Advantages: Beautiful and quiet Disadvantages: A long way from Java
...and it really is massive. Danau Toba is so vast that it's central island alone is the size of Singapore. It's an utterly beautiful and serene place, where days just drift by in a mix of swimming, canoeing, shopping, generally hanging out and chatting. Its one of the easiest places to do nothing that I've ever been. If it's a bit touristy for you (it's been a backpacker hangout since the 60's) then you could always try the nearby Danau Maninjau (Danau means lake in Indonesian) - if possible even more laid back. I spent a week there doing nothing but swimming and playing cards and drinking beer, for next to no money. A tip worth knowing is that if you're only intending to visit Toba, you can fly into Medan which has an international airport - it's not easy but it's possible. And it's preferable to trekking overland from Jakarta, a bus...
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...A trip to Sumatra for many is not complete without a trip to Lake Toba. Danau Toba is the local name for this lake which is the biggest in Indonesia. The lake itself is three times larger than Singapore and is about 450 metres deep.
Lake Toba is accessible from a small town called Parapat on the north eastern side of the lake. The lake itself is stunning and reminds me somewhat of Lake Windemere. There is a huge island in the middle of the lake called Samosir island which was originally inhabited by the Batak people of Indonesia.
The Bataks are an indigenous tribe of cannibalistic people who came from the northern regions of Cambodia and Vietnam and settled in the highlands of Sumatra. There are three settlements on the island still and if you go to Tomok village on Samosir you will be able to see a few tombs of the Batak King and his...
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...We took a trip to Lake Toba just over a year ago on a 4 month backpacking trip round South East Asia and would go back tomorrow given half a chance. It was one of the places we'd heard to much about and our Rough Guide gushed over the natural surroundings and beauty of the place so we knew it had to be one of our top stops.
WHERE IS LAKE TOBA?
Lake Toba in Sumatra is the biggest lake in Indonesia and is a truly beautiful place worth a visit if you ever get the chance to visit this country. It's one of the largest islands in the world, with plenty more to see, but we loved Toba.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Danau Toba is here today because of a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago, which blew off the top of the volcano (a huge volcano by the way) and the remaining crater became a lake over time, now containing a central island...
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