Lake Toba and Berastagi - Land of Bataks and Karos

Lake Toba

Enroute to Samosir on Lake Toba 

Lake Toba is a volcanic lake in a Caldera inside which is an Island called Samosir which is of the size of Singapore. The lake itself is the largest fresh water lake in South East Asia. One of the traveller's told me on the boat ride to  Samosir, "It's an Island in a Lake in an Island in an Ocean". Wow!

We first went from Bukit Lawang to the Medan airport to drop off a few people before catching an impressive highway to Parapat on the other side of the lake where we had to catch the ferry. The price was 250K per person from Bukit Lawang and the total journey took around seven and half hours. The ferry costs 25K one way. I checked in into the Hub Tata guesthouse which is in the North side of Tuk-Tuk, the town where most of the hotels and guesthouses are.

Toba is the land of the Bataks, an ethnic group endemic to these areas. 

Bataks

Bataks are six ethnic groups of the North Sumatra highlands who speak closely related Batak languages and includes groups around Lake Toba and Karos who live near Berastagi which is closer to Medan. Their total total population is around 10 Million. Each Batak language has its own script which is derived from old Pallava script from India though these are hardly used. Religious books are called Pustaha (deom sanskrit Pustaka) and written in bamboo. Batak had rajas or kings who ruled over small areas and were never politically united.

The Bataks practiced a syncretic religion of Shaivism, Buddhism and local culture. The Karos were influenced by Tamil traders and many of them have surnames like Brahmana, Pandia, Pelawi etc. which are of Indian origin. Toba and Karo Bataks started converting to Christianity from the 1900s and today they are mostly protestant Christians with a Muslim minority. A significant minority of Batak people do not adhere to either Christianity or Islam, and follow traditional practices.

Sopo or Graneries

The houses have a saddle shaped roof with several of them decorated with intricated carving. Toba traditional villages are usually organized as a line of houses (jabu) facing granaries (sopo). In the last decades, virtually all sopo have either collapsed or have been converted into dwellings. Originally roofs were made of sugarpalm fiber (ijuk), but now corrugated iron and tin is increasingly used. Today the only Toba houses with traditional ijuk can be seen in the museum in Samanindo. Traditional large houses were inhabited by several families. Nowadays, most Toba houses have a concrete extension built in the back, usually equipped with running water and used as a bathroom and kitchen. 

All across the Island, one can see reburial or bone houses called Tugu. A reburial ceremony is a tradition in which the bones of one's ancestors are reinterred several years after death. The bones of a particularly honored ancestor and those of his descendants are exhumed, cleaned, mourned and finally laid to rest again in a bone house.

Exploring Toba and Samosir island

Stone Chair of King Siallagan

The next day, I hired a bike (150K IDR) and went off to explore the island. The plan was to go North and circle the island if possible. Enroute was Batu Kursi Raja Siallagan ( Stone Chair of King Siallagan ) which is the palace of King Siallagan.  At the center, there is a a large Banyan tree locally known as hariara and a set of stone chairs which were used as the place where village matters were discussed and wrongdoers were tried. Another set of stone chairs and table at the back of the courtyard is where the executions would take place. All around are some beautiful Batak traditional houses in stilts and a few Totem poles.

Next, further North is Museum Huta Bolon Simanindo. The museum is housed in the former home of Rajah Simalungun, a Batak king. His Grand Daughter still stays there and manages a Dutch styled Glass house and a few rooms have been converted into a Guest House. I met her in the glass house where she was working with her team and getting things ready for the tourist season. The museum's collection includes brass cooking utensils, weapons, crockery from the Dutch and Chinese, sculptures, and Batak carvings. All through the roads there are beautiful churches and Batak graveyards with some spectacular view of the hills on one side and the lake on the other. 

Parhallow viewpoint

The west side of the Island is connected to the mainland with a bridge and her I turned Eastwards into the Highlands to get back to the East Coast as circling the Island would take a lot of time. Up in the mountains, there are small village and dwellings of farmers. A nice stop is a lake high up in the mountain called Danau Sidihoni Samosir. The road cuts through a protected forest area before coming down to the coast. There are some excellent views of the lake from high up and I stopped at Parhallow viewpoint and coffee shop, a nice place for Coffee and views. Soon, I was back to Tuk Tuk town. 

