![View of the walled city of Palembang, situated on a bay with around 15 warships.
The key lists the following forts: <Bamagangian, Matapure, Cambare>.
Rijkmuseum inv.nr. RP-P-OB-47-419: In pencil on the reverse: <Succatera door Jan v.d. Laen [?] veroverd 1659 uit J. Nieuhof 1682 (301 C 7) verovering van Palembang 1659 2150 b B40 23>.](https://prod-images.planyourroadtrips.com/img/city-images/palembang-id--29167-1047458/3-Bird_s_eye_view_of_Palembang.JPG?w=1080&q=80&f=webp)
AsiaIndonesiaSouth Sumatra
Palembang
South Sumatra, Indonesia · Asia
About Palembang
Palembang sits on the route: 15 minutes from Talangbetutu.
Palembang is in South Sumatra, Indonesia, with about 1.7 million people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Talangbetutu, about 7 km away.
Palembang (Indonesian pronunciation: [paˈlɛmbaŋ] , Palembang: Pelémbang, Jawi: ڤليمبڠ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers 348.34 square kilometres (134.49 square miles) on both banks of the Musi River in the eastern lowlands of southern Sumatra. It had a populationRead more
of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 1,829,745 (comprising 915,952 males and 913,793 females). Palembang is the second most populous city in Sumatra, after Medan, and the twelfth most populous city in Indonesia.
The Palembang metropolitan area has an estimated population of more than 2.7 million in 2025. It comprises the city and parts of regencies surrounding the city, including Banyuasin Regency (11 administrative districts), Ogan Ilir Regency (seven districts), and Ogan Komering Ilir Regency (four districts).
Palembang was the capital of Srivijaya, a Buddhist kingdom that ruled much of the western Indonesian Archipelago and controlled many maritime trade routes, including the Strait of Malacca.
Palembang was incorporated into the Dutch East Indies in 1825 after the abolition of the Palembang Sultanate. It was chartered as a city on 1 April 1906.
Palembang was the host city of the 2011 Southeast Asian Games and the 2018 Asian Games along with Jakarta. The first light rail system in Indonesia was operated in Palembang in July 2018.
The city attracted 2,011,417 tourists in 2017, including 9,850 foreign tourists. Traffic jams, floods, slums, pollution, and peatland fire are problems in Palembang.
The city of Neiva in Colombia is the antipode of Palembang. Palembang and Neiva are the only pair of antipodal cities in the world where both cities have a population of above 300,000 people.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Palembang?
Palembang is in South Sumatra, Indonesia, about 7 km from Talangbetutu.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,668,848
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Indonesia
- Region
- South Sumatra
- Timezone
- Asia/Jakarta
- Coordinates
- -2.9167, 104.7458
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When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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