How to go to Pekanbaru / Bukit Tinggi

We are seriously suspect that the farms are not in Pekanbaru but in nearby Bukit Tinggi. Till we find out, it'll be best to find out how exactly to get to Bukit Tinggi and Pekanbaru.

Here's some pretty detailed instructions from ISMIL 9:

"From Singapore, the default route is Singapore-Batam-Pekanbaru-Bukittinggi. From Singapore, take a ferry from the World Trade Centre to the Sekupang terminal on the island of Batam. A variety of companies run mostly super-modern ferries which leave every few minutes from around 0730 until around 2130. The crossing takes about 40 minutes, and gets you in to Sekupang about 20 minutes before you left Singapore, since there's an hour's time difference between Singapore (GMT +8) and Western Indonesia (GMT +7). If you're aiming for an immediate onward connection out of Batam, you'd be well advised to take the first ferry out of Singapore, which will pretty much guarantee an immediate connection. Once you've cleared Indonesian immigration and customs in Sekupang, step out of the terminal and turn right, avoiding the touts who will inevitably pounce on you, and head for the domestic terminal right next door. Most or all boats to Pekanbaru leave between 0800 and 0900. Basically there are two ways of getting from Sekupang to Pekanbaru. Since 2003, there are one or two direct boats, which go up the Siak river all the way to Sungai Duku, the boat terminal just outside Pekanbaru. The "older" route involves a boat to Buton, which is just a transfer point on the Sumatran mainland, from which a bus takes you to Pekanbaru, all on the same ticket. Either route is fine, though if you have a choice, the direct boats are more convenient plus the river trip is quite pretty. Whichever route you take, you can expect to get in to Pekanbaru around 1600 - 1800. A word of warning: if you choose to sit on the rooftop to enjoy the view, be sure to cover your head, however overcast and cool you may think it is. The tropical sun can shine through both clouds and hair, and fry the top of your head without your noticing until it is too late.

From Pekanbaru to Bukittinggi, the heavily travelled road trip takes 4-6 hours. Ordinary busses leave from the central bus terminal called Loket. If you arrive in Sungai Duku, a taxi to Loket should cost you 20,000 Rps (about 2 Euros), and a shared oplet (minibus) much less. If you're coming from Buton, ask to be let off at Loket. Most of the busses are night busses, so, if you so desire, you should be able to make an immediate onward connection. Some of the night busses have the rather irritating habit of stoping in the middle of nowhere for a few hours, in order for you to arrive in Bukittinggi at the crack of dawn rather than at, say 0200.

Alternatively, just about any taxi or oplet driver anywhere in town, including those at Sungai Duku, will be happy to drive you directly to your hotel in Maninjau, at any time of the day or night. The "official" rate for the journey is 500,000 Rps (about 50 Euros), but with bargaining you might be able to talk your driver down to 400,000 Rps, or even less, if the vehicle is sufficiently dingy. If you're travelling in a group, this can work out quite economical. There are some spectacularly good roadside Padang restaurants along the way; ask to stop at one (and it's customary to pay for your driver's food and drink)."