By the time Raffles arrived, Bencoolen had already been a British possession in Sumatra for 132 years, having been established as an East India Company (EIC) trading post in 1685. Here is what one will find:
Fort Marlborough
Bencoolen’s top British relic is undoubtedly Fort Marlborough which was built by the East India Company between 1714 and 1720.
Despite its age and location in an earthquake-prone area, Fort Marlborough remains in remarkably good condition with thick, robust walls arranged in a star shape surrounded by dry moats. The walls of the fort afford some nice views of the surrounding landscape.
Parr Memorial
A short distance from the fort is the Thomas Parr Memorial. Parr was the British Resident of Bencoolen, one of Raffles’ predecessors.
He arrived in 1801 with instructions to cut costs, thereby alienating a lot of the locals who depended on EIC handouts, including his own Bugis bodyguards. He was murdered and beheaded.
Hamilton Memorial
Another Brit has his own memorial, usefully serving as a traffic roundabout. The plaque on the memorial reads, “Underneath this obelisk are interred the remains of Captain Robert Hamilton who died on 15th December 1793 at the age of 38 years in Command of the Troops and Second Member of the Government.”
Raffles’ Residence
The grand house in the heart of town is the Bengkulu Provincial Governor’s Residence. Some say that this was Raffles’ Residence which is a possibility allowing for a few renovations over the years.
Raffles built himself an idyllic country house called Permatang Balan at a place called Bukit Kabat (Hill of Mists) some 19km out of town.
Rafflesia Arnoldii
While Raffles was stationed in Bengkulu, the giant, stinky parasitic flower now known as Rafflesia arnoldii was discovered in tropical forests near Lubuk Tapi.
An excursion to visit the flower is one of the top things to do in Bengkulu but they only bloom in November and December, so getting the timing right is important.
Bung Karno’s Residence
Soekarno (Sukarno), affectionately known as Bung Karno, was Indonesia’s first President and he led the country’s struggle for independence from the Dutch from the 1930s onwards.
He was a thorn in the side of the Dutch and they exiled him, first to Flores and then to Bengkulu where he stayed from 1938-1942.
The house is now a small museum and contains his well-thumbed book collection, his bicycle, his furniture and various photos and portraits.
Ibu Fatmawati Soekarno House
In a nearby street is the house of Fatmawati whom Sukarno met during his exile and later married.
It is said that he was unable to attend his wedding ceremony so he sent his dagger to represent him and she married that.
She is credited with sewing the first Indonesian flag from two strips of red and white cloth and her sewing machine is one of the exhibits in her house.
The Beach
The beach is pretty empty in the heat of the day but gets busy with the locals in the early evenings who come to sip coconut water, have a meal or just enjoy the sunset and cooling breezes.
On the horizon is Rat Island. It is the best place for snorkelling in this area. Bengkulu is a nice place to visit and the people are super friendly.
Do bring insect repellent however. Bengkulu used to be a malaria hotspot.
This article first appeared in http://thriftytraveller.wordpress.com