Lake Toba Indonesia – Your Quick Travel Guide
In a nutshell
The largest and deepest volcanic lake in the world, Lake Toba is a majestic natural wonder that will inspire, enthral and captivate nature lovers, adventure seekers and photographers alike.
Why go to Lake Toba
Bigger than Singapore, Lake Toba is a huge volcanic lake that was formed some 70,000 years ago as a result of the eruption by Mount Toba, a supervolcano that changed the earth's weather, caused the extinction of several living species and influenced the onset of the most recent ice age. A truly spectacular sight to behold, this natural phenomena offers travellers jungle trekking opportunities; the chance to swim in the azure, volcanically-warmed depths and hot springs; or even just the opportunity to have a tasty, local coffee perched on a hill overlooking the sweeping vistas and breathing in lungfuls of fresh, mountain air.
Travellers craving a dash of culture will have their fill learning about the charming and fascinating Batak people, their traditions, history and culture. In the Lake Toba area culture enthusiasts will have the chance to observe the traditional Batak dance ceremonies, visit the Batak Museum and learn all about these friendly, welcoming people.
This spot is a great place to simply unwind and do a great deal of nothing. Dotted around the town are plenty of homely cafés, second-hand book stores and delicious, local eateries - all perfect for a cosy vacation in the mountains. Get lost on a rented scooter exploring Pulau Samosir (the beautiful island in the middle of Lake Toba), visit the gorgeous Sipisopiso Waterfall and soak in all the breathtaking scenery before your journey back to reality.
When to go to Lake Toba
The best time of the year to visit Lake Toba are the months from May until September. These months are the dry season and there is a low chance of any clouds raining on your parade. For those wishing to engage in the wonderful festivity and merriment of The Lake Toba Festival be sure to book your tickets around September and November and to book accommodation well in advance.
Where to stay in Lake Toba
Tuk-Tuk on the island of Pulau Samosir is the main accommodation area for those visiting Lake Toba with a couple of alternative options sprinkled around other small towns around the island. The Tuk-Tuk area offers guests the best accommodation options in terms of facilities catered towards visitors; activities and tours; and the very best food. Travellers can generally choose from backpackers, guesthouses, inns and even private cottages for their stay along the majestic volcanic lake. Most of the places to sleep for the night are very affordable and cater for various preferences and budgets. Wi-Fi is common and decent, and as a result of the cooler temperatures most accommodations offer hot-water showers. Cottages situated along the edge of the lake offer superb views, kayaks and swimming opportunities and are our personal favourites when staying at Lake Toba.
A word of caution, in February, the Chinese New Year results in a drastic increase in accommodation price as crowds flock here by the masss and the town becomes something of a sardine can. This celebration is best avoided unless you've booked well in advance and do not mind the crowds.
Where and what to eat in Lake Toba
Perhaps as a result of the plenty of outdoor activities and invigorating mountainous air, the food options in Lake Toba are plentiful, generous and as hearty and satisfying as they come. Comfort food is served by the ladle and customers are known to spend afternoons eating and drinking to their hearts content, playing several games of cards and whiling away the afternoon or evening after a day spent exploring. Everything is on offer here in Lake Toba. From traditional Batak cuisine, favourite Indonesian dishes, scrumptious Western meals, cake and coffee combos, seafood dishes, all the way to magic mushroom milkshakes and "happy herb" pizzas; this mountain town has your hunger pangs covered.
Saturday night is also well-known as being the night to go out in Lake Toba with music playing until the early hours, drinks specials on offer almost everywhere and even excellent traditional, Batak dance performances being the order of the day.
How to get around Lake Toba
Being that Tuk-Tuk is situated on a small island means that there are no local taxis to get around with. Fortunately however, the area is small enough to easily get around on foot or even by renting a bicycle for a very nominal fee. A popular means of navigating the no-taxi issue is for travellers to rent a motorbike or scooter to nip around the island without hassle or worry about walking back to their accommodation in the dark. This will generally cost travellers around IDR 100,000 for 24-hours.
Getting around the lake itself is best done via boats - inexpensive, school boats with restricted schedules; and the more pricey public boats that operate throughout the day with much more flexible and frequent schedules. These public boats that sail from Parapat and surrounds to Ajibatam, Tuk-Tuk, Tigaraja, and Tomok on Samosir Island cost about IDR 10,000 per one-way trip.
How to get to and from Lake Toba
Getting to Lake Toba is something of a challenge but the time and pre-planning is well worth the effort for the adventurous and determined traveller.
By air
For a very long time getting into Lake Toba was only done by flying to Medan Kuala Namu International Airport and then travelling onwards by car, bus or minivan to Parapat and into the charming town of Lake Toba. Parapat is a roughly 4 to 6 hour journey depending on whether you are travelling by car or by public bus. Recently however, in late November 2017, the new International Airport Silangit was constructed on the eastern side of lake Toba and getting to and from here into the heart of the town takes only around half an hour.
From the Medan Kuala Namu International Airport you can catch a direct flight to Silangit with Susi Air. These flights are super quick and you'll be touching down after a mere 30 minutes in the air. Transportation from Silangit Airport is limited and so pre-organising a driver from the airport is advisable for the 2-hour journey to Parapat and should cost around IDR 300,000 per vehicle.
By bus
For those wanting to arrive at Lake Toba via a public bus directly from Medan Airport, you'll need to get to Amplas Bus Station. Fortunately getting to this bus terminal is very easy as buses depart along this route from the airport every 20 to 30 minutes. A ticket will cost around IDR 15,000 and the bus will drop you and your heavy backpack right at the bus terminal itself. Once arriving at Amplas you can grab a ride on an air-conned public bus to Parapat for around IDR 40,000 per ticket and then catch a ferry to Samosir Island for an inexpensive, IDR 15,000 per person.
By ferry
Arriving at Lake Toba is also possible by ferry or smaller boat services and Parapat is conveniently linked to Tuk-Tuk and Tomok on the Samosir Island. A ferry runs this route from the Tiga Raja jetty every hour, on the half hour, from early morning until 7pm, and costs around IDR 17,000 per ticket. The smaller boat services are better to use than the bigger ferries and will drop you directly at your accommodation on Tuk-Tuk. Leaving from Tuk-Tuk and back to the mainland of Parapat is just as simple with boats leaving hourly.
Is Lake Toba a safe place to visit?
Safety in Lake Toba isn't really of a big concern and crime levels are generally very low although robbery and petty theft have been known to infrequently occur in travellers travelling on foot late at night. Try to stay in groups as much as possible to avoid this risk.
It is also advisable to hire a walking guide when doing any jungle trekking in case of getting lost or injured.
Lastly, the ferry crossings to Samosir Island do not always have enough life vests on board and often do not announce the safety procedures in the event of an accident. Travellers who cannot swim or who are afraid of deep water might like to bring along their own inflatable life jacket.
