North Sumatra was an unexpected surprise. It wasn’t on my radar or travel bucket list but as any solo traveler knows, those are usually the best experiences. A friend from Kuala Lumpur invited me along and she had a very loose route planned out. As the usual planner of the group, I was very happy to not do any of the planning and just come along for the ride. But she ended up canceling at the last minute. Since I had to leave Malaysia as my visa was running out of time, I decided I’d still head to Indonesia and see what North Sumatra has to offer.
I took my friend’s very loose itinerary and decided to mostly just wing it. I’m so glad that I didn’t miss out on this experience because North Sumatra was one of the most incredible places. From its beautiful jungles, stunning sunrises, delicious fresh foods, and warm and friendly locals, it took my breath away.
I also found myself in some sticky situations, so I learned a lot about safety and what NOT to do so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes. That’s why I’ve pulled together this quick guide to visiting North Sumatra, Indonesia for your next trip.
Things to Know Before You Go
Climate: It’s a tropical climate which means it is very hot and humid year-round. But it is one of the coolest places in Indonesia with temperatures ranging from 72°F – 86°F (22°C – 30°C).
Best time to go: February and March are the best months to visit because the temperatures are a bit cooler and it’s the dry season. The dry season runs from February to August, while the wet rainy season is from September to January.
Language: Indonesian is the official country language but on Sumatra Island, the people speak the Batak language. There are also sub-languages like Batak Toba, Batak Karo, etc. English is not as common as in places like Bali but you’ll find people that speak English (guides, accommodations, restaurants). Even if they don’t, Indonesian people are generally very friendly and will help you.
This is definitely a place I would recommend downloading the offline Indonesian language on GoogleTranslate APP.
Money: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), tipping is not customary but 10-15% is appreciated for good service, and be mindful that ATMs can be hard to find or non-existent in some places. It’s best to arrive on the island with cash or you can exchange currency at the Medan airport. Many hotels, restaurants, and stores take VISA and AMEX cards. I came across a few guesthouses that offered to add a charge to my total bill and give me cash since there were no ATMs nearby.
A quick conversion for you to remember:
$1 USD = 14,739 IDR
$5 USD = 73,695 IDR
$10 USD = 147,390 IDR
$20 USD = 294,781 IDR
(round up or down for easy conversion while on the go)
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is truly an insurance company for Nomads, by Nomads. It’s designed to meet the medical and travel needs faced by Digital Nomads and other remote workers while they are outside of their home country. Coverage is mainly intended for long-term travelers which makes it ideal for Digital Nomads!
In terms of payment, SafetyWing uses a subscription-based payment system on a monthly basis instead of all up front and the rates can be as low as $42/month. Therefore, it’s truly a budget-friendly option!
Get a quick quote for your travel dates 👇
One of my favorite features is that SafetyWing may even offer you some medical coverage in your home country which is extremely rare in travel insurance and makes SafetyWing stand out from the rest.
Pros of SafetyWing Travel Insurance
- The monthly subscription model
- Can cover medical expenses when overseas
- Up to 2 children under 10 per family (1 per adult) can be included on your insurance free of charge
- Limited medical coverage in your home country
Cons of SafetyWing Travel Insurance
- Not as many travel insurance perks as other companies
- No coverage for personal electronics
Read this post The Best Travel Insurance for Every Type of Traveler for an in-depth review of the top 3 travel insurances.
How to Get to North Sumatra
✈️ Airport: The Kualanamu International Airport is the only airport to fly directly into Medan from Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Bangkok.
⛴️ Ferry: Take the Sindo Ferry from Singapore to Batam Island, Indonesia. The cost is $28 USD one-way and you can book here. This will allow you to get into Indonesia through customs on Batam Island and avoid the corrupt customs at Kualanamu International Airport. From here, take a domestic flight from Batam Island to Medan which is roughly 90 minutes and $40 USD.
