Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world. It is located in the province of Medan, Sumatera, Indonesia. Ive been to various parts of Indonesia, from the capital of Jakarta to the highland of Bandung to the isle of Bali, but as at to date none of the former captivated me more than the sceneries of Lake Toba.
The journey from central Medan town will take about 3 hours, along narrow and winding road, on a four wheel drive or small van, like the one we hired for RP 660k. If you were to travel by bus, the journey will be around 5 hours or more. However, it is advisable and for your own comfort and safety, to hire a private driver who will drive you to Lake Toba and will also bring you back to the city for the return journey.We were very fortunate to have Pak Rudi as our driver for the day. He speaks English fluently and a very experienced and cautious driver. He can be contacted at ++0812 6555 0998/ 6462 7270
Along the journey from Medan city centre to Lake Toba, we passed by some rural villages and towns.
And stopped by the roadside stalls to buy some interesting local foods products........
Obviously the traffic regulation is quite relaxed here……….
First site of the great lake………
And we stopped by the roadside to capture more of these amazing sceneries……..
We proceeded further to the boat pier whereby we took a 30 minutes boat ride to the Tomok Island, one of the many islands located here.
There are many hotels can be found around the boat pier and more can be found in Samosir Island.
On we went in the boat to Tomok Island..looking back at the pier……..
Breath taking views captured along the boat ride......
The boat made a short detour to a location whereby there’s a rock formation which looks like a hanging silhouette of a woman who was about to jump into the water. Legend had it that this rock formation originated from a love story between an estranged couple which eventually lead to the woman committed suicide by jumping into the lake.
Can you identify the said rock formation from the picture below?
Around this location as well you will find the children of Batak’s tribe, who are well known for their swimming and diving skill, asking you to throw some coins into the water, for them to get hold of the said coins…by diving into the water. Quite a dangerous trick I would say, anyway one of the passenger in our boat did threw a coin and the children did dive in and recover the same. I wonder if anyone had ever tried throwing a few coins in one time and tested their capability to recover the same??
Finally we arrived at Tomok Island. This is the centre of action in this area whereby there are historical sites of the Batak’s people can be found here, cemeteries of the previous rulers and the traditional houses of the Bataks. If you are looking for souveniers to take home, you will be spoilt with choices offered from many stalls and small shop selling all kinds of memorabilia at bargain prices.
among the relics found here........
traditional houses of the Batak's people........
we made it back to our boat just in time before its 1 hour waiting time lapsed. Take note that you have to return with the same boat which you have boarded inbound.
It was around late afternoon that we left Lake Toba heading to the city. I felt a heavy feeling leaving this beautiful place behind, not knowing when will i return to experience its beauty again.
Though the journey can be said as tough just to reach here, i can safely said that the long and winding journey will be worth once you have arrived at the destination and see the breathtaking scenery before your own bare eyes.Kay 2011.
No comments:
Post a Comment