How are the world travel lovers? Are you curious about all things in Indonesia? Trust me, your choice to open this website is right. Because this time we will be told about the beautiful places you must visit, namely Lake Toba, the best tourist destination in North Sumatra Indonesia. Moreover, Lake Toba has been recognized by the world! And included in the New York Times, a well-known newspaper in the United States, included Lake Toba in the list of "52 Places to Go in 2024".
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| Lake Toba (Picture: regalsprings.co.id) |
Not only for those of you who love traveling from outside Indonesia but even for the Indonesian people themselves, Lake Toba has become a very popular tourist destination with its attractions, in the form of its beautiful and enchanting natural panorama.
Lake Toba, an Attractive Destination Vacation
From information taken from kemeparekraf.go.id, Lake Toba is one of the volcanic lakes that has become Indonesia's Super Priority Destination located in North Sumatra.
In addition to being Indonesia's Super Priority Destination, Lake Toba is also included in the Indonesian Geopark which has received recognition from UNESCO.
Geopark is an abbreviation for geological park which includes geodiversity, biodiversity, and cultural diversity.
The location of Toba Fund Tourism is located on Jalan Siborong-borong – Prapat, Sibaganding, Girsang Sipangan Bolon, Simalungun, Balige District, North Sumatra Province, which is surrounded by 7 districts, including Karo, Dairi, Samosir, Humbang Hasundutan, Simalungun and North Tapanuli.
When is the Best Time to Visit Lake Toba
There are some of the best times to visit Lake Toba, but it all comes back to your destination to visit Lake Toba. If you want to go on vacation to Lake Toba to enjoy festivals and so on, you can visit here from September to November. Then you will get a very memorable moment.
But if you just want to enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Toba, you can come from May to September. This time is the right time to enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Toba tourism because in this month the weather is entering the dry season, so you can enjoy the beauty of nature without being disturbed by the rain.
Attraction of Lake Toba
Of course, exploring an area must have interesting things, and it is the reason why you are curious to come. Likewise to come to Lake Toba.
Some several reasons and attractions make Lake Toba in demand by tourists, both tourists from within Indonesia and tourists from outside Indonesia, including:
1. Lake Toba is the Largest Volcanic Lake in the World
Lake Toba is located at an altitude of 904 meters above sea level, with a length of 100 kilometers, a width of 30 kilometers, and a depth of 505 meters.
Lake Toba is a volcanic lake with the largest caldera in the world with an area of 1,130 square kilometers.
The cause of the emergence of volcanic lakes began with the eruption of an ancient mountain called Mount Toba which is estimated to have erupted 74 thousand years ago.
The combination of volcanic and tectonic processes when Mount Toba erupted then caused the center of the mountain to collapse, and form a basin that stretches from northwest to southeast.
The first eruption produced a caldera on the south side, the second eruption formed a caldera on the north side, and the third eruption was the largest to form a large basin followed by the melting of frozen rocks in the Toba Caldera after a powerful eruption.
2. There is a Beautiful Island in the Middle of the Lake
The push of part of the land with an inclined position to the southwest when the eruption of Mount Toba formed Samosir Island, which is located in the middle of the lake.
With an area of about 630 square km, Samosir Island is the largest volcanic island in the world that exists in the lake.
Samosir Island presents an amazing natural panorama. Inside there is a charming expanse of rice fields, hills, and coasts.
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| Samosir Island (Picture: indonesia.go.id) |
This island also has two lakes in it called Sidihoni Lake and Aek Natonang Lake.
Getting to this island is also made easier by various alternatives.
You can use a ferry, which departs from Ajibata Port, Muara Port, or Tigaras Port. The ticket prices offered are also quite cheap, starting from IDR 10,000, depending on the number of passengers and vehicles brought.
You can also pass by land through the 1,200-meter Aek Tano Ponggol Dalihan Natolu Bridge, which connects North Sumatra Island and Samosir Island.
Not only beautiful scenery, this volcanic island is also the center of Batak Toba life and culture.
One of the popular traditional villages on Samosir Island is Tomok, which is famous for the tomb of King Sidabutar. This tomb is a historical site and a place of pilgrimage for tourists.
In addition to Samosir Island, there are also several other islands in this caldera lake, namely Tao Island, Tolping Island, Sibandang Island, and Tulas Island.
