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Please be notified that, roads are rough in Sumatra, and traveling between destinations takes time, and delays are always possible! So provide yourself enough time to see what you came for and make your exploration worthwhile.

Lake Toba is located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, with a surface elevation of about 900 metres (2,953 ft),the lake stretches from 2.88°N 98.52°E to 2.35°N 99.1°E. It is the largest lake in Indonesia and also the largest volcanic lake in the world.

For those looking for a relaxing way to take in the beauty of Lake Toba, boat rentals are available in the tranquil Tuk Tuk Traditional Village. You can also find a wide range of Batak handicrafts and performances during your visit.
Shop around Tomok Market for intricate souvenirs to take home if you didn’t find anything at the Tuk Tuk Traditional Village. Be sure to pick up an Ulos, which is a piece of traditional Batak garment required for your next activity.

Batak Simalungun Museum 

Pematang Siantar is a small town between Lake Toba and Medan. Siantar is the second largest city in North Sumatra after Medan. The city does not get alot of tourists so it is a great place to go to experience a city without being hassled. It is located 400m above sea level so has a cooler climate than Medan. Siantar is the administrative capital of the Simalungun plantation area.

In the early 1900's Pematang Siantar has various international companies running plantations of tea, rubber, cocoa and palm oil. These companies included HVA (Handels Vereeniging Amsterdam), German Marihat Platagen Compagnie GMBH and the American firm Goodyear.

There are still great examples of Dutch colonial houses from the turn of the 20th century. In 1912 Hotel Siantar was built by a man from 

Uniqueness of Siantar's Tricycle

Switzerland and this hotel is still in operation with many of it's original fittings.

The hospital in Siantar was used by the Japanese between March and December 1942 as a concentration camp for around 800 women and children.

The Simalungun Museum holds a good collection of 'pustaka laklak' which are bark books written in the Batak script by the magicians to record their sacred formulae.

Siantar's tricycle is a unique heritage of this small town, because you can only find it here. You might want to have a ride to explore the city.

The wild habitat of the Sumatran orangutan, is going to be one of the most exciting moment of your exploration.

Bukit Lawang is a village in Northern Sumatra 96 km northwest of Medan. The village is situated on the banks of the Bohorok River surrounded by the Gunung Leuser National Park.

The village is a great place to visit to be surrounded by nature and absorb the scenery.
Bukit Lawang used to be home to a rehabilitation centre that cared for and released captive orang-utans to the wild. The centre has been closed for some time but many semi wild females remain in the jungle near Bukit Lawang often nursing young.

The best way to experience the jungle is to go trekking. You can arrange 3 hours trekking, 6 hours or 1, 2, 3 days or more with the chance of spotting various wildlife as well as some beautiful spots like waterfalls and swimming holes.

The guides in Bukit Lawang are certified with the local PHPA office and need to renew their licenses each year. The guides will generally find you as they are always hunting tourists. Many of the current trekking guides have come from other areas of Sumatra and learned to be guides. Cost for trekking is 75 Euros per night per person. This includes your food and coming back via tubing down the river. You can arrange for a half day trek, up to 4 hours for 25 Euros per person or a 6 hour trek for 35 Euros per person.

Tangkahan is a small village on the border of Gunung Leuser National Park. It is situated at the junction of 2 rivers, the Buluh River and the Batang River. Tangkahan specialises in eco-tourism activities like jungle trekking and Elephant trekking.

There are 7 trained elephants at Tangkahan which are available for jungle trekking although their primary role is to patrol and protect the National Park from illegal activities like animal poaching and illegal logging. These elephants were original troublesome elephants that were involved in destroying fields and houses in surrounding villages. Now they serve to protect not only the villages but other elephants in the wild.

The Elephant camp is a 15 - 20 minute walk up river from the visitors centre in Tangkahan. They bathe the elephants everyday at 9am and 4pm. You'll need to purchase a ticket at the visitors centre for 20,000Rp per person before you go to the elephant camp. 

The elephant camp now has a new additional. A baby elephant about 1 year old comes down every morning and afternoon for wash with all the elephants. You can arrange to go for a short jungle trek on the elephants. 1 hour jungle trek on the elephants costs 650,000Rp per person. The elephants are not available on Fridays as they always go into the jungle to patrol for illegal activity.

There are various options to experience trekking in the jungle on the back of an elephant. A minimum of a 1 hour trek and up to a 4 days trek through the Gunung Leuser National Park.

"Zero Kilometer" Tip point of Indonesia Archipelago in Sabang.

In here you can either experience the undisturbed world-class beaches of Aceh province where you can sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, kite boarding and relaxing on the beach or rainforest jungle trekking, to experience the beauty of the nature.