I was planning to go to Bukittinggi West Sumatra, but because of the upcoming Eid holidays, seats were not available and flight tickets from Padang to anywhere was expensive, so I decided to skip West Sumatra for now and go back to Medan through Berastagi where there were two volcanic mountains that could be explored. From Medan, I would fly to Jambi, in Central Sumatra and make my way to the South. West Sumatra and the unique culture Minangkabau people or Minang had to be done in my next trip.

Berastagi

Berastagi Town Monument

I got my ticket to Berastagi booked through my guesthouse caretaker Rahmat. We were three of us going to Berastagi, so we could share a taxi which costed us IDR 250K each. Where ever you are in Tuk Tuk, the ferry stops at the hotels and picks you up directly, so that was nice. From the guesthouse, we dropped off at Parapat and soon, we were on our way. En route our driver Raja played some Batak songs which were really good. I asked him for some of the song names and plan to add it to my already excellent Indonesia songs playlist.

Berastagi is around 66 km south of Medan and is located around 1,300 m (4,265 ft) above sea level, giving it a pleasant salubrious climate. The town developed in the 1920’s as Dutch hill station and today has become a popular weekend destination. Its famous for two volcanos, Sinabung and Sibayak and also for the hot springs near Sibayak. Sinabung is an active volcano and off the limit for trekking while Sibayak is a dormant volcano and one can hike up to the summit. 

Due to the rich volcanic soil and temperate climate, a lot of vegetables are grown around Berastagi. There was a major vegetable market very near where I was staying and a farmers market used to be held everyday. 

I checked in to a guest house called Nachelle Homestay. It is run by a couple - Mery and Abdy. Mery welcomed me and sat me down with details of all activities, food to eat, places to explore etc. 

The city was a few Kms away from the guest house. It is a crowded and dusty place with lots of local tourists and noise pollution all around. There are many local markets and variety of outlets and food options. The best place to get away and do some walking and running are the Gundaling hills nearby where there are also some good resort stay options.

Karos

Karos are a Batak tribe located in the highlands around Berastagi. In the 13th to 16th century, the Karo people established the Aru Kingdom and it was one of the earliest kingdoms in Sumatra. It was mainly a mix of Hinduism and animism with Islamic influence coming in later. The successor state of the Aru Kingdom was the Sultanate of Deli, which had a mixed influence of Karo, Malay, Tamil, and Aceh. 

A Karo Building Architecture

The Karo started converting to Christianity due to Missionary activity during the Dutch rule and interestingly became predominantly Christian only after independence. This is because the church itself became independent and started adopting more elements of traditional Karo culture such as respecting local adats (tradition) and music. Most of the churches I saw all had GBKP prominently displayed which meant "Gereja Batak Karo Protestan" or Karo Batak Protestant Church which is the largest church among the Karo people. However people living away from the Karo Highlands have converted to Islam. 

Mery told me that some of the Karos had titles like Pandia and Behramana and originated from India. On exploring further, I found out that the Karos belong to one of five marga or clans. One of the margas is Sembiring which means 'black one', and many Sembiring sub-marga (Colia, Berahmana, Pandia, Meliala, Depari, Muham, Pelawi, and Tekan) are of South-Indian origin, suggesting that inter-marriage between Karo and Tamil people took place.

Traditional Karo houses are longhouses which is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. Only a few can be seen now.

Food

BPK

Mery told me not to miss the local delicacy BPK which is available only during lunch. Over the next few days, I tried out the BPK food. It stands for "Babi Panggang Karo" (Karo Grilled Pork), a dish that includes roasted or grilled pork slices served with boiled cassava leaves (daun singkong), saksang sauce (chilli sauce with a mixture of congealed blood), Sambal Andaliman (Sambal made from Sichuan pepper), a slice of lime, and a plate of white rice.

Abdy told us that Karos also have dog meat, and shops and eateries display this by marking it as B1 or "biang" compared to B2 which is Pork or "babi". After that all across the province, I kept seeing B1 and B2 shops Understandably, I didn't dare to venture into the B1, though I am an enthusiast for local cuisine.

The best coffee in town is at Kopi Tarik Bioskop Berastagi where I used to go in the evenings and hang around. There are lot of food options from Indo chinese to local delicacies in the city area.

