The Beautiful Parapat - Indonesia

Traditional houses in Samosir

Tomok is located at Samosir island, while the island is in the middle of Danau Toba. It is a grim reminder of a second powerfull eruption, about 30,000 years ago. In that time, a secondary peak formed, which split later, and came back down again. The eastern part now forms the peninsula of Prapat and the shores until Porsea, and the western border of Samosir. The island measures 45 by 20 km, and originally was a peninsula. In Tomok you can seee the most famous of all Toba Batak sarcophagusses (as seen in this picture).

You can go to Tomok, located at Samosir island whis is in the middle of Lake Toba just by ferry or speedboat

One side of the beautiful lake Toba - Parapat

My wife - Putri is standing besides the fence

Lake Toba is one of Indonesias premier tourist attractions.

Lake Toba

The lake was formed about 100,000 years ago after a giant eruption. This biggest lake of southeastern Asia measures 100 times 31 km and coveres an area of 1.146 sq.km. It's also the deepest lake in the world, it's exact depth is still not known, but is for sure deeper than 450 metres.

The water surface of the lake is 906 metres above sealevel, but has probably been 150metres higher. Thousands of years ago the water of the caldera flooded in the southeastern corner and eroded the soft stone layer. The water cut it's way through spectaculair ravains with steep sides and over the Siguragura, Harimo and Tangga falls to create the river Asahan.

About Parapat

Parapat is a located on the shore of Lake Toba about 48 km from Siantar or 176 km from Medan. It is also located on the mountainous resort of Sumatera and the attitude of which is 906 meters above sea level with a cool climate which is ideal for holiday and relaxation. Prapat stretches over a small rocky peninsula on Danau Toba, and expanded towards the south against Ajibata village. The climate is very flat: many flowers have colors year-round. Parapat (and Lake Toba) is the trade mark of tourism in North Sumatra.

The condition of the asphalt road to this town is good. Parapat can be reached by public transportation. Parapat is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia since it has a tropical climate and fresh air. A lot of international and domestic tourists visit Parapat because of its beautiful and amazing scenery. There is a camping area on top of the hill which overlooks the town of Parapat and Lake Toba.

Lake Toba is the world's largest in-land lake and one of Indonesias premier tourist attractions. Toba is situated about 2,800 feet above sea level in a misty mountain region of great scenic beauty. Three hours drive from the regional capital of Medan, the lakeside community of Parapat, is the garden hotel Inna Parapat, linked to the international Utell reservation system. From the comfort of your beautifully appointed room, take in a panoramic view of the lake and historic Samosir Island at its center.

Balige and The Beauty of Lake Toba

Several women are washing while men are preparing for fishing and children are swimming.

My wife is posing at the top hill with lake Toba in the background

A beautiful view of Lake Toba

Hundreds of hectares of wet rice fields

About Balige

Balige is situated on the south eastern shore of Lake Toba, opposite the tip of Samosir lsland. It has a beautiful sandy beach. It is an important market place at the southern shore of the lake, 65 km from Prapat, and is known for it's fabrics. The city does have a big pasar, built in the traditional Tapanuli-style and is often host to some annual Batak festivities, namely the Pesta Horas (Horas Party) and Pesta Pantai Lumban Silintong (Lumban Silintong Beach Party). The activities include a fishing competition, traditional sports such as Marjalengkat, Marhonong, and others.

Two museums are found here: the Balige Museum and the Sisingamangaraja XII Museum. The Sisingamangaraja Museum shows a collection of objects and items used by this past king. His tomb can be seen at Soposurung, Tanah Batak. There is also a monument here in honour of the late General D.I. Panjaitan, a National Fighter who was killed in the communist coup of 1965. Balige is located about 65 km from Parapat (2.5-hour drive from Parapat or 6 or 7-hour drive from Medan - the capital city of Nort Sumatera) and is noted for its traditional Batak cloths. Not far from Balige there is a village called 'Laguboti' which is known for its woodcarvings and statues.

Balige at dawn at the southern tip of Lake Toba

From the memories of Sitor Situmorang (one of Indonesian well know journalist and cultural observer, poets writer) we get an impression of the Batak country in the thirties, when in 1931 he went to Balige, on the southern tip of Lake Toba:

'The six hour boat trip to the south went via the waters west of the lake. This was the first time I left the valley and the first time I experienced the vastness of the lake. Balige was also my first town. The Dutch school was founded in 1925, in the same period that the Trans Sumatra road was opened from Medan to Padang. As the landscape to the north of the lake was dominated by groups of high steep mountains, Balige was also surrounded by mountain ranges which rose higher to the east, towards Habinsaran, where the sun rises, the source region of the Asahan stream. ... Behind that was a mysterious outerworld, just as this outerworld, for centuries had considered the Batak countries a mysterious world, populated by tribes with scary habits, with a fascinating adat culture interwoven with legends and myths....' (Sitor Situmorang, The old Tiger, p. 20)

Pictures by Insa Pradhana - Jakarta.

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