EmIf you’re looking for somewhere in Indonesia without the mass tourism of Bali, or the crowds of Java, then visit Sumatra! This lesser-known island, just across the sea from Kuala Lumpur, is a beautiful off the beaten track destination for the more adventurous traveller.
But that comes with complications – it can be very hard to find out how to visit Sumatra. Luckily, I’ve just been (August 2024) and this blog will set out everything you need to know.
Visit Sumatra – Highlights
There are two main highlights in Sumatra for tourists. The first is Bukit Lawang, a jungle paradise famous for trekking to see orangutans.
The second is Lake Toba, the world’s highest crater lake and a beautiful slice of blue reminiscent of the Alps.
Read on to find out more about these off the beaten track destinations and visit Sumatra.
Planning to see organgutans in Borneo instead? Check out my article Borneo Holidays: Everything you need to know about this amazing island.
How to visit Sumatra?
In the vast majority of cases, you will arrive in Sumatra via Kuala Namu airport in the main city of Medan.
Kuala Namu is a modern airport with good facilities, including a range of ATMs in the arrival area. There is a modern airport hotel (the Anara Sky) where you can stay if you have an early flight. There are also a range of hotel options in nearby Medan, but be aware that traffic can be bad.
Kuala Namu is a 40 minute flight from Kuala Lumpur or 2h20 minutes from Jakarta. While a variety of Indonesian airlines do fly in, I would avoid the majority based on their safety rating. I used Air Asia; the best Indonesian alternatives are Gardua (the national carrier) and CitiLink, its budget arm. Safety ratings suggest avoiding LionAir, Batik, and other local carriers – this is true across Indonesia, not just for flying into Sumatra.
Public transport in Sumatra
There are public buses in Sumatra, but there is very little information on them available online. They are usually small mini-bus size buses, with limited comfort and no aircon. Given the state of the roads in much of Sumatra, I would avoid them unless you are dedicated to budget travelling.
Tourist taxi:
To visit Sumatra, I used the ‘tourist taxis’. These are shared cars, taking up to 5 or 6 people to various destinations in Sumatra. While these are an economical option (compared to the alternative of a private car), they come with a warning. They are not always direct. For two of my journeys, we had to swap cars/drivers, which meant sitting at the side of the road for an hour waiting for a connection. This can significantly extend your journey time.
There is a shared taxi that will pick you up at Kuala Namu airport to take you to Bukit Lawang or Lake Toba (and vice versa).
The shared taxis are not bookable online. My experience was that most hotels can book the shared taxi for you. They do not need to be booked much in advance.
Private car:
The final way to visit Sumatra is by private car. These are often the same company as the shared taxi, but significantly more expensive. The main benefit here is that you’ll be taken directly to your destination. You’ll also be able to stop off when you want to take photos/use the bathroom etc.
For both the shared taxi and private car, there are additional warnings. Roads are very bad in Sumatra and you will be jostled about a lot. Finally, we found the driving to be very bad/dangerous (and I have travelled a lot in South America, Malaysia and now Java, so this is hardly coming from someone inexperienced in driving outside of Europe). This was exacerbated by drivers being expected to undertake multiple journeys each day. Both I and other travellers I talked to experienced extremely tired drivers almost asleep at the wheel. Be aware of this and keep an eye on your driver.
If you are considering a private car, it could be worth asking your hotel if this will be their own driver or a driver from the same company as the shared taxis. I suspect that any hotel offering their own driver would be safer as the driver would be less likely to do multiple trips in a day.
What to do on your visit to Sumatra?
Visit Sumatra – the jungle in Bukit Lawang
How to get to Bukit Lawang
Bukit Lawang is about 4 hours by car from Medan/Kuala Namu airport, and about 8 hours from Lake Toba. When you arrive in town, you will likely be a long walk from your hotel. Your hotel may offer to pick you up by motorbike, or to provide a porter. If not, there are porters meeting the car to assist with your luggage.
It’s a true jungle paradise. The town stretches along a river, lined by jungle on the other side. There are a lot of hotels/guest houses along the road, most of which also have restaurants. There are also a few cafes and tour agencies.
What to do in Bukit Lawang
Most people go to Bukit Lawang to trek in Gunung Leuser National Park, where there are both wild and semi wild orangutans. Semi wild orangutans were once owned as pets, before being rehabilitated when Indonesia made this illegal. They are therefore more likely to be towards the edge of the national park, and to come nearer to humans. Wild orangutans are more likely to keep their distance, staying high in the trees.
Most people choose an overnight trek, staying in the jungle. I chose not to do this and went for a 3h hour trek with tubing at the end – I got really lucky and still saw six orangutans as well as Thomas Leaf Monkeys, which can only be seen in Sumatra.
