Pekanbaru is the capital city of Riau Province, located on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is one of the fastest-growing economic centers in Sumatra, known for its rich natural resources, particularly oil, gas, and palm oil industries. The city serves as a key trade and business hub, with a strong influence from both Malay and Minangkabau cultures.
Pekanbaru follows the Western Indonesia Time (WIB), which covers Sumatra, Java, as well as West and Central Kalimantan. WIB is seven hours ahead of GMT (GMT+7).
Pekanbaru is a democratic country. Although the population is predominantly Muslim, six religions and beliefs are recognized by the Indonesian government: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. Mosques, churches, temples are found throughout the country. Religious holidays of these six beliefs are celebrated as national holidays. The people of Pekanbaru come from very diverse ethnic backgrounds and are generally friendly and easy to get along with. You will find that most of them are nice and relatively tolerant of other cultures.
Indonesia has a fairly even climate all year round and Jakarta’s climate is quite hot and humid. The average temperature ranges from 25º Celcius at night and early morning and up to 34º Celcius at noon. The rainy season is usually from November to April, with some regional variations. Jakarta has the heaviest rainfall from January to February.
Many people say that Indonesian food is tasty and spicy. Spices and hot chillies are the ingredients of most dishes. The staple food of rice is served with vegetables, tofu/tempe and meat/egg/fish. The popular side dish sambal- a fiery hot blend of chillies, spices and sometimes terasi (belacan), lemon juice and tomato for extra flavour – comes in an endless variety. As the population of Indonesia is predominantly Moslem, pork is usually not served except in Chinese and non-Moslem restaurants and places serving international cuisine.
Tap water is not safe to drink. It must be boiled or sterilized before it is consumed. Branded bottled water is readily available for sale in nearly all grocery stores and convenience stores. Indonesian coffee is one of the finest in the world. You can enjoy the exotic taste of our coffee in the coffee shops commonly available in many entertainment centers or in any commercial areas of the cities.
Pekanbaru offers a competitive standard of living at a comparatively low cost. Compared to other study destinations, Pekanbaru provides excellent value for money. The annual cost of living depends on the student’s lifestyle and type of accommodation. Include extra costs in your budget, if you intend to do some traveling to places like Sumatera Barat, Aceh, or Batam while you are in Pekanbaru. Students should also have additional funds to pay for initial establishment costs, textbooks, equipment, incidentals, local transport, temporary accommodation and entertainment. Include extra costs in your budget, if you intend to do some traveling.