The once sleepy river port on sungai Siak, has transformed into one of Indonesia’s oil capitals, with all the hustle and bustle of a modern city. Long before today\'s affordable air travel, it served as a transit point for tourists between ferries from Singapore. Following the Americans striking oil back in the 1930\'s, Pekanbaru\'s economy was heavily dependent on oil revenues and now its not uncommon to have a conversation with a Western oil executive, on a business trip when visiting.
Jambi is one of the three provinces in Indonesia that share the name of its provincial capital. Located on the east coast of Sumatera, this historical city was a Malacca Strait trading post for the Sriwijaya dynasty, before it was ceased by the Dutch in the 19th century. Small remnants from the Sriwijaya kingdom still remain today, and can be found at the ancient Muaro Jambi temple site. The location is recognized as a world heritage site, dating back before the 7th century. The Jambi administration is currently building a large elephant habitat, to ease the conflict between wild elephants and locals.