A week on the world’s largest crater lake, Danau Toba
- Keira Proust
- Mar 13
- 7 min read
One of the most relaxing places we have visited was an island in the middle of the world's largest volcanic crater lake, Danau (or Lake) Toba. We spent a week at Lake Toba in northern Sumatra and my dad, Gerard, joined us for the adventure!
Getting to Lake Toba
Lake Toba is the world's largest volcanic crater lake. It is truly immense and breathtaking. The lake was formed after Mount Toba erupted more than 70,000 years ago, which is believed to be the largest volcanic eruption in human history.
The region also has plenty of fascinating human history, including that of the local Batak Toba people. My dad booked us into a homestay on Tuk Tuk, Samosir Island, which sits in the middle of Lake Toba and is apparently the world's largest island inside an island. Samosir is roughly the size of Singapore and is home to an impressive mountain range, scattered fishing villages and traditional Batak homes. We started our journey to Lake Toba from the jungles of Bukit Lawang. It would have taken between five to six hours to reach the port of Parapat so we decided to break up the journey and spend some time in bustling Berastagi, a town nestled in northern Sumatra's cooler mountains and surrounded by active volcanoes. It quickly became one of our favourite spots.
Exploring Berastagi
We spent two nights in Berastagi after a three-hour tourist bus adventure from Bukit Lawang. The driver took us on the scenic route and we saw several stunning volcanoes along the way, including Mount Sinabung (one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world!) We had lunch overlooking Sinabung and the dragon fruit plantations that sat underneath. It didn't take long to reach Berastagi and our homestay, Kaesa. Our time in the bustling town was filled with good food, coffee and glimpses of authentic rural Sumatran life. The climate was also SO MUCH cooler here, so it was a nice reprieve from the sticky, hot weather we'd been enduring. Paddy climbed the Sibayak Volcano on our first day in the town, while I explored the local markets and streets.
The town is predominately Christian, like Lake Toba, which meant plenty of food was still available despite Ramadan. The town comes to life at night. A daily food market is held along the main street from 6pm and the locals come out in force. We stumbled across a stall cooking fresh roti canai and curry sauce (my absolute favourite) so we ordered a couple and devoured the flaky flatbread in pure bliss. We loved Berastagi and the night market so much that we decided to change our Sumatra route after Lake Toba and return to the town.
From Berastagi to Tuk Tuk, Lake Toba
There are three main ways you can travel from Berastagi to Parapat, the main port on Lake Toba. The first is a six-hour journey on public buses. The second is a tourist bus that takes around four hours. And lastly, you can go in a private car that stops at some sights along the way and takes between three and five hours (depending on the pit stops). We opted for the latter because I desperately wanted to explore the Sipiso Piso Waterfall along the way. The car cost about $65 AUD and was well worth it.
Our homestay organised the driver, Rio, to pick us up in the morning. Rio was a lovely local man who appeared to be the only Indonesian driver sticking to the road rules, which was a nice change! It took about 1.5 hours to reach the waterfall. We could see Lake Toba from the lookout and climbed to the bottom of the waterfall to marvel at its sheer power. The water came from an underground river that flowed below the surrounding farmland and continued into Lake Toba. It was one of the most spectacular waterfalls I'd seen in Asia. After the hike, we spent another hour on the road, winding through some forest with glimpses of the lake. We had lunch overlooking the lake, which seemed to go on forever. We eventually reached Parapat, a cute but dusty port town on the edge of Lake Toba. This is the most common departure point for people travelling to Samosir Island. We hopped on a quaint painted boat, paid $2.5 each and headed across the calm lake's surface to our accommodation in Tuk Tuk. It took about an hour as people were dropped off at their accommodation along the way. Most accommodation options in Tuk Tuk, the most popular tourist destination on the island, sit right on the lake's edge allowing visitors to dive straight into the water from their rooms.
Dad was waiting at the "pier" when we arrived. It was so nice to see a familiar face from home! We marvelled at the fact that he could be in Milton on the NSW South Coast one morning and on an island in the middle of a lake in Sumatra the next. The beauty of air travel! Meanwhile, it had taken us about five weeks on boats, buses and trains to get to this point!
