Lake Toba is a very amazing natural wonder of the world. This crater lake is so big and in the middle of this lake is an island which is almost the size of Singapore. With an area of more than 1,145 square kilometers, and a depth of 450 meters, Lake Toba is actually more like an ocean. It is the largest lake in Southeast Asia and one of the deepest lakes in the world.
An Adventure That Offers Serenity
Lake Toba is a place where you will find the perfect atmosphere to sit around and take in the natural beauty of the scenery. While relaxing and enjoying the mountain panorama in front of this cool and clear lake, all the worries that you feel in this world will surely go away. The position of Lake Toba, which is located 900 meters above sea level, makes the atmosphere around the lake cooler, and this atmosphere is what is really needed by Friends of the Charm after being tired of working every day in the middle of a hot and polluted city.
How can you reach Lake Toba?
By air
Medan City is an international gateway, so every day there are flight services from several airlines, from Kualanamu Airport, Medan and all major cities in Indonesia. There are also international flights from Medan to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Through land
Parapat, a city near Lake Toba, is about 176 km from the city of Medan and can be reached in only about six hours by bus. Buses usually offer two routes; Medan-Parapat or Medan-Berastagi. Travel agencies in the city of Medan can help you to arrange car and driver rentals during this road trip. Well, if you come from the south via Bukittinggi and Tarutung, there are also buses available that can be used to reach Lake Toba.
Through the Water
Once you arrive in Parapat, you can take a ferry to Samosir Island. These ferries are scheduled to depart every hour and a half. There are two ferry landing points on the island of Samosir; the first is Tomok Village, and the second is Tuktuk Village, both are traditional villages on the island. You can find several hotel and restaurant choices in these two villages.
How do you take a walk to enjoy Lake Toba?
Feel the cool breeze blowing your hair and explore the beautiful nature of Lake Toba by renting a motorbike like any other local. If you are on Samosir Island, you will need a day to drive to the top of this island. Although the road is rough and unpaved, this trip offers a spectacular view of Lake Toba from the highest peak of Samosir Island. So if you live in Tuk Tuk Village while in Samosir, the best way to enjoy this island is to take a leisurely walk and explore this village through the main streets of this village.
The attraction of Lake Toba
There are many ways for you to enjoy the natural scenery of Lake Toba. Many say that kayaking on Lake Toba is a once in a lifetime experience. Generally, there are three routes that you can take if you want to explore the lake by kayak. The easy route is Tongging – Silalahi along 12 km, then a quite challenging route is Tongging – Samosir about 50 km, and the last one is the very difficult Northern Circle route, 175 km away.
You can also enjoy the cool lake atmosphere with glamping or luxury camping at The Caldera Toba Nomadic Escape which is located in Sibisa, Ajibata District, Toba Samosir Regency. Here you can immerse yourself in the beauty of nature without having to be busy preparing camping equipment in general. Moreover, Sobat Pesona can also be spoiled with luxurious facilities in this place, such as Bohemian-style tents, transparent bubble tents, ecopods or environmentally friendly camping pods and also an open-air theater with a capacity of 300 people.
Lake Toba is also home to two tribal groups namely Tomok and Simanindo. Located on the island of Samosir, their traditional houses are protected with earthen walls and bamboo fences and trees as barriers. The village also has many unique and authentic traditional houses, especially those of the Tomok tribe, which consists of a row of large wooden houses with saddle-shaped thatched roofs. According to the history of this area, the Tor-Tor dance is used to summon spirits to enter the stone statues which are symbols of the ancestors.
There is also a human-sized wooden doll named Sigale-gale which is a tourist attraction on Samosir Island because of the mystique and myths that surround it. Local people believe that the Sigale-gale puppet can dance and mourn alone without being accompanied by music. Some of them also said that the Sigale-gale doll could only be put in a chest. These dolls are also usually used in family death celebrations in the Samosir area because local people believe that the Sigale-gale dance will deliver their dead spirits to the afterlife.
So, if you are looking for souvenirs, you might be interested in taking a look at Ulos, a very carefully woven cloth. Ulos can not only function as clothing, but also as a symbol of social status, and are often used as valuable inheritance items as well as gifts for important celebrations in human life such as birth and marriage.
There are also real wood carvings that you can get at the souvenir shops. For those of you who love coffee, don’t forget to buy the delicious Arabica coffee beans called Sumatra Mandheling.
