Padang: spicy cuisine on the Sumatran coast

Capital of Indonesia's most-exported cuisine, Padang overlooks the Indian Ocean coastline at the foot of Sumatra's volcanic mountains.

The centre, famous for its spicy cuisine, is explored on foot; the Sumatran interior requires a car.

The Pondok district, a historic Chinese settlement in the city, preserves architecture and temples that tell centuries of maritime trade with East Asia, among narrow alleys and ancient shops.

A short walk away, the restaurants of Padang cuisine, where dozens of small dishes are served all together on the table, have made the city's culinary style famous throughout Indonesia.

Continuing along the coast, you walk on the Padang beach, an ideal spot to observe the sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Toward the interior, the volcanic hills surrounding the city offer hiking trails among coffee plantations and terraced rice paddies, with views of the ocean in the distance.

In Padang's cuisine, you pay only for the dishes you actually eat, even though the table is set with dozens of different bowls from the very start of the meal.

Padang was almost completely rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 2009, which struck hard the western coast of Sumatra, causing thousands of deaths.