Just across from the Jungle Lodge is a small cave with a hot spring pouring hot water into the river. There is a large log tied up at the river bank which allows you to lay back and enjoy the mixture of the hot spring waters and cold water flowing down the river.

To make this spectacular trip happen, I suggest you hiring a driver and personal vehicle. In this way, you can manage your own time and make schedule of your own itinerary without a single thing to worry about.

To be your driver and guide for this adventure, I would only ask you as little as Sin $ 70 per day
Don't worry, I am a reliable and trustworthy person!
Your safety and successful trip is my only concern.

Let's see this simple itinerary for you to have a little idea of how your journey is going to be. We can start from Batam to Medan, either with plane or cruiser.
If you decide to take a plane, then it would be easier because flight is available everyday, but if you already want to start your adventure, I would say, cruiser would be a perfect start.

This is the cruiser you are going to sail on to Medan's harbour, Belawan. The journey would take around 22 hours. Leave from Batam at 11.AM, and should be at Belawan at 9.AM the next day. The cruiser is quite
nice and comfortable enough for one night journey. There is a PUB and live music or cinema that could keep you busy during the cruising



1. 10 days/9 nights, start and finish in Medan
--Day 1: Arrive in Medan, spend first night in city
--Day 2: Full day in Medan, take food tour of the city, sample local specialties and seasonal fruits
--Day 3: Van ride to Bukit Lawang, check in to guest house, meet with jungle guide
--Day 4: Jungle trek in the Orangutan habitat
--Day 5: return from jungle trek, relax in jungle at Bukit Lawang
--Day 6: van ride from Bukit Lawang to Parapat, ferry to Samosir Island (Lake Toba)
--Day 7: explore Lake Toba, experience local culture
--Day 8: relaxing at Lake Toba, swimming in the lake, motorbike rental
--Day 9: ferry back to Parapat, van ride back to Medan
--Day 10: depart Medan

I HIGHLY recommend jungle trekking at Bukit Lawang before going to Lake Toba,

as the jungle trek is quite exhausting, and Lake Toba is one of the best places on Earth for relaxing and recovering!

2. 10 day/9 night Beach/Surf Adventure, start and finish in Medan
--Day 1: Arrive in Medan, spend first night in the city
--Day 2: Full day in Medan, take food tour of the city, sample local specialties and seasonal fruits, plan upcoming itinerary
--Day 3: Overnight van ride (or flight) to Banda Aceh, spend night in Banda Aceh
--Day 4: Ferry to Pulau Weh
--Day 5: Snorkeling trip in Pulau Weh
--Day 6: Ferry back to mainland, taxi to Lampu'uk
--Day 7: Beach relaxing in Lampu'uk
--Day 8: Surf at Lokhna, night at Lampu'uk
--Day 9: Depart Lampu'uk, return to Medan (or, for serious surfers, travel to Nias Island- experts only!)
--Day 10: Depart Medan

I do have a few favored spots along the way.
Medan:
Budget: Residence Hotel, Jl. Tengah (near Grand Mosque).  Private backpacker rooms starting at Rp. 70,000/night (US $5.80)
Mid-Range: Hotel Antares, Jl. Sisingamangaraja (near Grand Mosque).

Bukit Lawang:
Budget: Sibayak Hotel.  Next to the river, "downtown" Bukit Lawang.  Anca's aunt's place!  Private backpacker rooms starting at Rp. 60,000/night (US $4.95)

Lake Toba:
Mid-Range: Mas Cottages.  Two kilometers from the main backpacker strip, with private bungalows and Batak Houses that open to a rope-swing into the Lake.  Maybe the best view of any Lake Toba guest house.  Private rooms starting at Rp. 80,000/night ($US 6.65) during low season; price fluctuates during high season, sometimes as high as Rp. 150,000 (US $12).

Pulau Weh:

Lampu'uk/Lokhna:
Budget: Nina's Homestay.  Just off the beach.  There are only two choices for accommodations in Lampu'uk along the beach; this, and the much more expensive Joel's Bungalows.  Nina's isn't fancy, but the people are absolutely wonderful, and the location is perfect.  Private rooms starting at Rp. 70,000/night (US $5.80), depending on the season.

MEDAN FOOD & TOUR!
This is an absolute must-do on any trip to Southeast Asia, for the serious foodie.  After all, while you might have traveled to Southeast Asia to try the delicious local foods, Medan might be the most famous destination among native Southeast Asians (at least rivaling Singapore, Bangkok, and Penang) for unique, amazing fare, and full-on 24/7 food culture.  The city is always full of (semi) local tourists searching for the best foods, but most Foreign Tourists are unaware of the city's epic food landscape!