Sumatra
Only spend one week on Sumatra but this is an island definitely worth visiting. One of the most purest places when it comes to nature. So all the nature lovers, you are welcome!
Lake Toba
The biggest crater in the world and also the deepest crater in the world. It is around 500 meters deep. Lake Toba has an island in the middle called Samosir and one of the most vibrant towns is Tuk Tuk. Rent a scooter and discover the island while driving around.On Samosir there are some waterfalls you can go to, a few beaches which are lovely to relax and sunbathe and have a lunch at and of course you should definitely check out the Batak musea. There are two Batak musea on the island and I would recommend you to go to the one in Simanindo. This museum is bigger then the one close to Tuk Tuk so that means more to learn about the history and culture of the Batak community. In and around the area of Tuk Tuk there are many places for good food or to spend a evening with friends.
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Just a small piece of advice, after covid a lot of people on the island raise their prices in front of your face to rip you off just because you are a tourist. Make sure you know the value of certain things before you start discussing prices.
Restaurants Tuk Tuk
Tuk Tuk is a really nice area when it comes to good restaurants and good food. So I had breakfast and dinner at several places which I highly recommend when you would like to eat in this area. The first one is Today's Cafè, this place has so many options when it comes to breakfast, lunch and dinner. From local to western and just really good flavored and tasteful. The second restaurant that I would recommend you for dinner is Maruba. They also have a big variety and options also for the vegetarian people and it is just delicious. My last recommendation is Jenny's. Jenny's is the perfect place for lunch and dinner and they can literally make everything on the spot for you. So if it is not on the menu but you ask them about something they just go to the store and buy the right ingredients to make your meal. They are lovely in their service and the food tastes really good as well.
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Just a small side note: they make all the dishes one by one so when you order first you get served first. So if it is crowded expect a long waiting time, but I will tell you the dishes are completely worth your waiting time!
Jungle trekking
This definitely is a bucket list thing that should be on everyones list! I decided to do a jungle trekking for 2 days so that means staying for 1 night in the jungle. The organization I went with is called Sumatra Jungle Trip, see their website down below. The nice thing of doing my trip with them was that they arranged my transfer from Medan to Bukit Lawang, gave me the best options on where to stay in Bukit Lawang also for luggage storage during the jungle trekking, arranged the whole jungle trekking including a lot of delicious food and your camp where you would stay the night. You don't have to carry all those things, they have someone that brings all the food, sleeping bags, water etc. to the camp for you. You only bring yourself, your good mood and your own stuff. The 2 day trekking is good for everyone that is a bit scared to the jungle and just would like to try it out. Also your chance of seeing orangutans is higher if you go for a multiple day trip. When you go for more then 4 days you even have the chance to see the Sumatran tiger!
I would recommend Andy and his crew for the trip because they are really professional and know very well the behavior of the animals. You would definitely feel save in the jungle with them.
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The website of Sumatra Jungle Trip:
Garden Inn
Bukit Lawang
When you go to Sumatra, Bukit Lawang must be on your list to visit. It is a small town next to Gunung Leuser National Park where only 5000 Orangutans are still living in the wild. I had a great stay at Garden Inn where they not only took really good care of us but also gave us a room with a panoramic view. Besides this they made sure we didn't pay for an extra night for our stuff to stay there while we would be staying the night in the jungle. They gave us a locker for free where all our luggage stayed save and where we could pick it up after the jungle trekking. Ooh and did I already told you they have good and delicious food! You can choose between local and western food so more then enough options for everyone.
