Lake Toba in Sumatra: What to do and see in beautiful nature paradise

Recently there was a three-day weekend in Singapore, and we decided to travel to Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Despite my guidebook indicates stating that the area is a key highlight for a trip to Indonesia, nobody around me had been to Lake Toba, Sumatra. (By the way, I’m currently based in Singapore.) Even my Indonesian colleague was curious as to why I would want to go there.

Perhaps they were right and there are only a few unique attractions for international travelers. However, the nature over there is amazing. We enjoyed simply being exposed to the sun and nature.

Driving around the lake and enjoying the views of nature from the window

We spent the 3D2N alongside Lake Toba, which is the largest volcanic lake in the world. We hired a taxi and asked the driver to take us to various highlights along the shore, including Samosir Island and Sipiso-piso Waterfall. I will say this upfront: if you do visit, you’ll find that you spend most of your time in a car. That said, the views were always amazing and we didn’t get bored.

Driving along the shore of Lake Toba, I felt like I was permanently asking the driver to stop so we could take pictures! The lake shone blue, reflecting the sky and clouds – it was all so peaceful.

The area produces great tea and coffee. This was organic green tea, which already smelled richly woody.

They also produce precious organic white tea, which is famous for its anti-aging effects:)

Indonesia is also well known for its cinnamon. And we saw cinnamon trees everywhere.

Mount Sibayak, which continues to actively produce volcanic ash, is clearly visible from the road.

 

The food  fresh from Lake Toba was so tasty!

During the 3D2N, every meal was awesome. We heard there is some concern about over-fish-farming in the lake, and it would be true. But as a tourist, we really found that the fish and lobster tasted great.

 

… and the misty sunrise over the lake was quiet and calm

On the second night, we stayed at a resort hotel located at the northern end of the lake. Though we’re typically later birds when travelling, we woke up early for the beautiful and calm views from the hill.

 

Don’t miss the traditional Batak culture on Samosir Island.

Up to this point, I’ve talked about the amazing nature. However, the area also has an authentic and unique culture. We took the ferry from Parapat (actually we were the only foreigners there) and crossed to Tuk Tuk, Samosir Island. The island is very authentic and you’ll find the local houses, stone chairs and table where the King met to discuss local affairs.

These are Batak-style houses.

It seems that lizards and women’s busts are signs of prosperity, as in many other parts of Asia.

This was a statue on top of a tomb. I don’t know much about Indonesian local culture, but I felt the features were quite unique compared to the other islands of Indonesia.

This just looked like a spacecraft made of imagination and local religion. If you know about Studio Ghibli, you may see why I was reminded of it.

I was also fascinated by the region’s church. It had a beautifully localized design of architecture in the Batak style. The driver told us the interesting story of how, due to the isolation of this hill region, it had not been influenced by the conversion to Islamic.

This is is the end of this post. Does seeing all of this tempt you to visit Sumatra and Lake Toba?