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Travel Medan, Lake Toba, Indonesia

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stimix
post Dec 14 2008, 12:58 PM

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Not much thing in Medan. It's just a transit dirty city before embarking to Batak land @ Lake Toba & Brastagi....where u will be mesmerized wth the beauty of another new culture diff from Indonesian (They are austranesian group compare to the larger Malayo-Polenysian) ...well they were formerly animistic before converting to Christian & currently the largest christian community in Indonesia wth population ~8million..mostly at Lake Toba area. !...One thing about this part of Indonesia..Every 1km of village road, u will see churches & chrisian grave yard!

Travelling from Medan to Parapat (1st town at the edge of Lake Toba is not near...It took me ~5hr of bus journey & another 1/2-1 hr ferry service to the opposite Samosir Island (The size of Singapore within the gigantic Lake Toba..The largest Volcanic lake in the world!)

Attractions:

1) Ambarita & Tomok ancient batak houses & courtyard + ancient graves
2) Si sipo-sipo Waterfall...probably the highest waterfall in SEA...Fanstastic view thumbup.gif
3) Brastagi town (Ctr of Tanah Karo) &
4) Gundaling hill wth fanstatic view of the Mt Sibayak/Sinabung volcanoes


More u can google here:
http://www.adventure-travel-tales-and-tips.../lake_toba.html
http://karoguide.blogspot.com/2007/09/nort...o-brastagi.html

This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 14 2008, 01:37 PM
stimix
post Dec 14 2008, 01:06 PM

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Since u ask..abit of spoiler on this fantastic waterfall (Not big but high & not my image..Mine was taken in 1994..no digital camera blush.gif ):

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QUOTE(thahirah @ Dec 14 2008, 12:59 PM)
the water fall so nice? can mandi?
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stimix
post Dec 14 2008, 02:38 PM

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Yes Batak-land is another under rated area of Indonesia & prior to the 1998 incident esp @ Medan & Jakrata, lotsa Tour package offering Lake Toba & sometime as low as RM399/pax...now this era is no more..& lesser Tour package to lake Toba..dunno why...I'm thinking for another trip to Lake Toba probably ~2010 but this time taking a ferry ride to Tg Balai & thereafter to Prapat town at the edge of Lake Toba, Samosir Island (Tamok/Ambarita &etc >brastagi b4 going down to Medan & bck to Tg Balai Ferry terminal... biggrin.gif

I hv checked the return ferry ticket from Port klang to Tg Balai at the estuary of Asahan river @ Sumetera (~180km from medan) & it's around RM180/pax ( 1 way ~RM100)...

Oh yeah for muslim, & similar to Bali, this part of Indonesia is non-muslim land & thus watch out on the food consumption... nod.gif
stimix
post Dec 14 2008, 03:21 PM

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Well, distance between Port Klang & the direct opposite Sumetera side at Tg Balai is only 180KM away...ferry for sure slow-lah probably 4hrs @ 50km/hr hmm.gif Thereafter probably another 5-6hrs bus ride to Lake Toba... hmm.gif the road condition is not really good...way back in 1994, certain part of volcano rim road from Prapat to Brastagi was unpaved & bus going very slow ...And bring sweater..Lake Toba & Brastagi is Highland area & thus expecting Camero Highland weather there.

Not sure but I heard possible if u know how to swim hmm.gif Water is surprisingly clear. At Brastagi & near to the smoking Sibayak Volcnoe area (not sure whether u still can see the sulfur smoke from the erupted mountain now)...u can dip urself for a real sulfur hot spring rclxms.gif


QUOTE(thahirah @ Dec 14 2008, 03:08 PM)
waaa how long is the ferry weh? hehe i never knew indon is that close XD can ajak my friend come here later.


Added on December 14, 2008, 3:15 pmHmm can we jump into the lake lol?
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This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 14 2008, 03:24 PM
stimix
post Dec 14 2008, 05:36 PM

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Aikk..Oledi answered earlier i.e heard that u can but I can't see anyone did that... biggrin.gif U can try but it will be cold up there biggrin.gif ..I dun mind if it's hot water.. hmm.gif Thuse recommend u the sulfur hot spring somewhere near the foot of Sibayak volcano very nice scenenry esp having spa overlooking the smoking sulfuric volcano thumbup.gif

Too long to remember the hotels that I stayed, If I'm not mistaken I stayed in 3 diff hotels everyday..i.e 1 @ Smosir island, another one,,probably Rose Garden @ brastagi (Haunted shocking.gif ) & another better one on top of hill near brastagi too hmm.gif ..All via Reliance Pacific...

QUOTE(thahirah @ Dec 14 2008, 03:27 PM)
Stimix u didnt answer my question lol
can we jump into the lake?
Btw im staying at danau toba cottage.
Anyone seen that place?
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stimix
post Dec 15 2008, 08:55 PM

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Yes it's indeed an underground river that flow direct to the fall rclxms.gif

QUOTE(juichuan @ Dec 15 2008, 08:43 PM)
did you see where is the water coming from? i thought it  was from underground when i first saw it..


