Lake Toba is the largest lake in Southeast Asia. Surrounded by beautiful green mountains in the middle of the lake lies the island of Samosir. You won’t find relaxing white beaches here, but you will find a fine destination to unwind during your trip through Sumatra: the village of Tuktuk.
Content of this blog:
What to do in Tuktuk and Samosir?
There is not a whole lot to do on Samosir and Tuktuk. You come here mainly to relax. We personally are not the biggest fans of Tuktuk, Samosir and Lake Toba, because we found it a little too quiet. But to each his own opinion of course. There are a few activities in Tuktuk and Samosir.
1. Learn more about Batak culture
This is very interesting to do on Samosir and Lake Toba, though. Toba Batak was an indigenous tribe known for its unusual houses, music and dance. You can still see this today, cast in a tourist form though.
For example, you have several Batak museums, where you can take a look at what the traditional houses look like. There is also the occasional “traditional” dance performed there by locals (on sneakers).
2. Driving around Samosir island and Lake Toba
Samosir Island is very big, green and beautiful. Therefore, a fun activity in Lake Toba is to just rent a motorbike and see where you end up. You drive past friendly locals in small villages, who enthusiastically wave at you, and through the high mountains. Renting a motorbike in Lake Toba costs an average of 120K Rupiah (€7) per day.
For example, you can drive from Tuktuk to a waterfall – crossing the highway. It is a nice place to take a picture and enjoy from the beautiful view. This is because you are a little higher up the mountain here, so you can see all the way across Lake Toba. The Google Maps point of the waterfall is: Air Terjun Sigarattung (Sampuran Na Pitu).
3. Ambarita Stone Chairs
The Ambarita Stone Chairs are interesting to visit with a guide. They can tell you the history of the Toba Batak and Samosir Island well. The Ambarita Stone Chairs themselves were meant to serve as justice: can you live or must you be beheaded?
4. Kayaking / supping on Lake Toba
Cool off at Lake Toba! Of course you can do that with a kayak or a sup. Ask at your accommodation where you can rent one and go out on the lake. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen beforehand!
5. Jet skiing
Looking for a little more action? Tear across Lake Toba on a jetski. We found this really super fun to do in Lake Toba. There are 2 different types of jetskis: the jetski with a lot of power and the ‘scooter’ jetski. The ‘scooter’ jetski has less power and is therefore more suitable if you are doing it for the first time, or are a bit scared of driving. This one is also by far the cheapest (400K Rupiah (€25) for an hour. You can ask around at your accommodation in Lake Toba where you can rent a jetski, but they also often arrive at the “port” of your accommodation.
6. Chilling by the pool
Because there is not much else to do in Tuktuk and Lake Toba, it is a nice place to recover from traveling. You can do this by the pool, of course. So look for a nice accommodation in Tuktuk with a swimming pool. At the bottom of this blog we have listed 3 accommodations in Lake Toba that we recommend.
7. Hiking in Tuktuk
A walk around Tuktuk takes about an hour. There are some slight elevation changes in it, but it’s a perfect lap to stretch your legs in the morning. The streets are super quiet then and you can enjoy the local life.
8. Sipiso Piso waterfall (during your trip from Berastagi to Lake Toba).
This is a beautiful waterfall, best visited if you are traveling to or from Berastagi <> Lake Toba travels. In fact, it is a 2-hour drive from Samosir Island. You can hike down a bit, from where you have a great view of the impressive Sipiso Piso waterfall.
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