Singapore is a huge hub in SE Asia, so flying through here is easy. Plus Singapore Changi Airport is world-famous!
**If you’re on my email list then you saw the insanely scary adventure I had going through customs at Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, so I would not recommend going through customs here. In the future, I will only fly into Medan via a domestic flight from another location in Indonesia.
Read more about taking buses in SE Asia in my blog post here!
Safety in North Sumatra
In general, Indonesian people are some of the friendliest people I’ve met in all of my travels. However, I want to share some safety information, so that you don’t experience what I did.
Unfortunately, I had an incredibly scary experience with the corrupt government in Medan. After speaking with locals and other travelers, I found out that Medan is the most corrupt and dangerous city in Indonesia. It also has the worst airport. I would not recommend staying in Medan, especially if you are a solo female traveler. All the locals told me I was so brave for navigating through Medan as a woman traveling solo. It’s also not a city with any attractions that you are missing. I’d try to plan your flight and transportation so that you can head directly out of Medan upon landing.
While Medan is not the safest place to travel as a solo female traveler, I can tell you that everywhere else in Sumatra is safe. It’s important to remember to stick to well-lit streets, be aware of your surroundings, and don’t wear flashy jewelry or handbags. Be mindful of your belongings while walking or biking. It’s a common scam in SE Asia for motorcyclists to grab handbags or phones and quickly get away. It’s best to wear a crossbody purse, backpack, or belt bag like this one and keep your belongings zipped safely inside.
Read more about Safety Tips for Solo Travelers here
Bukit Lawang
How to Get There
It’s easiest and safest to take a tourist bus from Medan to Bukit Lawang. These tourist buses are minibusses that accommodate 7 people but it’s unlikely it’ll be a full bus. I made the mistake the first time of being extra-budget friendly and taking the public bus. This meant I had to switch between multiple buses that were anything but comfortable.
🚌 Cost of Tourist Bus from Medan to Bukit Lawang: $10 USD
Where to Stay
Sam’s Bungalow is the perfect place to stay as it’s tucked away near the jungle of Bukit Lawang. The staff here goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome. There’s a restaurant on-site, Sam’s Bungalow Restaurant, and everything is fresh and delicious. They offer traditional local dishes as well as Western items. But I obviously recommend only getting their local dishes as they are the best!
Book a jungle trek with Sam’s Jungle Trekking for a day trip or 1-7 night camping trips. Each guide is local and when they’re not guiding you through the jungle, they’re making you breakfast, dropping you off at the bus station, or serenading you with a guitar on the patio restaurant at night. They really do it all and truly make you feel like family! Shout-out to my guide and new bestie, Rama and Andre. If you stay here, tell them Jennie sent you!
Cost: $20 USD per night
What to Do
The best and most popular thing to do in Bukit Lawang is to go on a Jungle Trek. Trekking through the rainforest with an experienced guide will provide the trip of a lifetime. Since I was traveling solo and it was low season, I got a private guide with Rama from Sam’s Jungle Trekking.
Sumatra and Borneo are the only places in the world where you’ll find orangutans in the wild. Right here in Gunung Leuser National Park, you’ll [hopefully] see a shaggy ginger creature swinging the vines above you. Of course, since you’re in their natural habitat, no sighting is guaranteed. But I saw TEN orangutans [including 2 babies] on my trek.
In addition to the beautiful “People of the Forest” [Indonesian meaning of orangutan], the flora and fauna of the rainforest will be an incredible backdrop for this difficult trek. Along the way, you’ll find pig-tailed macaques, long-tailed macaques, black-leaf monkeys, a variety of butterfly species, jungle turtles, rare birds like hornbills and wow wow birds, and many more! Keep your eyes open and look up & down – you never know what you’ll spot! But don’t worry, your guide will point out everything and give you plenty of time for pictures and videos.