Sinabung

Cabbage fields 

The second day, I hired a bike for the day (IDR 150K) from a nearby place called Raymond Cafe and went to explore Mount Sinabung which is around 25 Kms away towards the west of the city. After being dormant for 1200 years, it erupted in 2010 and and has been continuously active since September 2013. 

Enroute, I stopped at various places taking photos. All around the volcano, the land was lush green with farmers growing vegetables. There were churches and villages enroute and also a few cafes around the volcano where one can have a vantage view. Stopped at a place called Pancur Pitu Cafe and after spending 2 to 3 hours driving, went back to the city. 

Sibayak

At the top of Sibayak

The next day, I had planned for a sunrise trek to Mount Sibayak. Abdy from Nachele homestay organized it for 300K per person, which would include driving with him to the base, trekking to the top and on the way back, visiting the hot springs.  

We left at around 0430 AM after some black Coffee. We were three of us, myself and 2 others from Belgium. Abdy's SUV took us some way up to the mountain and then we parked and started climbing. It was pitch dark, all the way to the summit. Two friendly dogs joined us happy to see Abdy who was a familiar face to them. We slowly inched our way to the top through the moderately strenuous hike.

Abdy showing sulphurous rock

At the top, we could see stars and the sky was intermittently clear and cloudy with clouds rolling in from all around. There was also vapor from the volcano steaming up from below. Slowly as our eyes got accustomed, we could see the contour of the crater. Then as the morning light started getting stronger, we could see the panoramic view of the landscape around, the mountains, the cities below. Far away was Medan and nearby was Berastagi. Still closer were the hotels and homestays from the Hot Springs below us. The morning sunrise got obscured by the clouds, but the view was spectacular, with Mount Sinabung at a distance from us. Other visitors joined us and also people from the tents below where people had camped for the night.

Soon, it was time to start the descent. As we went towards the crater below, we checked out some fumaroles (opening on the crust emitting steam and gases). The temperature of the gas leaving the vent was pretty hot and can burn the hand, so it has to be felt a few feet away from the vent. In addition to steam, sulfurous gases are emitted. These have their origin in magma cooling underground.

Along the way down, Abdy kept showing us the different Flora and their local uses and medicinal properties. After some time, we reached our vehicle and then we drove down the hot springs. Sulphur hot springs are formed by fumaroles when some of the steam condenses at the surface. Rising acidic vapors from below, such as CO2 and H2S, dissolves, creating steam-heated low-pH hot springs.

The water from the hot springs were collected into many swimming pools which can then be used to bathe in. We spent about 1/2 hour in the pools and it was an amazingly relaxing experience after the hard climb and descent.

Sipiso-Piso

The Knife waterfall 

The next day I rode to the Sipiso-Piso which means Knife waterfall in Batak. It is at the edge of Lake Toba and is a pleasant day visit with steps leading all the way to the bottom. Though it can be better maintained, it was a nice hike with the Lake visible on one side and the waterfall on the other. 

After a few pleasant days in Berastagi, I left for Medan and then flew into Jambi in central Jakarta. 

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Medan and Bukit Lawang

Medan

Medan is Sumatra's largest City and the fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung. It covers a total of 265 Sq Km and has a population of 2.4 million residents. The majority of the population in North Sumatra adheres to Islam (63%), followed by Protestantism (27%), Catholicism (7%), Buddhism (2%) and 1% others.

Sultan's Palace

The Sultanate of Deli was a kingdom founded in 1630, as a tributary kingdom of the larger Sultanate of Aceh with Medan as the capital.

The modern development of Medan began in the 1860s when Dutch entrepreneurs recognized the area's agricultural potential, particularly for tobacco cultivation. Under Dutch colonial rule, tobacco planters moved into Sumatra, causing the city of Medan to expand rapidly. The Deli Company, which began a tobacco enterprise near the Deli River, made use of Medan’s port and set up tobacco warehouses, contributing to the population increase. Parts of Medan still bear names such as Polonia and Helvetia, after the Polish and Swiss planters who used to own the land.

Today, Medan is recognized for its colonial architecture and serves as Indonesia's largest port in terms of export value.

Stay in Medan

The bus from Banda Aceh to Medan takes almost 16 hours, so I decided to take the flight which was for an hour. The ticket was around 800000 IDR which is around Rs. 4200, double of what it would cost for a bus. The decision was worth it as it would save time and not compromise on sleep. The Medan airport is a bigger one than Aceh and there is an airport train that takes you directly into the city for 35000 IDR. 

