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PLACES OF INTEREST
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 Banda
Aceh
Banda Aceh is the capital of Aceh and also the main gateway to this
province. The Governor's Residence, was built by the Dutch in 1880
on the spot where the palace of the sultan once stood. This building
is known as one of the historical sites with a unique architecture
and completed with traditional house equipments.
Medan
Medan is the capital of North Sumatra and the informal capital of
entire Sumatra. This town is a centre for trade and commerce, industry,
transportation, and entertainment. What is historically most interesting
is the Masjid Besar (Grand Mosque) and the Palace of the Sultan of
Deli which has been restored to revive its past grandeur.
Gunung Leuser National Park
Park, covered in dense jungle, is the last place on earth where elephants,
rhinos, tigers, clouded leopards and orangutans are found in one area.
There are around 700 animal species living in the park, between 300
and 400 of them are birds. About 8500 plant species grow in the park,
including the biggest flower in the world, Rafflesia arnoldi.
Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Bohorok / Bukit Lawang
The orangutans were once living in almost all of Southeast Asia; today
they are only left in Borneo and Sumatra. 90% of the total oragutan
population lives within the borders of Indonesia. Bohrok Orangutan
Rehabilitation Centre was inaugurated in 1973. Orangutans arriving
to the centre are quarantines, treated for diseases, and trained to
survive in the wild.
Danau Toba
Lake Toba is the largest lake in Southeast Asia, once created by an
enormous eruption less than 100,000 years ago. The lakes covers approximately
1,265 km2 excluding Samosir Island and is 90 km long. The depth is
in on average 450 metre and up to 900 metre in some places. The lake
is situated at an altitude of 906 metres above sea level. The steep
coastline interspersed with small valleys creates fantastic scenery
and isolated areas.
Samosir
Samosir is an approximately 50 km long and 15 km wide island in the
Lake Toba, almost as big as Singapore. It is often described as the
heartland of Batak Culture. Samosir is actually a peninsula and not
an island, as it is divided from Sumatra only by a narrow man-made
canal, the Pusuk Buhit Canal between Samosir and mainland, once made
by the Datch. Samosir is a perfect place to relax and cool down, it
is beautiful and scenic. Visiting the village of Tomok, Tuk-tuk, Siallagan,
Ambarita are recommended for traditional Batak Toba houses, and local
dances. Tuk-Tuk is a small peninsula in the lake Toba with many places
built in traditional Batak style. Ambarita is one of the musts when
visiting Samosir. The traditional village with King Siallagan's stone
chairs is of interest. Simanindo is a picturesque village and has
some of the best-kept traditional houses, including the house of Raja
Sidauruk, now a museum. Pangururan is the only proper town on Samosir
and also administrative centre of the island.
Berastagi
Berastagi, a former Dutch hill resort 1300 metre above sea level,
is a cool and pleasant town. The town is known for plantations and
various kinds of flowers, vegetables and fruits.
Sipiso-piso Waterfall and Tongging
Tongging is a place to see a waterfall surrounded by beautiful sights
in cool mountain air. It is located at the north side of Lake Toba
in a very dramatic setting. You can see majestic Sipiso-piso waterfall.
Nias Island
This island lies off West Sumatra in the Indian Ocean, famous for
its surfing and unique culture. Nias regency consists of the island
of Nias, Pulau-Pulau Batu, and many other small islands, a total of
132. The main island of Nias is 130 km long and 45 km wide, with Gunung
Sitoli as its capital. Southern and northern Nias have each a very
distinct architectural style, far apart from each other. In some villages
visitors can see performances of traditional war-dances and thrilling
high-jump sports, i.e. people making dangerous leaps over 2 meter-high
stones. Typical scenes are dancers clad in traditional costumes with
bird feathers on their heads, a hall for the Chief-of-Tribe built
on wooden logs with stone chairs weighing up to 18 tons. |
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