Padang-Bukit Tinggi Trip Plan

We planned to go there about 2 weeks before the trip. My other half booked the flight and I searched on the Net to help me form an itinerary. Fortunately, there are a few travel blogs which gave me ideas what and where to see, eat and shop. I also told my daughters to read something about Bukit Tinggi so that they won't be in the dark and not just solely depend on their mother for info! Heh.
Unlike our trips to USA, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Bandung and Hong Kong which steered towards the shopping line, this time I planned more nature sightseeings. Bukit Tinggi is a highland resort on the volcanic Barisan Range, located close to inactive Mt. Singgalang and still active Mt. Merapi. In fact, when we were there, they reported smokes coming out of it.

My initial problem was finding a tour guide there as we didn't go with a travel agency. I got one number from a blog but couldn't figure out how to contact him, So dumb was I. The chance came when we went to have lunch at Simpang Tigo nasi padang restaurant in Subang and coincidently, the owner hailed from Bukit Tinggi. He became our middle-man and provided us a guide in the name Delva, and Del, for short.
Our flight took off at around 8 am from LCCT and in about an hour 10 mins later we arrived at Jambara Minangkabau International airport. The line was very long and slow at the immigration counter and it was because the 'friendly' officer took his time to chat and ask us several questions.
Del fetched us at the airport in a not-new Avanza but we didn't complained loudly. Rp400K a day minus the petrol cost and he brought us to wherever and whenever we wanted to go. Basically our daily trip started at about 9 am after the hotel breakfast and returned to the hotel at night after dinner, usually before 9.
We didn't make online hotel booking because Del wanted to bring us to several hotels to see which one we would like to stay at. They are many hotels in BT but the internet only listed some of them, usually the high rankings ones. Because of the time and tiredness factor, we simply chose the familiar newer and quieter Denai View which isn't located very near the shopping center. I told Del that these new hotels should promote themselves on the internet to provide us with wider choice of accommodation. If I go there again and Del is out guide (Del stays in BT), I would like to stay at a 'chalet' in the countryside so that I will taste the fresh cool night air of Bukit Tinggi. I didn't have that last week. So disappointing.