I checked into the  LePolonia Hotel & Convention Center which is a beautiful and inexpensive hotel. The next day, I set out to experience Medan. All the main attractions are along a straight single road near  the Center of the city. 

Mosque and Palace

Masjid

I first went to the Masjid Raya Al-Mashun and opposite that is the Palace, Istana Maimun where the descendants of the royal family still stay. The Palace is unremarkable and in need for maintenance. Its interiors combine elements of Deli Malay, Islamic, Spanish, Indian, Dutch and Italian styles.  

The Masjid was constructed in 1909 and its architectural style has Middle Eastern, Indian and Spanish elements. The financing was done by the Sultan, the Dutch company and  Tjong A Fie, the richest businessman in Medan whose family home near the city center was next in line for me to explore.

Tjong A Fie Mansion

Tjong A Fie Mansion - Exterior

Similar to what I had seen in Malaysia, the immigrant Chinese have had a great economic influence in the region as successful businessmen. Tjong A Fie was a Chinese businessman and banker in the 1900s of Hakka descent who successfully built a large plantation business in Sumatra Because of his success, Tjong A Fie was close to the Sultan of Deli and the Dutch colonial officials He was appointed as Captain to lead the Chinese community in Medan and was highly respected and revered. His business empire included plantations, palm oil factories, sugar factories, banks, and railway companies.

Exploring his Mansion was the highlight of the trip so far and though it is more than a hundred years old, it is very well maintained. It is one of the most opulent examples of building representing Peranakan culture in Indonesia. This is a two-story house with an an area of ​​8,000 square meters and 35 rooms. Completed in 1900, it is designed in Chinese, European, Malay and art-deco architectural styles. The rooms are on four sides of the structures and surround a big open-air courtyard in the middle.

Since 2009, part of the house has been opened for public viewing. Visitors can experience the life history of Tjong A Fie through photographs, paintings and home furnishings used by his family and learn about Malay-Chinese culture. 

Interior Rooms

The floors are made of Venetian tiles and has beautiful lamp furniture which is a combination of Chinese and European styles. There is a main hall where guests were received, a family dining room, bedrooms and a large kitchen complete with ancient pestles and mortars on the ground floor while on the upper floor there is a Kwan Ti Kong temple and a Ballroom. The two side wings of the mansion were mainly used as residences for the family members and one side wing is still being used as a private residence. The other side-wing is part of the museum space to showcase Peranakan and vintage artifacts.

One of the guides, a young student called Tiara took me around the Mansion explaining the history, architecture and lifestyle of the inhabitants. Chatting with her, I learnt a new Indo social media term. She told me that I was a "Skena". I checked it up. The term comes from the English word "scene" and refers to a community or subculture with interests related to music, arts, fashion and social interaction. This sub culture classification is similar to what I heard from my Gen Z niece in the US, where in her world, folks are categorized under Preppy, Street Style, Nerdy etc. So, Skena it is! 

Food

Mie Gomak

After an hour's exploration, I left the place for a delightful lunch at Tai Hwa, a nearby Chinese restaurant. Later in the evening, took a stroll down the Merdeka Walk area where most of the European buildings can be seen. During my stay in Medan, my dinners were at a Warung near the hotel Warung Incek Budi where I typically had had Mie Gomak, chicken and Ikan.

Mie Gomak is a Batak thick spicy noodle dish in a coconut milk and andaliman based broth. Its slightly sweet but tasty.

Bukit Lawang

Bukit Lawang - By the river

It was time to move to Bukit Lawang which is the largest sanctuary of the Sumatran orangutan and the main access point to the Gunung Leuser National Park from the east (Bukit means Hill and Lawang means gateway). Part of the  Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, the sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bukit Lawang is about 90 Kms South West and takes around 3 hours from Medan. Connectivity is a challenge and the only transport other than hiring a private car are mini buses which starts from Pinang Baris terminal in the West of the city. These buses are dilapidated and crowded. Also there are touts out to make a fast buck, so one has to be careful. The roads have two lanes and are in good condition though patches were bad due to the rains. All along there were Palm tree plantations and many small hamlets. The countryside looked prosperous with concrete structures and tiled or tin roofs.

