Destinations
Adventuring Nor th Sumatra
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Due to its close proximity to Kuala Lumpur (around an hour by flight), the destinations within the North Sumatra province, particularly Medan and Lake Toba (locally known as Danau Toba) are fast becoming Malaysians’ favourite getaways. Given the province’s amazing attractions such as unique Batak culture, historically mesmerising Lake Toba and wondrous natural surroundings, it is almost incomplete if travellers do not experience both destinations in one go. Medan is the capital of the North Sumatra province and the largest city on Sumatra Island. To many travellers, Medan is known for being one of the best culinary hotspots in Indonesia, besides being the entry and exit point to Lake Toba. Lake Toba, on the other hand, is the largest natural lake in Southeast Asia and one of the world’s deepest. Interestingly, in the centre of the lake lies the 630-kilometre squared Samosir Island, which is almost as large as Singapore.
Te x t & I m a g e s b y M U H A M M A D H A S I F M O H D J E L A N I
It was formed due to a climate-changing supervolcanic eruption in 75,000 years ago! You can refer to our article ‘Lost Under the Clouds of North Sumatra’ in Gaya Travel Magazine Issue 12.5 or read it online (https:// www.gayatravel.com.my/lost-under-the-clouds-ofnorth-sumatra/) should you want to find out other must-visit places in North Sumatra. But do continue reading this article since it talks about our experience visiting selected attractions between Danau Toba and Medan that are bound to make your journey special and memorable, especially if you are adventurous and want to explore off-the-beaten-path. Good to know Apart from Kualanamu International Airport (KNO), travellers can also fly to Sisingamangaraja XII International Airport (DTB) to get to Lake Toba. In our case, we arrived at DTB and returned to Kuala Lumpur from KNO.