A week on Lake Toba
Dad had booked us into the Reggae Guesthouse for about five nights. The accommodation was on the western tip of Tuk Tuk, which was a section of Samosir Island that jutted out into a funny shape. The week was filled with a good balance of relaxing, catching up, card games, seafood and island exploring.
We hired motorbikes on the second day and took them for a spin around the island. We stopped off at a Batak museum to learn about the local culture, however, like many museums in Indonesia, it didn't have much information in English. The museum showcased some of the traditional Batak houses, an executioner stone and ancient chairs that were allegedly used by the local royal family 450 years ago. We also explored some food markets, picking up delicious fresh fruit (mangosteens, bananas and snake fruit) as well as some interesting pandan cakes. Paddy and I decided to continue to the other side of the island while Dad made his way back to Tuk Tuk. During our drive, we saw stunning rice fields, semi-submerged buildings in the lake, towering mountains and lots of churches. We made it to the other side where a bridge had been built to connect the island to Sumatra's mainland. Once back in Tuk Tuk, I decided to take the bike for a solo spin around the village. I didn't crash and am now considering buying a motorbike when we get home, lol.
Our third day was filled with more island exploring and a sambal cooking class! We learnt how to make two types of chilli sambal and a peanut sauce. The sauces were served with local fish and vegetables. It was delicious! Unfortunately, I was struck with a stomach reaction later that day and had to spend the night resting. I wish I knew what I was intolerant to over here! Luckily, it passed overnight and I was able to enjoy the rest of our stay.
We saw some gorgeous sunsets from Tuk Tuk. The lake, which is 500 metres deep in most parts, could change from a deep, moody blue to a vibrant emerald green throughout the day. Fish clung to the sides of the lake. Most of them were a bright orange colour and were apparently an invasive species that had taken over the lake's ecosystem. But we could also spot some native turquoise fish glimmering in amongst them. Some water hyacinth, another invasive, also covered parts of the shoreline. However, most of the lake was in pristine condition and we didn't spot any rubbish in the water (a refreshing change from the rest of Indonesia).
It was so nice to hang out with Dad! I hadn't travelled with him since I was a young teenager. We had a lovely time learning about the local history together and reminiscing about previous adventures. When our week came to an end we jumped into a car, with our driver Rio, and headed to Berastagi. Dad continued onto Medan to catch a flight home. We stayed at Kaesa Homestay again, because we just adored the owner, Kaes.
We spent the final night soaking up the sights, food and culture (including the Karo Museum which had been closed during our previous stay) before we made a very long overland and boat journey to the next stop: Malaysia! Paddy and I both agree that we want to return to Sumatra. I can't believe it has dropped off the popular backpacker route, particularly for Aussies. We barely scratched the surface and there are so many other places we would like to explore.
Tips for Lake Toba, Berastagi:
Getting to Lake Toba: If you are flying into Sumatra it is likely that you will fly into Medan, the capital. From there you can easily get a private car from the airport to Parapat and then a boat to Tuk Tuk. That took my dad about three to four hours in total. If you are coming from Berastagi the easiest way is to organise a private car through your homestay which can take between three to four hours.
Exploring the island: Once on Samosir Island you will need to hire a car, bicycle or motorbike to get around. The island is very large! Most accommodation providers also have cars/bikes for hire. Our motorbike cost about $15AUD for an entire day.
Recommended time: We spent five nights on the island. I think this was a perfect amount of time! We relaxed and explored. You could also do it in three nights if you were short on time.
Getting to Berastagi: We travelled to Berastagi from Bukit Lawang on a tourist bus. It cost about $20 each and took around four hours with a lunch stop. You can also reach the town on a public bus from Medan or on a private car from places such as Lake Toba.
Exploring the area: We were able to reach most places on foot. There are also many public buses available that can take you to the surrounding tourist attractions such as volcanoes, temples and farms. Your homestay is also usually a good place to organise any private vehicles you might need.
Recommended time: Two to three nights if you have the time. That way you can try more food at the night markets, explore the beautiful countryside outside the town and perhaps climb a volcano. If you are short on time, one night as a stopover would also suffice.
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