Alec, Guest house owner

After reaching Bukit Lawang, At the bus stand,  my Guest House host Alec's son, Nabeel was waiting and he brought me to the Jungle Life guest house where I checked in. Alec greeted me and we discussed all the trek options.  I opted to go for a one day trek the next day. Meanwhile Alex was quite clued in to the Bollywood scene. He told me jokingly I looked like Jitendra in the passport and Anil Kapoor face to face!

I spent the rest of the day exploring the small village, the river front and the resorts nearby.

Trek into the Jungle

Nabeel and the Jungle Boy

That night, it poured heavily through the morning. We pushed out our trek to later hoping that the rains would stop. During rains, there would be no animal sightings, so we had to wait. Other than myself, we had a French Mother and daughter duo who would be with us. The Mother had been to Bukit Lawang 22 years back, now she was back with her 15 year daughter to experience it. Nabeel would be our guide for the day along with another friend of his.

The Alpha

Thankfully the rains stopped and we set out by around 12 pm into the jungle. A few kms into the rain forest, we had our first sighting. It was a female Orangutan high up in the trees. We moved on further. Soon, we sighted a female low down the branches and started following her. She was moving in between the trees. High above was her nest made up of leaves. Another guide joined us and said, we should wait to see if the Male Orangutan comes down. Sighting Alphas is very rare and it would be amazing if we could get sight of one.  Meanwhile  we saw a southern Pig tailed Macaque who was wandering around trying to see if we had any food. We stopped for lunch and finished it all the while watching the female Orangutan as she moved around around the trees.

There was a commotion a few meters below and then we saw a huge Alpha Orangutan coming down the trees. He would have been over 100 Kilos and was majestically moving around from one tree to the next. We were all spellbound and amazed with our cameras working furiously to capture this magnificent creature. We followed the alpha and his partner for the next hour or so as they moved around the area. 

Soon, we reluctantly moved on and then after a few Kms, came down to the river where we would have some fruits and them go down the river in rubber make shift boats.  Just as we entered the area, we spied upon a troupe of Thomas Leaf Monkeys, a variant of the Langur. The journey down the river in the makeshift rubber raft was fun and an end to an incredible day.

Dinner with the locals

In front of the guest house, there was dinner available for IDR 30K after the Ramadan fast. I met a French lady, Helene who was running an NGO called Generation co whose focus is on afforestation of the rainforests. The couple who owned the restaurant Zahara and Joseph were also running an NGO called Kolibri foundation (yayasankolibri.com) to help underprivileged children go to school. Had a nice Conversation with Helen and Joseph. The kids also hung around for a meal and there was a nice overall joyous and positive atmosphere. Volunteers also help out at the foundation and school teaching the kids. 

Dinner with the locals

The next day, it was time to leave to the next destination, Lake Toba - which is a Caldera lake and the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. 

The Food Spread

Dinner Spread 

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Banda Aceh and Sabang

Banda Aceh

Banda Aceh is the capital and the largest city (0.25 Million residents) in the province of Aceh, Indonesia (5.4 Million population).  Founded in 1205, It had been the seat of the Aceh Sultanate in the late 15th century. In 1874, the city was taken over by the Dutch, however the Acehnese continued to actively oppose Dutch rule. 

Stranded Ship

After becoming part of an independent Indonesia, it has been at the center of protracted conflicts between the Acehnese and the Indonesian government from 1976 to 2005 with the goal of making the province of Aceh independent from Indonesia. This is because there is a cultural and religious difference between Aceh and the rest of Indonesia. A more conservative form of Islam is practiced in Aceh than the rest of Indonesia. The secular policies of Suharto's regime (1965–1998) were especially unpopular in Aceh where many resented the central government's policy of promoting a unified 'Indonesian culture'. Further, given the location of the province at the northern end of Indonesia, there was a widespread feeling in the province that leaders in distant Jakarta do not understand Aceh's problems and have little sympathy for local needs and customs in Aceh.

On 26 December 2004, an earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra and triggered a Tsunami in which around 60,000 people which is around 25% of the city's population died as a result and many more injured. The aftermath of the tsunami brought a peace agreement and an eventual end to the insurgency. With help of domestic and international aid, a major modernization and reconstruction of the city has happened over the past decade.

Reaching Banda Aceh

My connecting flight from KL landed in Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport. This is a small airport and immigration was pretty quick. I had booked a hotel called Sulthan International which was about 17 Kms and took around 30 minutes from the airport. The hotel is located in the Peunayong area, also referred to as the city's "Chinatown" where the Chinese community, or "Tionghoa," resides, having been a significant Chinese trading area since the 17th century. 

