Sumatra is a fantastic travel destination, and one that offers the traveler the opportunity to walk in the forest with the orangutans, bathe in the tepid waters of Lake Toba, the world’s largest crater lake, and visit remote islands where native stone age indigenous people still live in isolation free to practice their century-old tribal lores.

A mountain range stretches the entire length of the island of Sumatra with a total of 90 volcanoes. Tropical beaches abound, and the numerous National Parks found throughout the mountains and valleys offer you glimpses of wildlife, including Sumatran tigers, rhinoceros and clouded leopards. Some elephant populations living in pockets around the Way Kambas National Park, represent the highest elephant density numbers found anywhere in the world. The birdlife is abundant and there are monkey species found in Sumatra that are unique to all of Indonesia.

The diversity in culture includes over 25 different ethnic groups, all with their own language and customs. The three main ethnic groups are the Bataks, a very resourceful and flamboyant group, who are Christian. The Minangkabau people live in the Northern highlands and around Lake Toba, and the Acehnese hail from the far North. The people and the natural beauty of Sumatra combine to make this a truly magnificent fabled “Land of Gold”.

My journey started in Medan, Indonesia’s 4th largest city. I flew from Jakarta (a 2-hour flight), and was met on arrival by my local English speaking guide, Adi and my driver, Freddy. I had pre-booked the rental vehicle, which in Sumatra, as in all of Indonesia, comes standard with a driver and a guide. I had decided to pre-book all my accommodation and be as organized as possible, but I need not have gone to all this trouble. As my journey unfolded, I did not stick to many of my original plans. Having a local guide allowed me to visit places way off the beaten track and be as flexible as possible. This proved to be a blessing that really enhanced what was to become an odyssey of adventure over the next 10 days.

In the early afternoon, I arrived at Bukit Lawang, a small village nestled on the riverbank with basic bamboo losmens and traditional huts. I drove over a creaky wooden bridge and then entered a restaurant and thought it best to stop. I have never driven through a dining room before and thought I must have made a wrong turn. My host assured me, that this was in fact the end of the road and also reception and would I like to stay the night.

I loved Butik Lawang and promptly decided to stay another two nights. I settled into the riverbank café and watched with fascination the scene unfolding before me. There was a hive of activity going on including the local Batak people scrubbing their clothes with a great furry and then beating them over and over again on the rocks. There were numerous people perched on rocks in the river engaged in a frantic affair of teeth brushing which seemed to go on all day, and in between all this, was a scene we have all come to know so well, young boys jumping off rocks stark naked and as happy as one can be.

Bukit Lawang is the starting point for jungle trekking and the next morning at 6.00am I headed off with Ruslin, my guide for a 2-hour trek. I was thrilled to see my first wild orangutan mother and baby in the trees only 10 minutes into the trek. But by warned, never stand under a tree with an orangutan in it – they have a habit of urinating at any given point.

I took a morning tea break in a clearing, with Ruslin who had come prepared with bananas, pineapple and local cookies. We sat in the forest together listening to the gibbons squawking and observing the small black moneys swinging through the trees.

I came out of the thick jungle and entered the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, which is now one of the largest conservation projects in the world. Orphaned orangutans come here to learn how to live in the wild again. They spend 6 months in a rehabilitation program and are then released. It was interesting to spend some time here, watching them close up and observing them at play with each other.

I had to cross a river at this point of the trek, with the aid of a dugout canoe connected to an ancient pulley system. I decided to swim across the ford, but when I changed into my bright blue swimsuit a very annoying monkey came out of nowhere, excitedly jumped around my ankles and promptly leapt up and bit me on the arm. Warning – don’t wear bright clothes around monkeys. I got into that water in double time only to be followed by the pesty monkey. I didn’t know they swam!!!

After that little mishap I walked another 2 kms to a meeting point, for some tubing down the rapids. This part of the trip had been organized in advance, via Ruslin. I spent the next 2 hours bouncing between rocks, shooting the rapids and drifting down the river. My rubber tube conveniently deposited me back at the front door of my bungalow. The day ended with seafood barbeque on the river under the full moon and a huge starry night sky.

My next stop was Berastagi, a scenic high mountain town on the Karo Plateau. The town is nestled between two 2,450-metre mountains. The next morning I was up 5.30am to view the active volcano and sunrise over the mountains. It was a very impressive sight and one I shared with about 30 other Indonesians who also had braved the cold and risen early.

