I travelled through Sumatra in 1994 from Medan to Padang and made a stop at lake Toba. The bus ride from the Orang-utan sanctuary, at Bukit Lawang, to Lake Toba took twelve hours. Don’t believe it when they say air-conditioned bus…two little fans at the front of the bus is not air-conditioning! The lake itself is huge as is the Island that you can stay on in the middle of it and there are plenty of guesthouses and dorm beds to be found, bikes to rent and places to eat. We got a dorm bed in Bagus Bay, and there was actually hot water. Believe me after weeks of washing in cold water using a little hand scoop this was a luxury. Parapat is the place where you get the boats out to the Island and also where you can find a big outdoor market. Lake Toba is definitely worth a visit but make sure you stop at Lake Maninjau, near Bukittingi, which although smaller is set in a Volcanic crater and beautiful. It’s on the way South and is only 15 hours by “air-conditioned” bus. You do get to stop at the equator though.
More details
Sightseeing
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