The trek includes lots of fresh fruit and a delicious lunch handmade by your local guide. I was so impressed with the organization, food, knowledge from guides, and overall scenery of the trail. 100/10 highly recommend Sam’s Jungle Trekking!
Cost: $60 USD per person, includes local guide, lunch, fresh fruit, and tubing
Samosir Island
How to Get There
Whether you’re coming from Bukit Lawang or Berastagi, the fastest and most budget-friendly way to get to Parapat is to take the tourist bus. The mini-bus fits 7 people and your accommodation should be able to arrange and get you to the correct pickup spot. The mini-bus will take you directly to the ferry port in Parapat. When you arrive you’ll walk down the street, to catch the ferry over to Samosir Island. The ferry runs every hour on the half-hour from 8:30 am until 7:30 pm. After boarding, someone will come around to collect payment and ask where you are staying. The boat will directly drop you off at the location along the shore, so it’s best to pre-book your accommodation.
🚌 Cost of Tourist Bus from Bukit Lawang to Parapat: $18.41 USD
🚌 Cost of Tourist Bus from Berastagi to Parapat: $14.90 USD
⛴️ Cost of Ferry: $1.36 USD
Where to Stay
Samosir Island offers beautiful waterfront bungalows, I stayed at Romalan Guesthouse & Bungalows and absolutely loved my stay there. I actually extended my time here because it was so relaxing. The Batak-style bungalows are unique and offer stunning sunrise views. Romlan has easy access to swim in Lake Toba, motorbikes for rent, good fast WiFi (where I’m currently writing this guide & sharing my IG stories from 😉), and an onsite restaurant with delicious local and Western dishes. (Although I’d highly recommend only eating the local dishes as everything is homemade!)
Cost: $15-$35 depending on the type of room
Here’s a list of other places to stay that friends stayed at and recommend:
Book a cottage amongst the rice fields at Tabo Cottages
Watch the sunset at TukTuk Timbul Bungalows
Stay in the cozy boutique Zoe’s Paradise Waterfront Hotel
What to Do
Rent a scooter: Most accommodations will offer scooter rentals or can assist you in finding a rental on the island. The average price is 120,000 IDR for the day which is roughly $8 USD.
Reminder: vehicles drive on the left side of the road in Indonesia, so for the 163 other countries and territories that are like me, an American, it might be a little challenging to adjust to driving on the opposite side of the road. You might accidentally turn into oncoming traffic & scare the person you’re with. 👀 If this is (also) you, it might be best to hire a local guide to drive you around or make friends with another solo traveler!
Air Terjun Efrata: there are many beautiful waterfalls on Samosir Island but Air Terjun Efrata or Efrata Waterfall is the most accessible. It’s a beautiful drive to visit this waterfall and from the parking lot, just a short walk to the bottom of the falls. Although you cannot swim or go under the falls, there are many quiet places to sit and enjoy the sound of the falling water, cool off with the spray of the water on your face, and take pictures.
Hike Bukit Holbung: it’s a bit of a drive to get to and then you’ll have to hike up 3 very steep and partly overgrown hills but the views at the top were 100% worth it! Views of the lush green rolling hills below that collide with the shores of Lake Toba. It’s the best panoramic view you’ll find on Samosir Island.
Locals often camp here as you’ll see many firepit spots along the way. But I imagine it gets quite cold as there are no trees to block the wind coming off the water in the evenings. I also noticed a lot of garbage near these campsites, so if you do go – please don’t contribute. As always, pack in pack out!
Remember this hiking etiquette while on the trails in any country!
Hot Springs: Relax your muscles from hiking and riding around on the scooter in these thermal waters of the hot springs in Panguguran (also called Aek Rangat Pangururan). The clear hot water flows directly out of the mountain and is directed into various swimming pools. While the swimming pools have the natural hot spring water, it doesn’t feel as authentic. But if you drive to the very top, there is a location that has a pool but to the right are the natural limestone hot springs. Double-check with the owner and get the ok but it’s likely she’ll let you use the stone hot springs. Climb up the limestones to sit in a thermal pool of water while admiring the views of Lake Toba.
