The Harau Valley (or Arau Valley) is in West Sumatra in Indonesia. It is an area of natural beauty located halfway between Pekanbaru and Bukittinggi. Rice fields are dwarfed by cliffs.
Bus from Bukittingi to Payakumbuh and on to Harau Village, from there by motorcycle taxi to Harau Village. Call a homestay for a pickup and/or a tour around the valley.
Harau Valley is located in Desa Lubuk Limpato, Nagari Tarantang - Kecamatan Harau, Kabupaten Limapuluh Kota. West Sumatera Province. It is about 7 km from Sarilamak City the new capital city of Kabupaten Limapuluh Kota (the previous one is Payakumbuh). If you drive a car from Bukittinggi it will take around one hour.
It is small enough to walk around. Echo Homestay rents out bikes.
Local people hold a cultural and art festival, namely Pasa Harau. This festival is usually held in July or August for three consecutive days.
Go for a trek in the mountains and enjoy the view and bathe in hidden waterfalls.
If you want to buy small souvenirs there are few item you can find at Echo Homestay, which is key holder and t-Shirt with special design. The price is OK.
There are some smaller shops and restaurants at the entrance to the valley, but as you get deeper on the country roads there is nothing. Try to stock up on food before arriving. The selection is quite limited at the small shops. There is a nice restaurant by a pond about 1 km outside the park entrance.
Besides the two places mentioned above there are plenty of other local homestays in the area, quite a few in well kept traditional houses. Consider spreading the money around and giving one of these a try.