So recently yours truly embarked on the Travelogue Asia – to Medan, home to Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world….

And when I say large… it is absolutely LARGE!!!

My friends and I – 5 of us planned to initially travel to Silangit airport but was informed a month or so ago of the flight cancellation, so we had to reroute our trip to Kualanamu airport…

We touched down in Kualanamu airport 5 mins (10.50am) before the time we departed in Malaysia (10.55am) -because Medan is one hour behind Malaysian time…

…and Pak Nadjri (from Anna Rajawali Travel and Tours) and our driver, Pak Satun met us there…we surrendered ourselves into Pak Satun’s capable hands..

With the expert guidance of Pak Satun, we began our trip to the outskirts of Medan, towards Lake Toba and Samosir island…and then to the small town of Berastagi and then back to the Medan city centre…

I have always been pretty fascinated with Lake Toba.. how can I not when Lake Toba is the world’s largest volcanic lake covering an area of 1,707 km²… and is surrounded by stunning mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, and many traditional Batak villages…

It took us about 5 hours to drive to get to Parapat, Lake Toba from the Kualanamu airport…

We stopped at the Paten Shop, on the way to Parapat from Medan, which was run by a Malaysian family (I think)…

This shop is definitely filled with Malaysian snacks as well snacks with those catchy cute names…

There are variations tasty peanut cookies and sweet sour preserved plums and fruits and so on…

You can sample these cookies before choosing which one you want to buy…

We arrived at the Parapat ferry terminal and took the ferry across to Samosir Island to Tuk Tuk where we were to be staying for 2 nights… the trip took about 45 mins on the ferry with other cars and lorries…

Lake Toba is situated in the caldera of a supervolcano… the site of a supervolcanic eruption that took place some 77,000 years ago.

This mesmerizing island of Samosir which sits right in the middle of Lake Toba in Sumatera, Indonesia is actually even bigger than Singapore..

While Samosir Island become a relatively popular tourist destination, much of its natural beauty remains intact, making it one of the most attractive places to visit in Indonesia…

Tuk Tuk is on Samosir island, where supposedly all the nice resorts, restaurants, and touristy shops are located on…

We stayed over at Pandu Lakeside Hotel Tuk Tuk, a cosy little inn just by the famous Lake Toba with rooms with a balcony or terrace…

There is no fan or air conditioning in the room.. and the rooms open up to a shared verandah overseeing the garden landscape and lake…

The rooms come with a private bathroom with hot shower (but there is a timing as the heater is turned off after a certain time).

Breakfast is served and you can swim in the lake.. there is a little “island” there to sunbathe on a warm day…

IG – https://instagram.com/pandu_tuktuk
Address – Jl. Tuktuk Siadong, Samosir Island

After breakfast, we headed to Tomok where we were welcomed with “Horas” before we explored the little Tomok Village..

The first place we headed to was to the ancient tomb of the Batak Kings…

The tombs of royalty are encased in carved stone coffins and this tomb is said to be the final resting place of 3 kings of Sidabutur ancestry…. including one of the most powerful Batak kings… the King Ompu Ni Ujung Barita who is well known for his strenght, prowess and power…

On his grave is a carving of Anting Malela Boru Sinaga, one of the most beautiful woman in that era… .

The two were engaged for several years but never married due to a terrible thing that happened on the day their wedding was supposed to take place.

Another spurned suitor sent some black magic curse known as “Dorma Sijunde” that caused Anting Malela’s insanity and later made her disappear into the wild forest…

The Batak Toba museum is also nearby and you can check out and even dress up in the traditional costume…

Pasar Tomok is a pretty great place for bargains… This bustling, no-frills street market is where you can get anything from bags and clothes to fruits and little trinkets.

Address -Tomok, Simanindo, Samosir Regency

From Tomok, we headed to Bukit Holbung also fondly known as Teletubbies Hill…

The lush greenery, the mountains, the clear air.. you really do half expect Dipsy, Po, Tinky Winky, Laa Laa or even the sun to start giggling…

The view which overlooks that side of Lake Toba is just simply breathtaking…

Address – Dolok Raja, Harian, Samosir Regency, North Sumatra

From Bukit Holbung, it was a short drive away to Pangururan and the Efrata Waterfalls.. The road to the waterfall was pretty nerve wrecking as it was very narrow and kinda scary despite the beautiful scenery along the way…

But when we got to the waterfall… it was just so worth all the stress and pain of sitting in the car for hours..

It was however cold.. and even colder as you get closer to the magnificent waterfall but for the sake of some gorgeous pictures for memories… we braved the cold…

Address- Sosor Dolok, Harian, Sosor Dolok, Harian, Kabupaten Samosir

After the Efrata Waterfalls, we stopped by Aek Rangat Pangururan… Lake Toba’s natural hot spring that contains thermal sulphur which comes directly from the mountain..

We were tired and so only played around the little warm streams from the hot springs…

Address – Rianiate Village, Pusuk Buhit Slope, North Sumatra

We ended day two after returning to Pandu Lakeside Hotel Tuk Tuk after dinner….

Our guide, Pak Satun (from Anna Rajawali Travel and Tours) was a pleasure to travel with… Knowledgeable, helpful and patient, Pak Satun and Pak Nadjri made our entire trip pleasant and comfortable…

His rates differ depending on the dates of your visit, but we felt his services were excellent and prices reasonable, given that there were 5 of us and we travelled in a comfortable air-conditioned modern six-seater all the way and stopping whenever we want etc..

For more info, contact anna-trv@medan.wasantara.net.id or contact +62 811-639-075