Trekking recommendation
I highly recommend the trekking company I used, Sumatra Orangutan Explore, who were professional from start to finish. They have a real focus on sustainable tourism, and unlike many other guides do not call out to the orangutans when in the jungle.
My guide worked really hard to make sure I got the best photos, and to find the best spots to see the monkeys. If you choose to do an overnight camp with them, unlike most providers their camp has a water filter as well as boiled water – I heard stories of other travellers getting sick from the boiled water in camp.
Other options
If you’re looking at alternatives, almost all guest houses will offer their own tour. Be aware that the first guest house I booked cancelled my booking because I was not doing the trek with them.
Besides trekking, I found Bukit Lawang a beautiful place to chill out for a couple of days. The weather is warm but not too hot, and the temperature cools at night. There are lots of beautiful places to sit along the river, as well as some spots to swim. There are also a few other activities you can do, including village tours.
Unique experience in Bukit Lawang
I spent a fantastic morning with @Aini’s_pure_eco_soap making soaps, booked via Sumatra Orangutan Explore. I joined Aini’s sister Sarah at their house surrounded by rice fields, out in the middle of nature. We followed the soap making process from start to finish, including boiling the raw ingredients, adding different essential oils and adding them to the moulds. We also picked our own Butterfly Pea flowers to make Butterfly Pea tea while we waited for the soaps to set. This was such a special experience, and I learned so much about life in Bukit Lawang.
Where to stay and eat in Bukit Lawang:
- Jungle Inn – I stayed at Jungle Inn and cannot recommend it highly enough. I also ate most of my meals there. It’s at the very end of the road, on a bend in the river, giving it more extensive views than most places. They also have their own private waterfall! The rooms are very big and clean, and the restaurant is also really good. However, it was the staff who really made it – they are the most friendly people I’ve met on all my travels. Even if you don’t stay here, it’s worth the walk to eat here.
- NatureSoul Cafe – a lovely cafe with comfortable chairs on the river. I spent afternoons here working.
Visit Sumatra – the beauty of Lake Toba
How to get to Lake Toba
I travelled from Bukit Lawang to Lake Toba, a substantial drive of 8h+. Some other people in the shared taxi split their journey at Berastagi and travelled on the next day – this is worth considering. It’s also a 4h drive to Medan/Kuala Namu, though our drive was made longer by needing to switch drivers and wait an hour for this. You take the car to Parapat, before getting on board a ferry to cross the lake. If you’re lucky, the ferry will drop you directly at the landing point for your hotel.
What to do in Lake Toba?
Samosir Island on Lake Toba is a truly dreamy location. The water glistens blue and the hills are bright green, like being in the Alps. Most hotels have lake front/lake view rooms and there are a plethora of lake view restaurants to choose from. Most hotels are located in TukTuk, the tourist town.
Lake Toba and Samosir Island are home to the Batak people, who have their own language and culture. The island is dotted with traditional houses – some of which are hotels or tourist destinations, but many are still family homes. One of the main things to do on Samosir Island is to find out about this culture.
I took a becak tour from my hostel – this is the local name for a tuktuk, given that the town itself is called Tuktuk. This was a lovely way to travel around the island, but you can also rent motorbikes, or hire a driver for the day (either motorbike or car).
To do on Samosir Island:
- Visit the Stone Chairs of Siallagan – near Tomok village, this open air museum has preserved several traditional Batik houses, some of which are still used as family dwellings. It also contains the Stone Chairs of Siallagan, where the Batak King used to hold meetings.
- Visit Huta Bolon in Simanindo – another great spot to learn about Batak culture. This museum also offers traditional houses.
- Visit Tomok market – a great place to buy souvenirs made by local people
Where to stay and eat at Lake Toba?
The main place to stay in Lake Toba is TukTuk on Samosir Island. Here are a few options:
- Huba Tata Guest House – I stayed at Hub Tata, which offers basic but comfortable rooms with an excellent view. It’s a bit out of the main area, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on whether you like quiet or prefer to be in the centre of the action. The only thing to note is that the steps down to the rooms are very steep – this isn’t the place for you if you have mobility issues.
- Tabo Cottages – while I didn’t stay here, I did visit and it looked stunning. There is an extensive garden and pool, with a busy restaurant. The boat will also drop you off here directly.
There are a number of great places to eat in Tuktuk:
- Hub Tata – my hotel also had a cafe area with an astonishingly good view. Only open until 7pm, it offered excellent breakfasts, sandwiches and rice bowls.
- Jenny’s – a bit of an institution on the island, and for a reason. Their Mie Goreng was the best I’ve had since I’ve been in Indonesia.