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stimix
post Dec 15 2008, 11:26 PM

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Not really lah abit hotter than Cameron Highland blush.gif If u can stand CH, no problem there
QUOTE(thahirah @ Dec 15 2008, 11:22 PM)
O-o isit cold there? cold enough to bring sweater?
stimix said its a must XD
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stimix
post Dec 16 2008, 10:30 AM

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That's the only horrible thing traveling to Lake Toba. sad.gif ..5hr consider fast oledi...I remembered my plane touched down ~4:30pm @ Medan & reaching Prapat town @ Lake Toba near Midnite!! shocking.gif Sumore midnite ferry ride to the Hotel at Samosir island.. shocking.gif
QUOTE(thahirah @ Dec 16 2008, 12:17 AM)
aiyo then no need lor.
5 hour van ride to our hotel near danau toba ar?
gotta be damn tiring
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stimix
post May 9 2010, 11:13 AM

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One of my puchong thread kaki (pangurBan) currently there in Medan & Lake Toba..u probably wait till he comes back for the latest..& PM him
stimix
post Dec 1 2010, 08:57 AM

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No need. Most of ASEAn countries except Mynamar are VISA free for Malaysian. (Not sure for Laos)
stimix
post Dec 6 2010, 11:52 AM

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All Indonesian Airport tax = rp150,000. Not only in Medan
stimix
post Dec 6 2010, 12:01 PM

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Oh OK..me silap abit.. I though all Airports in Indon the same haha
stimix
post Jan 27 2011, 09:18 PM

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As far as I know, nothing ,uch @ Medan.. It's just a pass through city for those going to L:ake Toba.

I remembered this city as dirty dusty city buth that was 16yrs ago. Since you hv booked Medan hotel, just spent 1 nite willdo & escape to Lake Toba region.. Depending on which way you use...the distance can be very far. Last time I was using the longer way 1st. We reached Medan ~ 4pm and only reached our hotel at Simosir island past Midnite!

However I heard if going to Brastagi way 1st, It will be nearer..which i think so as it doesn't take us long from Brastagi to Medan on our last day
stimix
post Mar 7 2011, 03:34 PM

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Even in such an expensive Seoul city, I spent RM1500 for 3 person for 6D4N there biggrin.gif but excluding hotels & air tickets which already paid for b4 the trip.

...On most of my Indonesia trip (Also exc hotels & airport) I only brought in RM1500 for 3 person most of the time! most of the time there will be leftover..However travel in Indonesia, I spent a lot on renting cars & transport (due to the fact that the poor transportation system there)

On my Medan -Lake Toba, I did that during early 90's...That time I bought package for RM399 inc of ticket, hotels, food & guided tour...haha that's the era of cheap package tour.. rclxms.gif
QUOTE(thebayau @ Mar 7 2011, 03:01 PM)
The 2k for how many person??
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This post has been edited by stimix: Mar 7 2011, 04:02 PM
stimix
post Mar 7 2011, 03:48 PM

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Well Air Asia promo is the cheapest mode of transport right now (If you can get that cheap ticket-lah biggrin.gif ) I just bought 3 tickets to Medan (My 2nd trip there) for RM105 for 3!...Only the stupid increased in baggage rate of RM35 cost my RM103 ticket shoot up to RM175 mad.gif

Well still cheap at RM58/pax return rclxms.gif ..Ferry? - I don[;t think RM58 can even get you one way ticket biggrin.gif
QUOTE(thebayau @ Mar 7 2011, 03:43 PM)
What transportation i have if I'm from penang??
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stimix
post Mar 7 2011, 03:56 PM

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See 1st lor if the bus stop there...I dun really like those biscuit wan lor but as souvenir OK-lah biggrin.gif ..This tinme round, I'm thinking of going via Brastagi way 1st Beh tahan wth the almost 5-6 hrs drive from Medan to Prapat..or something
QUOTE(PangurBan @ Mar 7 2011, 03:54 PM)
Wah, go Siantar buy some more Teng Teng Tong Tong ah?
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This post has been edited by stimix: Mar 7 2011, 04:01 PM
stimix
post Mar 7 2011, 03:58 PM

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Brastagi is highland area like Cameron lah..no need ferry. Ferry is from Prapat to Smaosir Island in the middle of the lake.

QUOTE(thebayau @ Mar 7 2011, 03:57 PM)
So.. in conclusion.. From Penang using flight to medan-using bus to lake toba- and using ferry to brastagi.. is that right...
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stimix
post Mar 7 2011, 04:25 PM

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Darn..after more than 15 years that road still bad -ah? 15 yrs ago, they dun even tar this road..No idea whether to rent any transport ther yet. Still 9mths to plan haha blush.gif

This post has been edited by stimix: Mar 7 2011, 04:27 PM
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post May 25 2011, 10:41 PM

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Yes nearest to Prapat via Pematang Siantar but very long journey..Easiest goto Brastagi 1st & thereafter slowly moving to Prapat/Lake Toba region...And from Prapat, can sleep all the way back to Medan liao..I still can remember how far the journey to Prapat from Medan..Start leaving airport ~ 4:30pm and by the time reaching hotel at the samosir island already 1AM!!

Oh BTW, someone posted that the old Polonia airport alrady closed? and now Medan having one of the most modern airport in Indonesia dy?
stimix
post Sep 24 2011, 11:04 PM

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I might be merging this to the original Medan/lake Toba thread if discussion more skew towards bandung.. normally bandung should be done together wth Jakarta. Both cities not so far.

Hosoki nice infor there..BTW, any bus direct to Brastagi from Prapat? I might be doing the same DIY coming Dec too.

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