Swim in Lake Toba: take a dip in the world’s largest volcanic lake. While this freshwater lake is one of the deepest in the world, there are some rocky shallow parts, so be sure to check with your accommodation before diving in. The cool lake is quite refreshing after a long day in the sun or a morning dip after a run around the mountain roads.
Huta Bolon Simanindo Batak Museum: This was a former king’s traditional house that has now been turned into a museum. The museum is very small but provides an inside look at the Batak culture of the past and present. There are a variety of historical objects used by the Batak people from swords, calendars, and beds. While you’re able to go into one or two of the unique Batak houses, the remainder of the village is still occupied by locals. This gives a really interesting insight into how locals are currently living.
There are daily Batak dance performances around 10 am or 10:30 am depending on the amount of tourists. After the performance, you are encouraged to try on the traditional Batak garb and take photos. There is a donation box which is more required than suggested after photos and performances.
Huta Siallagan: Another ancient village on the island, Huta Siallagen features traditional houses of the Batak people. What makes this village unique is the two sets of large stones carved into chairs encircling a stone table, these artifacts are believed to be roughly 200 years old. Located in the center of the ancient village are called Batu Parsidangan, meaning “Stones for Meetings and Trials”. In an area nearby, you’ll find the site for executions. There are swords and other artifacts nearby that were not specifically used here but serve as a good representation.
Lumban Suhi Suhi Village: In this village, you can find local women weaving the finest and highest quality Ulos (Batak’s traditional fabric). There are a variety of designs and colors that represent different meanings or philosophies to the Batak people. Pricing varies depending on length, color, and duration of time made, so ask according to each piece. Most women are also happy to show you the local way of weaving and snap some photos with you!
Tomok Village: Another small village with traditional Batak houses. The village is home to the Sidabutar King’s Tomb, which is a large stone sarcophagus carved from a single block of stone. The face of the sarcophagus is carved with the lion face-mythical creature, part bull, part elephant. In the saddle-shaped lid is a small statue of a woman carrying the bowl believed to represent the dead chief’s wife.
Buddha’s Cafe: stop for lunch or dinner at Buddha Cafe on the way back from exploring the island. This vegan cafe is about 15 minutes from TukTuk on the main road. Look for a sign with “Sumatera Borobudur” as it’s the property name.
The cafe offers a variety of delicious vegan dishes from local mie goreng and rendang potato to hummus, curry, and spaghetti. Walk around the beautiful grounds while waiting for your food. It’s located right on Lake Toba and is filled with gardens and Buddhist statues.
Berastagi
How to Get There
🚌 Cost of Tourist Bus from Bukit Lawang: $14.90 USD
🚌 Cost of Tourist Bus from Parapat: $15.44 USD
Where to Stay
The most popular, highly rated, and recommended place to stay in Berastagi is Kaesa Homestay. So that’s where I stayed! Breakfast is included (choice of Nasi Goreng, Banana Pancakes, Eggs & Toast) and cooked by Kaesa’s wife, Efi. Kaesa is super helpful, his motto is: Nothing is impossible at Kaesa! Upon arrival, you’ll receive a magic map that gives you plenty of things to do in town. Kaesa will sit and give you a full itinerary for your days in Berastagi from things to do and see, to restaurant recommendations (including exactly what to order), and even help arrange transportation.
It’s a short safe walk down to the main center of town and very close to the fruit market. The homestay is quite basic but it’s very clean. I’d recommend grabbing the “Mountain View” room. It’s more of a city view but it has a nice little patio with chairs and a table.
