Cash advance At Tigo Balai Indah, Jl A Yani 100 (daily 8am-8pm; tel 0752/31996), and other travel agents.

Car and motorbike rental Inquire at your accommodation or any travel agent. Rp100,000 for a 12hr car rental; Rp25,000-40,000 for a motorbike.

Hospital Rumah Sakit Dr Achmad Mochtar is on Jl Dr A Rivai (tel 0752/21013). The tourist information office will advise on English-speaking doctors.

Internet access At the post office.

Post office The main post office is inconveniently far from the town centre on Jl Sudirman. Poste restante here is reasonably secure and organized. More convenient postal agents near the clock tower, and at Tilas bookshops on Jl Teuku Umar and Jl A Yani.

Shopping Lively Pasar Atas (Upper Market), just south of the clock tower, is lined with stalls and shops selling everyday goods and souvenirs. Nearby, Sumatera, Jl Minangkabau 19, has a huge range of textiles from Sumba and Irian Jaya and king sticks from North Sumatra.

Telephone services The main telephone office is on Jl M Syafei towards the southern end of town, around the corner from the post office. There's a wartel at Jl A Yani 111 (8am-7.30pm) but a much better value 24hr one at Jl Yos Sudarso 1.

Tours Many places offer one-day local tours to traditional villages, the Pagaruyung palace and the Harau Canyon (Rp25,000 per person). Travel agents do longer tours, involving three or more days trekking, camping and/or nights in local villages (US$22.50 per person per day). The most widely publicized tour is a trip to Siberut in the Mentawai islands .