I was the only foreigner there and met a lovely family from Aceh, who invited me to join their 6.00am feast of rice (served in the rice cooker still warm), meatballs, sweets and hot tea. My accommodation in Berastagi was very nice, featuring beautifully landscaped grounds with horses grazing on the property and magnificent views of Mount Sibayak, which smoked continuously in the distance.

Berastagi is famous for fruit growing, and I visited the cleanest traditional market I have ever seen in Indonesia. This market was run totally by women and was very orderly – with colourful awnings overhead and a tremendous array of local fruit and vegetables. I stocked up on fresh pineapple and other local fruits for the journey ahead. Finding the local pasar (market) was to become a daily practice from then on, and one that kept me healthy on a daily basis.

The next part of the journey took 6 hours, over some badly neglected roads, to Lake Toba, the jewel of the Sumatran highlands. I passed many traditional Batak (Karo) villages with beautifully adorned windowsills full of colour reminiscent of the Dutch windows one sees in the Netherlands.

As it was a Sunday I was treated to a vivid display of colour, styles and traditional fashion as men, women and children walked to their local geraga (church). It was no imposition to stop and photograph the locals, and they especially liked to pose proudly outside the church entrance.

Lake Toba is one of Sumatra’s most beautiful sights. The biggest volcanic explosion on earth formed the Crater Lake, some 100,000 years ago. Out in the middle of the lake, Samosir Island rises mystically above the water, an island that is larger than Singapore and where most people stay when visiting Lake Toba.

While waiting at the car ferry terminal to take us over to Samosir, I was entertained by a couple of boys who bobbed around in the water and waited for people on the dock to throw coins into the water. They would then dive for them and come up with the loot in their mouth. Someone starting throwing fresh (boiled) eggs. Soon enough the rush was on, and the egg seller was out of stock. We all gathered around, being entertained by the boys who retrieved their loot underwater and then promptly surfaced and consumed it. This received huge applause from the crowd and passed the time until the ferry departed.

I stayed in the Tuk-Tuk area of Samosir, which is a colourful little village with an almost bohemian atmosphere. There is a string of home stays, traditional style batak longhouses, small hotels, and a couple of 4 star hotels. The place I had pre-booked was not to my liking, so without wasting too much time, my guide took me straight to a perfect little Rastafarian type hotel, with a diving board perched outside my bungalow. The restaurant selection in Tuk-Tuk included pizza cafes, outdoor restaurants, Internet cafes and a variety of bars, all stretching along the lake’s edge.

I hired a mountain bike and spent the next morning exploring Samosir Island, taking in the wonderful cool, clean mountain air and the Batak village life. The lake water is the cleanest I have ever seen in Indonesia and delightfully warm. I took a boat out in the afternoon and caught enough fish for dinner, which the restaurant obligingly cooked up for me that night. The next part of my journey took me to a dusty little coastal town called Sibolga. It was only a 15 minute boat ride out to Marina Poncan Island, a sweet little tropical island fringed with palm trees and private bungalows set amongst the trees.

I charted a boat and ventured out for a full day of snorkeling and fishing. It was a fantastic day out and between the crew and myself we bought back a haul of 15 fish. After snorkeling all afternoon I went in search for the perfect lunch spot. We motored over to what looked like an idyllic, deserted little beach only to find a family living on this small peninsular of beach in a tiny basic thatched hut. They were very friendly and welcomed me onto their island paradise. I shared my chili nasi goring lunch box with them and discovered they had lived there for 2 years, with their 3 dogs and 5 chickens. Why would you ever leave??

The next day was a long 12-hour day traveling by car. I had no choice but to overnight in a “negative star” hotel at a cost of Rp20,000 (USD$2) for a room. However, Bukittinggi was my next overnight stop and it was a relief to pull into the impressive Arabian styled 4 star Novotel Hotel. I really was looking forward to a clean mandi (bath) and western food, especially after the previous night’s experience of warung food and a rickety little single bed.

Bukittinggi is a very impressive town and in all of my travels in Indonesia, this is the first modern, clean, planned city I have seen. The main roads are sealed with white lines (indicating traffic lanes), footpaths exist and the streets are free of garbage.