The first thing I did was to search for a tourist SIM card with a data plan that would last for one month. I asked my way to GraPARI Telkomsel where the ladies at customer service were excellent and I came out with a SIM and a 30 GB plan for IDR 135K (Rs. 700/-). Excellent value for money!

Ramadan and Initial observations

I had landed in Sumatra during Ramadan and all restaurant and food shops used to be closed during the day and opened up only after 7 PM in the evening after the evening prayers. This was the case throughout the trip including after Eid because of the holidays, with lot of establishments closed.

Aceh is a conservative province and the only region in Indonesia that implements Islamic law, or Shariah. The enforcement of Shariah in the province was part of the central government's efforts to put an end to an insurgency and a drive for independence in the region. I saw more men with the Islamic cap and women with the Jilbab and Abaya (other than Hijab). However, I also experienced a positive energy in the city and a population that has moved beyond its tragedies of its recent past. 

Exploring the City

Boat on the Roof

In the evening, I went for a walk along the Aceh river front and visited the "Boat on the roof", which is a fishing boat perched on top of two houses. This happened during the Tsunami when the boat swept into the village from the sea and resulted in saving many lives as people clambered onto it from the rising sea. Along the waterfront, I could see remnants of the Tsunami with a few boats stranded on high grounds. Over the next few days, I went around the city visiting the main sights.

Masjid Raya Baiturrahman

Grand Mosque

This is the grand mosque originally built in 1612 during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda. It featured a multi-tiered thatched roof, a typical feature of Acehnese architecture, but however got burnt down during a battle with the Dutch East Indies. In 1879, the Dutch rebuilt the Mosque in Mughal revival style, characterized by grand domes and minarets. More domes and minarets kept being added and today, the mosque has seven domes and eight minarets, including the highest in Banda Aceh.

The exterior is dazzling with white walls and black domes. The interiors are very pleasing with marble staircases and floor which were brought from China, stained-glass windows from Belgium and has intricate wood carvings and ornate bronze chandeliers. Outside are giant folding umbrellas to protect worshipers from the heat of the sun during prayer.

Museum PLTD Apung

PLTD Apung

This is an extraordinary sight of a huge 2500-tonne power generator vessel that was carried almost 5 km inland by the 2004 tsunami. It serves as a memorial and tourist attraction and I explored the vessel's deck to learn about the tsunami disaster. The information is in Bahasa and I used Google translate to understand the information.  

Museum Tsunami Aceh

Museum Tsunami Aceh

This is the main Tsunami memorial and educational center and has a great design and curation, especially when one enters the museum. It was designed by renowned Indonesian architect Ridwan Kamil. 

The museum features exhibits about the tsunami disaster, including photos, illustrations, remnants, and interactive stations. However, the maintenance has a lot to be desired and there are not too many visitors. 

In front of the Museum, there is a nice public park and open field (Lapangan Blang Padang) where I went for my evening walks. There are also monuments of gratitude for the countries that have helped and contributed to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh after the Tsunami. 

Museum Aceh

Aceh Museum was established during Dutch colonial rule and is one of the oldest museums in Indonesia showcasing

Museum Aceh

Acehnese history, culture, and artifacts. Displays are in a new permanent building and include Acehnese weaponry, household furnishings, ceremonial costumes, everyday clothing, gold jewelry, and calligraphy. 

The original building of the museum which is in the front is in the form of a traditional Acehnese stage house called Rumoh Aceh which is rarely seen nowadays and I enjoyed exploring the house which also has objects displayed.

The Rumoh Aceh had stilt stakes on the ground to support the house and the lower part of the building is usually used to raise livestock. In the past, the supports on Acehnese houses also functioned so that wild animals could not enter the house. The house itself had three sections consisting of Seuramoe Keue (front porch), Seuramoe Teungoh (middle porch), and Seuramoe Likot (back porch), as well as an additional part, namely the kitchen.

Food 

Mi Aceh

The food to try in Aceh is Mi Aceh. This is a thick yellow noodle similar in size to Japansese Udon noodles served with slices of meat or seafood, such as shrimp or crab. The noodles are served in rich, hot and spicy curry-like soup with a bumbu spice mixture (black pepper, red chili pepper, shallot, garlic, cardamom, caraway, cumin and star anise) and cooked with bean sprouts, tomato, cabbage and celery. 

