The world's fifth largest island, Sumatra stretches from the foothills of the Bukit Barisan mountain range in the west to the islands of Bangka and Belitung in the east. It is relatively flat in the centre, but very fertile with numerous rivers running across the land on their way to the sea.

Aceh in north Sumatra has a fascinating history. In 1292 Marco Polo visited Sumatra on his way back from China to Persia and reported that the north part of the island had as many as six busy trading ports including Perlak, Samudera and Lambri.

The Portuguese seized the port of Malacca pushing Asian and Arabic traders to the port of Aceh which flourished until the Dutch gained control in 1824. The Acehnese rebelled and fought the Dutch intermittently from 1873 to 1942, costing them 10,000 lives.

Today the province has a number of interesting sights including the Governor's Residence in the capital, Banda Aceh, which was built by the Dutch in 1880 on the spot where the palace of the sultan once stood. The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is an outstanding landmark in the capital, as is the old Indra Patra fortress.

Medan is the island's chief city and it lies on the north-east coast, almost opposite Penang, in Malaysia.

Riau on the Strait of Malacca is one of the oldest trading routes in the world, and as a result Riau has strong foreign historical links. The province includes a large part of east Sumatra and is the heartland of the Malays.

Berastagi to the south is a popular resort area with several good hotels to cater for visitors who come to see its volcano and hot springs.

Lake Toba, more than 1,000 metres above sea level, is another popular place and it contains the densely populated island of Samosir. Here you can find the Bataks, whose architecture is notable for the huge roofs which overhang the houses, often with elaborately carved gables. Swimming, boating and fishing are some of the activities in this peaceful hill resort region.

The name Minangkabau translates to 'victorious buffalo' and stems from a legend about an invasion by a Javanese army. The elders of the Minang proposed that they would settle the confrontation with a contest between two buffaloes. The enormous Javanese buffalo was defeated by a tiny Minang calf, who being hungry, nuzzled the belly of the large buffalo mistaking it for its mother. The calf had a razor sharp dagger tied to its snout and thus gored and killed the giant buffalo.

Buffalo fights are still a tradition in the region, and one can still see the horn-shaped spires of the high gabled Minang-style roofs which rise in a peak at each end and commemorate this legend. The traditional house is a massive house of plastered bricks, often with a monumental staircase leading to the entrance and featuring magnificent carvings and brightly coloured decorations throughout.

Bukittinggi also has an excellent market, featuring superb local crafts including wood carvings.

A mere 60 kilometres away from town you can step over the equator. From Bukittinggi, it is a short trip by bus to the main port city of Padang, capital of the Minangkabau region.

Bangka Island's Mantras Beach, down south, is well worth a visit. This beach is exceptionally wide and long and is north of Pangkal Pinang, the island's capital. With its fine, powdery white sand and clear water, the beach is a popular holiday spot.

Adjacent to Bangka Island is Belitung Island where a complete beach resort complex has been built especially for tourists. Called Tanjung Kelayang Beach, it's half-an-hour by car from the island's capital, Tanjung Pandon, and close to Singapore, Sumatra and Java.