Sumatra-North Essentiel

Welcome at Medan airport and transfer to hotel. The rest of the day is free.

In the morning, visit the Sultan's Palace, the Great Mosque and the Chinese temple.

We then head northwest towards the village of Bukit Lawang, famous for its orangutan rehabilitation center. We pass many rubber tree plantations, stretching our legs as we learn how this precious sap is extracted.

Overnight in a basic guesthouse.

We continue our exploration of the Mt Leuser jungle and reach Bukit Lawang in the early afternoon.

Transfer to Berastagi, the capital of Karo Batak country, one of the most prosperous in the region.

Early in the morning, we are dropped off at the foot of the Sibayak volcano, which dominates the Karo plateau. We begin our ascent along a path lined with thick, rustling jungle. Picnic at the top of the volcano, where the panorama over the whole region is superb, then we start the descent, by the opposite route, which takes us to the Debuk-Debuk hot springs, where we have the opportunity to take advantage of the curative virtues of the water in the hot, sulphurous pools.

(approx. 4 hours' walk)

Mid-morning transfer to the famous Sipiso-Piso Falls, from where we get our first glimpse of Lake Toba, the world's largest crater lake.

Then, en route to Parapat, we visit an old Simalunggung royal palace. We take the opportunity to stretch our legs as we stroll through various plantations and traditional villages.

Arriving in Parapat, we board a regular ferry to Samosir Island, which lies in the middle of the lake.

The day is devoted to discovering the island of Samosir, capital of the Batak Toba culture. We hike through villages and rice fields, stopping at Ambarita to discover the stone remains of a meeting place of the ancient Sialagan kings.

In Tomok, we visit the tombs of the Sidabutar kings, and finish in the village of Simanindo, where we discover an interesting museum depicting local culture, and watch some traditional dances. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon

Morning transfer to the little-visited center of Samosir Island. Isolated on a high plateau, we discover Lake Sidihoni (a lake on an island on a lake on an island!), which extends over 1 km² and whose changing hue has forged more than one legend. We then embark on a lovely hike to Pangururan, on the island's west coast, through rich vegetation and along a path that delivers breathtaking scenery. We also pass peasants, armed with machetes, on their way to the fields. In this region, oral tradition has perpetuated many legends. In Pangururan, we relax in hot spring baths.

In the afternoon, we take the ferry back to Parapat and then the road to Medan, via the large towns of Pematang Siantar and Tebing Tinggi, surrounded by huge rubber and oil palm plantations.

Transfer to the airport.