I tried out the Mi Aceh at Mie Razali which was near my hotel and is famous as the place where the Indonesian President Jokowi had gone to eat. 

Pulau Weh and Sabang

Pulau Weh is an Island 15 of the coast of Banda Aceh in the Andaman Sea, famous for its snorkelling and diving sites. I went out to explore the Island for a day. The way to reach the Island is by Fast ferry from the mainland port which takes around 45 minutes (IDR 100K). The island lies about 15 kilometers off the northernmost tip of Sumatra. The island is small at only 120 Sq Kms, but is mountainous and has dense forests. 

Rahmad

There is a road all around the Island and my plan was to hire a bike and travel round the Island discovering its various beaches and coves. As the ferry reached the Island, there was a commotion and I noticed a welcoming party at the dock waiting for what seemed to be an important person to disembark. While I was waiting to see who it was , I met a person called Rahmad who had his own trading house Indatu trading House and he was into importing commodities from India through Andaman Islands, primarily Sugar. He had a partner in Kerala and now was thinking of also importing Basmati Rice. Sabang which is a town in Pulau Weh and includes a few other Islands is designated as a free trading zone by the Indonesian Government, so there were no taxes to be paid and this was a profitable business for him.

Gapang Beach

Rahmad helped me rent a bike from Balohan Rental near the Jetty (IDR 50K) and after promising to keep in touch with him, I set out to explore the Island.    

Towards the North West, the best beach that one can sit and relax by is the Gapang Beach. There is a Patissere there called Pachamama Indah where I met the owner, a swiss lady called Leticia who had settled down in the Island for 5 years now. I finally had an Americano that I had been pining for sometime. She also makes great  empanadas which I had at the back of her shop as it was Ramadan and food couldn't be served openly.  

From Gapang beach, I went further up to Panorama Seulako where I had a nice swim by the white sand beach and then circled around the Kilometer Zero monument at the top of the Island. The distance from here to Indira Point in the Nicobar Islands in India was only 150 Kms. 

Wisata Gua Sarang

I circled back to Gapang and from there went westwards through Wisata Gua Sarang and Pasir Putih Beach and came back to the Pelabuhan Balohan Jetty for the ferry back to Banda Aceh. 

I found the Island rich in vegetation in contrast to my experience in Koh Rong in Cambodia where there is heavy logging and deforestation. Overall, it was a good experience and worth staying for a few days for diving and snorkelling as there are some great diving sites off the Island.

After Banda Aceh, it was time to move to the next destination. Initially I thought of taking the bus from Aceh to Medan, but the buses were overnight and looking at the time required (15 hours for 600 Kms), I decided to take a flight instead. The cost of a bus would be around 300K whereas the flight costed me 780K which was quite reasonable considering the time and effort saved.

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Sumatra - An Introduction

After visiting the Island of Java in 2024, I decided to travel to Sumatra in 2025 as a dedicated trip was required to cover this part of Indonesia. 

Geography and People

Sumatra 

Sumatra is the Sixth largest Island in the world spanning both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Sumatra's population is around 60 Million making it the fifth-most populous island in the world. 

Sumatra has a tropical rainforest climate with dry and wet seasons and has a wide range of plant and animal species. However over the years, it has lost almost 50% of its tropical rainforest due to deforestation and cultivation of rubber and Palm plantations. Many species are critically endangered including the Sumatran tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, and the orangutan. 

Sumatra is a highly seismic island. The Great Sumatran fault runs the entire length of the island along its west coast. Earthquakes are very common throughout the coastal area of the west and center and tsunamis are common due to the high seismicity in the area.

History

In ancient times, Sumatra was known by the Sanskrit names of Suvarṇadvipa (Island of Gold) and Suvarṇabhumi (Land of Gold). The first Kingdom in Sumatra were the Melayus who in turn were absorbed by Srivijaya Kingdom. 

After the 11th century, the dominant role of Srivijaya ended and the spread of Islam in Indonesia occurred gradually, starting from the western regions which became the first place for the spread of Islam in the archipelago due to its position of being close to the Malacca strait. By 13th Century, large part of Sumatra converted to Islam. 

