The Musi river has its source deep in the Bukit Barisan mountains, tumbling down to reach the plains where fed from the converging Ogan and Komering ponds, It then widens into a big river as it reaches Palembang. Its most tributaries and flows that have cut Palembang has caused this city at times to be called The Venice of the East’. The Icon of contemporary Palembang is the Ampere bridge, that was opened to the general public in 1965, spanning this broad river connecting either side of the city. The view from the Musi river from this vantage point is stunning.
Watch the bustling ships at the floating market by the Ampera Bridge, while at sunset the view with the many homes on stilts along either side of the Musi and the hundreds of years old quaint Chinese shop houses, are memories to be captured on film and not quickly forgotten. North of the Ampera bridge, is the Mesjid Agung or Royal Mosque, constructed in 1740 by Sultan Badaruddin I. It had been lately restored to his old glory as Malays Islam Kingdom that came to an end in 1825, when the last Sultan, Ahmad Najamuddin surrendered to the Dutch and was sentenced to Banda Neira.
Get Around.
The City bus at Palembang is among the most convenient in the nation. The name of the bus is currently TRANS MUSI. There are two different types of buses – the green and the blue one – with various routes.