My travel wish: Lake Toba, Indonesia

Lake Toba, Indonesia

So far I have only travelled around Europe and to Asian part of Turkey. I’d love to visit other places, countries and continents. Until then I can only daydream. I have made a sort of realistic bucket list and a travel wish list but even with that list I didn’t really go overboard and I didn’t put exotic faraway places on it. Honestly, some places are just out of my reach. However, I will indulge in some real travel daydreaming now and I’ll tell you about a place I’d love to visit one day. I’m sure you have all heard about Bali or Lombok but what about Lake Toba in Indonesia?

My travel wish is Lake Toba in Indonesia. There are some places in this beautiful world of ours that can be only described as otherworldly and Lake Toba (Danau Toba in Indonesian) is one of such unique places. If only I could visit it!

Where is Lake Toba? It’s located in the northern part of island Sumatra, Indonesia. The closest big town is Medan from where you can travel by car/bus to Parapat, a town on the edge of Lake Toba.

Why is Lake Toba so special? First of all, it is the largest volcanic lake in the South East Asia and one of the largest lakes in the world. Secondly, there is a Samosir island in the middle of the lake. Samosir island is almost as big as Singapore. Imagine that! Furthermore, the Lonely Planet describes Lake Toba as a ˝mythical place˝. And if it’s good enough for the Lonely Planet, it’s good enough for me 🙂

Lake Toba, Indonesia

Batak house, Lake Toba

What to do at Lake Toba? I could imagine myself just relaxing by the lake and enjoying the breaththaking scenery around me. Or I could visit one of the best beaches in the north of Samosir island-Parbaba Beach. But you know me, I can’t just relax. I need to explore! So, I would probably visit a couple of interesting places on the Samosir Island. A good starting point is Tuktuk which is the most famous place on the island for the tourists. After some souvenir shopping I could visit the waterfall just above Tuktuk. I could also rest my weary feet in one of the hot springs not far from Tuktuk. Since I love to learn about the culture and the history of a place I’m visiting I would definitely want to learn more about the amiable Batak people who live in the Lake Toba area. I could visit the Batak museum and see a performance of Batak traditional dance. I would also be interested in visiting the burial place of King Sidabutur in Tomok, a village on the east coast of Samosir island. I could end my day by swimming in the gorgeous blue lake and forget all my worries.

Where to stay? In the recent years the whole area of northern Sumatra has seen an increase in number of visitors. There are several options for accommodation from private lodgings to hotels. I would love to stay at Taman Simalem Resort that can be booked via Traveloka.com. It offers splendid views of Lake Toba. I definitely need some pampering in my life so Taman Simalem Resort would be my choice for a stay at Lake Toba area.

Hopefully, one day I will be able to visit the magical Lake Toba. Probably after I stop spending most of my travel money on numerous visits to London. 🙂

Danau Toba, Indonesia

What about you? Have you been to Indonesia? Have you visited Lake Toba?

Disclaimer: This is a collaboration post but all the views and the opinions are my own. Images credit: Wikipedia and Wikitravel. 

36 thoughts on “My travel wish: Lake Toba, Indonesia”

  11. Totally understand the inability to relax on vacation. There is always so much to see and explore! (Plus, I get bored sitting around doing nothing.) I’ve never been to Indonesia, but it looks like you had a great time there! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  14. I had never heard of Lake Toba but Bali has been on my bucket list for years now! The volcanic lake looks so fascinating and I bet the hot springs are beautiful, so I might have to add a stop in this place when I visit Southeast Asia.

    Liked by 2 people

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