It is very interesting to observe the difference between North Sumatra and West Sumatra. As you move into West Sumatra, the infrastructure improves and the roads are in much better condition. West Sumatra is the traditional homeland of the Minangkabau people who have a culture dominated financially and structurally by the matriarchal lineage. The women own all the property and rice paddies. The Minang people are very strong in their Islam faith, are fierce business people and are considered among the warmest and friendliest people in Indonesia.

My destination was the beautiful and very scenic Lake Maninjau. I had met an interesting local guide, named Eric the night before, and had arranged an impromptu trek from Bukit Lawang to Lake Maninjau, instead of taking the car. The trek was to take 3-hours.

It turned out to be the most memorable day of the trip. I trekked through jungle and stopped for lunch at a cute little wooden home stay halfway down the mountain, in the middle of the forest. I was served noodle soup, cooked over the open fire and offered a mandi. After lunch there was time to relax in the hammock, which was positioned on a wooden platform overlooking the picturesque Lake Maninjau below.

I spent around 2 hours at the “friendliest little village” at the base of the trail, with the local Minangkabau people, who seemed to be just as fascinated in me as I was in them. I enjoyed walking through the rice paddies, watching the farmer’s fish with plastic bags in the fishponds. I was shown how to use a stone hoe and stood eyeball to eyeball with a couple of friendly (working) buffalos and was mutually entertained by the Muslim school children.

I emerged from the fields onto the main road and Ardi and Freddy were dutifully waiting. They had spent their time looking for a nice hotel. I checked into a 1950’s style 3 star hotel, featuring a lovely huge family room with a porch and balcony overlooking the lake and 2 separate rooms. I could have settled in and stayed a week but this was now day 9 of the trip and was to be my last night in Sumatra.

A few minutes after checking in I heard a little “tock-tock” on the door and was offered a canoe, which could be delivered, to my (water) front door, including a local villager who would do the rowing. Of course, how could anyone refuse an offer like that? I stayed out till sunset on the canoe and then went swimming under the full moon in the lake water, which was even warmer than Lake Toba.

I dined at an interesting local waterfront restaurant, which Freddy recommended and was entertained by 2 monkeys chained to the railings and 17 other animals that wandered around the place. The next morning I awoke to a beautiful sunrise over the lake. I hired a mountain bike and spent 2 hours exploration around the lake, followed by an easy 3-hour drive back to Padang.

Sumatra is a beautiful and unique Indonesian island that truly combines the natural beauty of the land with the natural beauty of it’s people and will satisfy any intrepid traveler who has a love of travel and adventure.

There are two ways to get from Bukittinggi to Lake Maninjau. You can drive, which includes a rather spectacular descent through 44 hairpin turns down to the lake or alternatively, you can take a delightful walk through the rainforest and visit a charming little village en route.

The walk starts at Puncak Lawang 600 meters above Lake Maninjau, and offers you magnificent views over the tranquil lake. As you begin your descent the views rapidly disappear, as you enter the thick jungle foliage. The track is quite steep at this point, so sturdy runners or hiking boots are recommended. If the trail is wet, leeches may be a problem, but an effective preventive measure is to apply some soap around your ankles and socks and this will keep them away from you.

After 1 hour you arrive at a small home stay/cafe run by a very friendly local guy who will cook up some great Mie Goring and will offer you some warm beer, if you feel so inclined. This is quite an interesting place to stop for some food, admire the great views and relax in the hammocks. If you have time on your hands you can have a stay the night, which is tempting as the relaxed, peaceful energy of Lake Maninjau lures you to unwind.

The trek continues on, and about 30 minutes later you come out of the jungle and will be greeted by some more spectacular scenery, with green terraced rice paddies in the foreground and the dramatic misty blue lake as a backdrop. The trek takes you right through the village of Bayur. This is a utopian, picture perfect little village.

The local village people (Minangs) were extremely friendly and the kampung kids delightful. They followed me around showing off their English, which amounted to two words, “photo, mister”, and the photo opportunities were fantastic.

It took us 5 hours to do the walk at a leisurely pace but this was taking our time. The walk itself with a stop for lunch is around 3 hours and it’s all down hill. You could do the walk on your own by getting a bus to Lawang and start from this point, but I would recommend using a guide.

The guide we used was named Eric. He speaks good English (with whatever accent you want). Eric can be contacted on 0812 6729523 or via Merdeka Homestay Tel: (751) 23937.

Author@TravelWriter-Asia.Com