Sumatra Travel Guide

 
by bahaiano
 
  •   Sumatra
    by bahaiano
  •   Sumatra
    by bahaiano
  •   Sumatra
    by junaedi
  • Sobolga and Nias islands
      Sobolga and Nias islands
    by Goienaga
  •   Sumatra
    by iwys
 

Pro

daddygila profile photo

  Friendly people, interesting culture, scenic 


Con

daddygila profile photo

  Transportation is torture !!! 


In a nutshell

daddygila profile photo

  A delightfully interesting place to visit 

 

Explore Sumatra

Things to Do  

Rent a moped on Lake Toba

Rent a moped on Lake Toba, Sumatra

 Arial_27 Says:  You'll see a lot of people renting out mopeds on Lake Toba, just look around first to make sure they're not overcharging, and get the best deal you can. The moped will come with a full tank of fuel and you're presumably allowed to use it until it runs out, which can give you... 

Bukittingi

Bukittingi, Sumatra

 douglasnareau Says:  I had an unbelieveable time in Bukittingi and the guide leni_munir2002@yahoo.com was great. A very reasonable, knowledgable and environmentally conscious guide. 

spend a night at John's Guesthouse near Lake Toba

spend a night at John's Guesthouse near Lake Toba, Sumatra

 timetraveler42 Says:  John is a farmer up on the plateau on Samusir Island at Lake Toba. The "guesthouse" is actually a spare room in his family house. There is no electrical power, no tab water and not even a proper toilet. But the whole family of three is very friendly and you are invited to... 

Lake Toba

Lake Toba, Sumatra

 daddygila Says:  This is the largest lake in South East Asia. Breathtaking views abound. 

Hotels  

Novotel Palembang Hotel

 35 Opinions

Horison Hotel

 0 Opinions

Hotels  

Garden Inn: Bukit Lawang accomodation

Garden Inn: Bukit Lawang accomodation, Sumatra

 Arial_27 Says:  This was a fancy place to stay compared to the much cheaper options there were. It worked out to be a total of $10 a night for two people (yes, thats all together, not each :) and we got a gorgeous cottage with a balcony, double bed, our own bathroom and shower. The hotel... 

Transportation  

A cheap way to move arround

A cheap way to move arround, Sumatra

 Goienaga Says:  You can get to this small buses to go to small villages, there are not spacious but you can manage if you carry a small backpack. 

Local Customs  

Roti Cenai vs. pancakes

Roti Cenai vs. pancakes, Sumatra

 Arial_27 Says:  If you ever order pancakes, don't expect to get pancakes. There is a famous local dish in Indonesia and Malaysia called "Roti cenai." (pronounced ROTEE CHEN-EYE) They can make it in several flavours, with berries, bananas, syrup, cheese or vegetables, anything really. It's a... 

Tourist Traps  

Not too many tourists hence not too many traps.

Not too many tourists hence not too many traps., Sumatra

 daddygila Says:  Since I was there during the "Crisis monitor" I didn't see many tourists at all. Other than the usual transport touts that congregate around bus and taxi stations worldwide "jaded" tourist help was not a problem. Remember when shopping in markets bargaining is expected of... 

Favorites  

Medan

Medan, Sumatra

 Arial_27 Says:  Medan is the capital city of North Sumatra and has a population of over 2 million. It's the 4th largest city in Indonesia. There's a big shopping centre that has a McDonalds, but thats pretty much the extent of any Western food you'll find. There's a lot of food Indonesian... 

The Place

Plan a Sumatra vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Sumatra locals

Experience Sumatra
  •   9 Tips and Reviews
  •  54 Photos
  Share your Travels  
Map of Sumatra
 

The People

 
Our Members Say
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 This is the largest lake in South East Asia. Breathtaking views abound. 

 

Questions and Answers

Dianne2012 profile photo

Q:  Hi all, Need advice and help, I am travelling to Padang of Sumatra next month from KL. I want to travel alone by land from... 

explore_discover profile photo

A: I had done the trip Medan to Jakarta and it took 48 hours including the Sunda Sea Crossing by ferry, the road conditions are a lot better in Java and more comfortable, I... 

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Top Sumatra Writers

1

Scenic Sumatra

daddygila profile photo

 To me the most striking thing about Sumatra were the people. A egalitarian sense pervades the society. People always went out of their way to say hello to this BULE!!! Sumatra is an island with an...... 

2

Land of monkies and nasi goreng

Arial_27 profile photo

 Sumatra is breathtaking in landscape and fascinating in what you can see. Make sure you don't miss Lake Toba when you're here. 

3

Sumatra

Goienaga profile photo

 Just in front of Sibolga there are the Nias islands this could be a good place to visit, not very crowded but it is better visited in winter when there is no monzoon season. 

4

Beautiful Island, But...

aukjejetty profile photo

 For a long time I have been wanting to go to Indonesia. Being dutch, and from Bovensmilde (a village with a large indonesian population) I learned about these islands when I was a kid. I learned how... 

5

Home of the Orang Utan

misa11 profile photo

 Picture is from Tuktuk, a small tourist town (trap) on the east side of Samosir Island. The Aceh area north of this lake is very diverse and there is a lot to see. I was lucky to go there during... 

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