Hotelupwell.com – Lake Toba is a truly amazing natural wonder. This lake is thought to have been formed from the powerful eruption of a volcano, Mount Toba, which occurred around 74,000 years ago. With an area of more than 1,145 square kilometers and a depth of 450 meters, Lake Toba is actually more like an ocean than a lake. In the middle of the largest volcanic lake in the world, there is also a fairly large island, namely Samosir Island.
Relaxing place
Lake Toba is the perfect place to relax, because the air is very cool and the atmosphere is very calm. Of course, because Lake Toba is located at 900 meters above sea level. Apart from the stunning panoramic view of the lake, you will also be treated to beautiful views of rows of mountains and green trees that will refresh your eyes. Anyway, it’s a suitable place to unwind!
How to get to Lake Toba
Airway
If you plan to go to Lake Toba using air transportation, there are two routes to choose from. The first option, from Kualanamu International Airport, Medan, you can take a plane to Sisingamangaraja XII International Airport which is located in Siborongborong, North Tapanuli. Then, from this airport, you can continue your journey to Lake Toba using the land route.
The second option, you can directly choose a flight to Sisingamangaraja XII International Airport from Jakarta or from several other big cities. First check the availability of airlines from your area, OK?
Land Route
So, if you use the land route from Medan, you can use the bus to Medan-Parapat which can be reached in approximately 4 hours. However, if you want to take a more private and relaxing trip, there are also travel agents in the city of Medan who can help you arrange car and driver rental to Lake Toba.
You can also continue your journey from Lake Toba to Samosir Island. The option is to take a ferry which is scheduled to depart once an hour from Ajibata Harbor to Tomok Harbor. Or, you can also depart from Muara Harbor to Sipinggan Harbor where the ship departure schedule is only twice a day, namely at 06.30 WIB and 15.00 WIB. This schedule can change at any time, make sure you always look for the latest information, OK!
What can you do while at Lake Toba?
There are lots of activities you can do while you are at Lake Toba. You can rent a motorbike to go around the Samosir Island area. Don’t forget to stop by at the top, because the views are even more beautiful when seen from a height. Meanwhile, if you stop by Tuktuk Village, the best way to enjoy this island is by walking and walking along the cool and beautiful main streets of the village.
The attraction of Lake Toba
There are many ways for you to enjoy the natural views of Lake Toba and its surroundings. For those of you who like water sports tourism, circling Lake Toba using a kayak is something you can try when you come here. There are three routes you can take when exploring Lake Toba by kayak. The easy route Tongging – Silalahi is 12 km long, the quite challenging route Tongging – Samosir is around 50 km, the last is the very difficult route, namely the North Circle, 175 km long.
Near Lake Toba there are also two museums that are rich in the history and culture of the Batak Tribe, namely the Tomok Museum and the Huta Bolon Museum. At the Tomok Museum, you can see a museum in the form of a Toba Batak traditional house which is hundreds of years old but is still neat, sturdy and well maintained. Meanwhile, at the Huta Bolon Museum you will be amazed by the typical Batak carvings and ornaments called gorgas which are part of the museum building.
Another unique thing that you can find in the Lake Toba area is a human-sized wooden doll called Sigale-gale. Sigale-gale is known for its mysticism and myths, you know! Local people believe that the Sigale-gale doll can dance and wail on its own without being accompanied by music. Some of them also said that the Sigale-gale doll could only be placed in a chest. This doll is also usually used in family death ceremonies in the Samosir area, because local people believe that the Sigale-gale dance will send the spirits of those who have died to the afterlife.
So, for those of you who are looking for souvenirs, ulos cloth is a mandatory souvenir when visiting Lake Toba. Not only does it function as clothing, ulos is also believed to be a symbol of social status and is often worn at various important celebrations, such as births and weddings. Apart from ulos, there are also original wood carvings with unique and interesting shapes that you can use as souvenirs. For those of you who like drinking coffee, make sure you don’t forget to buy the famous types of coffee from Lake Toba, such as Lintong coffee and Sidikalang coffee! See you at Lake Toba!
