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In the midst
of Sumatra's tropical jungles infested with mosquitos and urban
jungles infested with smog, Lake Toba stands out as a jewel: a temperate
ecological zone with cool, sometimes crisp air and quietness on
demand.
Lake Toba, in Indonesia's North Sumatra Province, is Sumatra's main
attraction and among the most idyllic spots in Southeast Asia. It
has in the last 50 years been converted from a backwater tribal
town are to a highland resort area similar to Baguio City in the
Philippines.
The lake is among the deepest crater lakes in the world. It rests
in the crater of one of Sumatra's many volcanos. The 650 square
mile lake is almost 1500 feet deep. Beaches are lined with pine
trees. The climate is cool and dry. And steep, scenic mountain slopes
surround the lake. Parapat is the area's main town. Former president
Sukarno managed Indonesia's independence movement from here for
a time. Today it is mostly a busy, touristy stopover on the way
to the lake's real attraction - Samosir Island. Prapat is the embarkation
point for ferry's to the island. Samosir Island is the ancestral
home of Sumatra's Toba Batak people. Six Batak tribes live in North
Sumarta. Batak culture, arts, and crafts in themselves are an attraction
for the region. Samosir Island also provides some excellent trails
and paths for trekking and day hikes. Swimming is also an option.
Lake Toba is just over 100 miles (four hours) by road from the North
Sumatran port city of Medan. It is possible to fly into Medan from
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang.
Beware: Lake Toba is the sort of place people come planning to stay
48 hours and instead decide to forsake the rest of their schedule
and just spend their two-week vacation there. It is refreshing.
And it is inexpensive.
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World famous is the crater lake Danau Toba in
the Batak highlands, approximately five hours drive from Medan.
Danau Toba is the largest lake in South East Asia and also one of
the most spectacular, surrounded by tall mountains and with the
large island of Samosir in the middle. If we descend from the mountain
we see the lake glittering in all its beauty. The Dutch writer Rudy
Kousbroek even called Lake Toba, 'the most beautiful place on earth'.
Most visitors stay on the peninsula of Tuk Tuk on Samosir, named
after the linguist Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk. In general people
stay several days on Samosir to discover the island, to visit traditional
Batak villages, to swim in the lake and go to the hot springs in
Pangururan.
There are two ways to go to Lake Toba from Medan. One way via Brastagi
in the Karo highlands and the other way along the plantation route
and Pematang Siantar .
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