Padang is the capital city of West Sumatra, is mostly used by tourists as an access point to the surfing sites of the Mentawai islands, the inland hills of Bukittinggi and the Kerinci Seblat National Park. That said the city is very pleasant with a nice promanade along the beach, distinctive Padang architecture and wonderfully friendly people. The city is also the home of the delicious Padang food at the town is stuffed with restaurants and street stalls.
Some of the places you can visit include Museum Adityawarman, Taman Budaya (Cultural Park), Pantai Air Manis (Sweet Water Beach), Pantai Padang (Padang Beach), Sitti Nurbaya Bridge, or Teluk Bayur.