated restaurant will open.

• HL Vegetarian, MCHR+8XP, Jl. Sultan Syarif Kasim, ☏ +62 82386748650. 7.00-17.30. Lacto-ovo vegetarian Asian food, coffee, salads. Free Wi-Fi. (updated Aug 2023)
• 1.681312101.4285621 Mie Sagu Marineford, Jl. Nelayan Laut Gg. Family No.16, Pangkalan Sesai, Dumai Barat, ☏ +62 853 748 04780. 16:00-22:00. Serves mie sagu, Riau specialty noodles made from sago starch. (updated Oct 2022)
• 1.676438101.4488132 Rumah Makan Pak Datuk, Jl. Jend. Sudirman No.321, Bintan, Dumai Kota, ☏ +62 765 31587. 09:30-21:00. Serves rice and gulai. (updated Oct 2022)
• 1.669538101.4281093 RM Pondok Kayu Resto, Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No.110, Ratu Sima, Dumai Barat, ☏ +62 819 661 666. 10:00-22:00. Seafood dishes. (updated Oct 2022)

Air akar and es samudra is a local Riau drink and you may find it in Dumai.

There are several good coffee shops in Dumai,

• 1.670187101.4358121 Moka Coffee & Food Addict, Jl. Ombak, Rimba Sekampung, Dumai Barat, ☏ +62 852 657 75028. 14:00-22:00. (updated Mar 2018)
• 1.675438101.4401882 Vienna Coffee & Tea, Jl. Nangka No.18 b, Rimba Sekampung, ☏ +62 852 717 38888. 15:00-22:00. Offers a variety of coffee, tea, and dessert. (updated Oct 2022)

There are two or three nice and new hotels. Once you reach the jetty, do not allow any touts to bother you. Walk fast and get a tricycle (or better, book Grab before going out from terminal) to go to your hotel. Do not tell anybody how long you are going to stay. You can say you came for business meeting with your boss. Your boss is arriving later. You won't be bothered after that. Otherwise the van touts and tricycle touts will try to push prostitutes.

• 1.68101.4481 Hotel Cititel, Jl. Jendral Sudirman (just adjacent to Malacca's ferry agent). (updated Jun 2019)
• 1.68101.4482 Hotel City, Jl. Jendral Sudirman. (updated Jun 2019)
• 1.682101.4473 Hotel Comforta, Jl. Jendral Sudirman. Start from Rp400,000. (updated Jun 2019)
• 1.675101.4484 Hotel Grand Zuri, Jl. Jendral Sudirman. Neat and clean, near city center. Limited vegetarian dish is available. (updated Jun 2019)
• 1.678101.4515 Hotel Komala, Jl. Sultan Syarif Kasim. (updated Jun 2019)

• The local bus station is about 3 km out of Dumai where buses leave for the next most tourist destinations in Sumatra, Bukittinggi (ca. 8-9 hr) or Lake Maninjau.
• To Beting Aceh Island, an island with white sand beaches. Take a boat from Dumai.