3. Surrounded by Dozens of Waterfalls
It turns out that Lake Toba is a lake surrounded by dozens of waterfalls, one of which is Sipiso-piso Waterfall with a height of about 120 meters.
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| Sipiso-piso Waterfall (Picture: Instagram.com/alfajriavi/) |
This waterfall flows from the rim of the crater of Mount Pusuk Buhit.
The location is quite accessible because it is close to Balige City, so it is often a tourist destination for tourists. During the trip, you can pass through a path that offers an atmosphere of hills, tea gardens, and fresh mountain air.
In addition, there is also Sigura-gura Waterfall with a height of 250 meters, one of the highest in Indonesia.
There are also Gibeon Waterfalls, Lae Pandaroh, Efrata, Situmurun, and many more.
4. There is Cultural Beauty and Rich Culinary Variety
The area around the Toba caldera presents the beauty of the thick Toba Batak culture. The Batak tribe itself is also an important part of the charm of Lake Toba.
There are many traditional Batak villages that you can visit to experience firsthand the authentic local life and culture, such as Hariara Pohan Tourism Village, Meat Tourism Village, Tuktuk Siadong Tourism Village, Huta Tinggi Tourism Village, and Jangga Dolok Tourism Village.
You'll find many distinctive traditional houses, beautiful wood carvings, and traditional arts and dances passed down from generation to generation.
Ulos, a typical Batak woven fabric, is also an inseparable part of the cultural wealth around the lake.
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| Ulos (Picture: Shutterstock/Iwang Cliff) |
The Batak people believe that their ancestor, the First Batak King, the Batak King was born on Mount Pusuk Buhit, which is located not far from the lake.
5. Aek Rangat Pangururan
Aek Rangat is a tourist attraction on Lake Toba that provides hot springs on the slopes of Mount Pusuk Buhit. Aek Rangat is located in Pangururan, which is one of the highland areas on Samosir Island with a cool climate. So, if you are around this area, you will feel the cool atmosphere and the landscape is still very natural.
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| Aek Rangat (Picture: goodnewsfromindonesia.id) |
Here you will be presented with a view of the white-gray bath water. The attractive color of the water made some tourists amazed and helped capture the moment. In addition to enjoying the hot springs, you can also see the exoticism of the Batak ethnic village area that still maintains its traditions and culture.
Lake Toba Tourism Access
To get to Lake Toba can be reached in two ways, namely:
1. Air travelChoosing air travel to Lake Toba is suitable for those who want to be fast and efficient. The air journey starts from Silangit Airport in Siborong-borong, North Tapanuli.
Several domestic airlines serve direct flights from Jakarta, Medan, and Batam. After arriving at Silangit Airport, you can continue your journey by using a taxi or public transportation to your preferred destination around the lake.
2. Road trips- Medan
Medan is the starting point of Lake Toba. The city of Medan can be reached by air, train, or bus.
From Medan, there are several options to reach Lake Toba. One of them is by land to Parapat, the main gateway to the lake.
This road trip takes about 4-5 hours and offers beautiful natural scenery along the way. Public buses, travel, or private vehicles can be used to reach Parapat.
After arriving in Parapat, you can cross to Samosir Island using a ferry. The island is the center of Batak culture and offers a variety of tourist attractions. Tuktuk is one of the popular villages on Samosir Island which is the starting point to explore the beauty of this island.
- Berastagi
Another alternative is to use the land route through Berastagi City. This city is famous for its natural beauty and can be a stopover before heading to Lake Toba. From Berastagi, you can continue your journey to Parapat or go directly to other destinations around the lake.
Opening Hours and Entrance Ticket Prices for Lake Toba
In addition to the beauty of Lake Toba, it turns out that from the various references obtained, there is a reason why Lake Toba is a very popular tourist destination. This is because the entrance ticket price to Lake Toba is very cheap.
There are also entrance ticket prices, as follows:
- Weekday entrance ticket price: Rp. 5,000 per person.
- Weekend ticket entrance price: Rp. 10,000 per person.
As for taking the ferry to Samosir Island, visitors will be charged Rp. 15,000 per person.
There are also opening hours for this Lake Toba tourist destination open for 24 hours.
Are you more curious to come to Lake Toba immediately? Hopefully, information about Lake Toba, the best tourist destination in North Sumatra Indonesia can be a reference for you.
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