Lake Toba, Indonesia, is a breathtaking volcanic lake surrounded by lush landscapes and rich Batak culture. Here are the 7 best things to do in Lake Toba for an unforgettable experience!
What activities can I do in Lake Toba?
How was the video of Lake Toba, its approach road, the scenic boat ride, the waterfalls, and the distant site of Toba Volcano, one of the world’s dreaded volcanoes?
The scene is in north-central Sumatra, one of the main islands of Indonesia.
The lake and its surrounding places make a highly visited tourist destination in Indonesia.
There are plenty of things to do and also to eat, and see.
In this post, I will take you to Lake Toba, Sumatra, and brief you about the places to see around the picturesque lake.
Overview of Lake Toba:
It is a very large lake occupying more than 1,100 sq. km area. It is 100 km in length and 30 km in width. It is situated at an altitude of approximately 3000 feet!
It is safe to assume that it is the largest volcanic lake in the whole world. Lake Toba is listed in UNESCO’s Global Geoparks.
How to go to Lake Toba?
Wherever you are, find a flight that lands at the city of Medan in Sumatra.
Hire a car in advance and schedule it to pick you up from Medan’s airport. The distance to Lake Toba is 190 km roughly. This will be covered in about 4 hours.
What are the best accommodations near Lake Toba?
Lake Toba is already popular and thus, you can find a range of accommodations in different rates and comfort levels.
Here are some of the best choices of Hotels
Zoé’s Paradise Waterfront Hotel:
It is the choicest of the majority of the tourists to Lake Toba. The 560+ room, 3-star hotel is built on Samosir Island. The island is part of the lake.
The big advantage of booking this hotel is their airport pickup service. Another big plus point is its extremely beautiful location, with panoramic views all around.
Hotel Barbara
It’s another good place to stay in Samosir Island, Lake Toba. Airport pickup and drop service is offered by this hotel too.
Both hotels offer free Wi-Fi. They come with a bar, and a restaurant.
Marianna Resort & Convention
If you are used to staying in a 5-star hotel, this is your best bet and this also is located on Sanosir Island.
7 Best Things to Do in Lake Toba Indonesia
-
Smosir Island
It is a fairly large island within Lake Toba. It comprises about 630 sq. km! No other lake island is as large as Samosir in the world.
Both Lake Taba and the Samosir Island were the outcome of the biggest eruption of the Toba Volcano, about 70.000 years ago, that caused immense damage.
Within the island, there are two lakes that go by the names Lake Alek Natonang, and Lake Sidihoni.
Go to see a waterfall named “Efrata”. The settings will steal your heart. You can stand under the waterfall, cool yourself, and enjoy eating the fresh snacks made, right at the site.
Two small waterfalls are also worth visiting in the afternoon, after lunch. They are known as Binangalom waterfall, and Hadabuan waterfall.
One more waterfall that is slightly larger than the previous two is known as Simangande Waterfall.
Though it is a beautiful place, not many go there because it is literally a hidden gem in the village of Garoga.
The lake island’s beaches are surprisingly white. Among the beaches, the Pasir Putih Parbaba Beach is the most popular haunting place on the island.
Samosir Island is where the water adventure games are available, including Kayaking, jet-skiing, paragliding, and banana boating.
Spend about two hours in Tomok Village, visiting the locals, learning about their way of life. Incidentally, more than 10 hotels are in this village.
-
Eating in the towns, and villages around Lake Toba
The cuisine in this part of Indonesia is called Batak. Doesn’t it sound totally new to you? The natives are known as Bataks and hence the name of their cuisine.
The predominant, and exclusive ingredient is ‘Andaliman’., It is also known as Indonesian black pepper, and ‘lemon pepper’. It is known to possess a fresh taste. It is found in just about every dish, the North Sumatrans cook.
-
Below are some of the foods to try on Samosir lake island, in Lake Toba:
- Ikan Arsik, a seafood made of Goldfish.
- I am sure this will give you a cultural shock because it’s a dog meat dish. The meat would be marinated in numerous spices including Andalin, ginger, turmeric, etc. Here is more shock for you. The dish is cooked using the blood of the animal (dog, or pork) and coconut milk.
- Naniura-this is a raw fish that is kept immersed in lime juice, and a p spicy paste is applied on the fish, just before serving.
- Manuk Napinadar is one of the must-taste chicken foods. I read, this is a big hit among western tourists.
-
Lake Toba boat rides
This is naturally the major activity when you visit the lake area. Guided tours with different names are available. If you intend to stay for a weekend, you can choose more than one boat tour from the list below.
- Rental Kapal Dosroha 5
This is more like a chartered boat that you can stop at your whims, and wishes, enjoy the scenery, take a swim, or try to catch a fish or two.
- Dermaga Toba Cruise
-
Island hopping
Despite the fact that you will be visiting a few Lake Toba islands, this kind of island hopping is more relaxed because you are riding the still waters.
These are the islands you will be taken to. All the tours leave from Simosir Island.
- Paropo Islanfd
- Tao Island
-
Bird Watching
Obviously, such a large water body can be a habitat for numerous species of aquatic birds. You can say Lake Toba is one of the bird watching havens in Sumatra.
Look at the list of birds that you can identify.
- Crested Partridge
- Wandering Whistling Duck-yes, it sure whistles, buddy.
- Sumatran Green Pigeon
- Bronze-tailed Peacock Pheasant
- Black-crowned Night Heron
-
Other islands you can go to in the Indian Ocean.
On Sumatra’s west, there are quite a handful of beautiful islands that you can think of visiting. They include:
- Simeulue
- Nias
- Mentawai
- Enggano
While the first two islands can be reached by flight from Medan, the remaining two islands are connected by ferries.