Cost: $12-$17 depending on the type of room
What to Do
Sunrise hike to Gunung Sibayak Volcano: Hiking the Sibayak Volcano is best for sunrise for a variety of reasons. It’s cooler, less crowded, and the views are insane. You must hire a guide if you want to do the sunrise hike because even though it’s one main trail it’s quite difficult to navigate in the dark. I’d highly recommend bringing a headlamp (click here to grab the one I have and used for this hike. It’s so lightweight and comfortable!) or a mini flashlight like this one, as it’ll be pitch black and the guides only have a limited number of flashlights.
The hike to the summit of Sibayak Volcano is probably an easy hike in the daytime but I’d rate it as moderate in the pitch black. Once you get to the rim of the crater, you’ll have an incredible view of the sunrise. But if you want to hike to the very top of the crater wall, you’ll need to use your hands to crawl up and it’s quite narrow. That’s why I’d consider this hike more on the moderate side.
After you watch the sunrise, you can hike down into the crater. Here you’ll find several vents and bubbling hot springs that emit steam and gases. Be very careful. I got a first-degree burn on my hand putting it too close to one of the vents. There are said to be many health benefits from the sulfur content in the volcanic soil including inflammation, boosting the immune system, improving respiratory health, joint pain, and improving digestive health.
Sibayak Volcano is a stratovolcano that rises to a height of 7,258 feet above sea level. It’s still an active volcano, so you need to be aware of the risks involved with hiking it. The last eruption of Sibayak was in 1881, but it is still considered to be active and there is a risk of future eruptions.
The Sibayak Volcano and Crater is a beautiful and unique place. It is a reminder of how incredible Mother Nature is and the ever-changing landscape of our planet.
Cost: $20 USD per person if a group of 2 and groups of 4 or more is $13.45 USD per person.
Natural Hot Springs: this is included in your trip to Sibayak Volcano after you watch the sunrise and hike down. The water is filtered into large swimming pools and It’s a great way to relieve muscle tension and relax after a long hike up Sibayak Volcano. In addition to the benefits of sulfur, the hot springs have a high mineral content which provides a variety of benefits. Including improved circulation, skin health, reduced stress and anxiety, improved sleep, reduced pain, and muscle tension
Sipiso Piso is Asia’s tallest waterfall. The waterfall is 400 feet tall and the water flow comes from an underground river. When you arrive, there is a viewing platform where you can take photos, however, it’s quite far away from the actual waterfall. There is a hike that gives you an up-close look at Sipiso Piso. It’s about 1.2 miles roundtrip on a paved and well-maintained trail and takes about 1 hour.
Cost: $1 USD
The Burmese Temple: The Burmese Temple is located in the Lumbini National Park. It’s located a 10-minute drive outside of downtown Berastagi. It’s a beautiful and peaceful template dedicated to the Buddha. Visitors can pray, meditate, learn about the history and significance of Buddhism, walk around the grounds, and take photos. Just a reminder to dress modestly if you want to go inside but they offer free sarongs for women to cover their knees and/or shoulders at the entrance.
Cost: donation of choice
Ghost Town: Mount Sinabung is an active volcano in Indonesia that has erupted several times in recent years (most recently 2020) forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. While you cannot hike Mount Sinabung because it is currently closed to the public and still considered to be dangerous, there is a Ghost Town below.
The ghost town below Mount Sinabung is a collection of abandoned villages that were once home to these people. The villages are now covered in ash and debris, and the only signs of life are the occasional animal that wanders through. The ghost town is a reminder of the power of Mother Nature and the fragility of human life.
Cost to hire a guide and driver: $20 USD
Night Market: Every night starting at 6 pm, the night market opens up on Jalan Veteran. Serving a variety of meat, fish, and vegetables for $2-5 USD per entree and cart vendors with delicious snacks, desserts, and fresh juices. It’s a great place to meet locals, see what daily life is like, and experience the local cuisine. The market stays open until 10 pm but starts getting quiet around 8:30 pm.
Is North Sumatra on your travel list now? Check out more of my posts below about traveling around Indonesia!