Aceh in the north of Sumatra became the trading center for Pepper in the 16th century and the establishment of the Aceh Sultanate. The reign of Iskandar Muda is known as the golden age of Sumatra because he extended the cultural influence of the Aceh Sultanate to Padang and Johor. The Aceh Sultanate sustained the rivalry with the Johor sultanate, the Dutch, and the Portuguese throughout the 16th and 17th century

With the coming of the Dutch Empire, the Sumatran princely states gradually fell under Dutch control. 

Ethnicities and languages 

There are 11 large ethnic groups and 52 languages in Sumatra. The largest indigenous ethnic groups in Sumatra are Malays (Central), Minangkabaus (West), Bataks (North) Acehnese (Aceh), and Lampungs (South). 

Ethnic Groups

The majority of people in Sumatra are Muslims (87%), while 11% are Christians, and less than 2% are Buddhists and Hindus.

Travel Plan

Broadly my plan was to start from the North starting with Banda Aceh and then travel my way south. I hoped to cover the main provinces and cultural groupings which included Aceh (Extreme North) , Medan (North), Padang (West) and then Palembang (South). 

Tribal Hills and River Deltas - Travels in Odisha, Chattisgarh and Andhra

Trip Plan

A friend and I planned to travel to Southern Odisha where we spent our childhood and have an authentic experience meeting the Desias or the local tribes as they are known. Staying in a Township, we had a distant relationship with them during our childhood and we wanted to intimately know them and be part of their culture as insiders, as if in search of our identity and reclaim a small part of who felt we were.

Vishakapatnam - Andhra Pradesh

Thotlakonda Monastery

Traveling to Vizag, we stayed near Rishikonda beach. The beach road is superbly developed and probably one of the best beach stretches in the country with the sea on one side and the hills on the other. Development on the hills is limited due to the Kambalakonda Wildlife sanctuary and two buddhist monasteries built in the early centuries, Bavikonda and Thotlakonda. We met up with some school mates and then made a trip to the Thotlakonda Monastery. 

The Monastery is high up in the hills and the road recently made and well maintained by the state Government. Here buddhist Pilgrims from the Oceans would land and then make their way up to Sarnath and Bodh Gaya. 

Koraput and Sunabeda - Odisha

At the school

From Vizag, we took a train to go to Koraput which winds up through the Araku valley, a popular vacation destination in this area. In Koraput, we met up with the cousin of a school friend and went to the local Jagannath temple. From there we went to Sunabeda township, where we grew up as kids. 

The next day, we explored the town revisiting our childhood hangouts and reminiscing on our younger days. We also went to the markets and met up with the shopkeepers, many of who have retired and their sons taken up their place in running the shops. We managed to get a bike and planned to go to Deomali hills which is the highest mountain in the state of Odisha.

We set out for Deomali the next day through Semiliguda, a nearby town. It was a pleasant ride to the hills through farms and some winding roads. From Deomali, there was a new road which went to Talamali, another nearby hill before returning back to Sunabeda. The hills were barren and the dense green cover that we had experienced during our childhood was long gone due to logging and exploitation of the gullible tribals by timber contractors and the mainstream politicians. No wonder, that Naxalism rose in these areas as a response to the exploitation.

Enroute to Deomali

If one is looking for resorts to stay in this area, there are two Desia Eco Stays, one in Deomali and the other in Machkund where there is a lake created by the building of the Machkund dam.

From Sunabeda, we went to Jeypore and on the way, dropped in on another friend's place, this time a person who had a coffee estate near Koraput called Lamtaput. His name is Sujay Pradhan and he took us to his estate to taste his coffee. Koraput coffee is a brand that the Government is trying to promote, similar to the highly successful Araku Coffee. The Government has also been training and encouraging the tribals to grow coffee and sell back to the Government for being marketed under Koraput Coffee which I thought was a good initiative. We need ways to get away from the water intensive rice farming which is common across India. Sujay was trying to promote his own brand of Coffee called Brown Valley and his specialty coffee tasted very good, so there is a good potential for Coffee from these areas. Many Entrepreneurs have been growing Coffee for many years now and this could become a new source of income if marketed well.  

The Paraja Villages - Koraput, Odisha

Paraja Tribe Woman

In Koraput, we got the reference of a person in Borigumma which is a town a little away from Jeypore and we met up with him there after taking a bus from Jeypore. His name was Nageswar Gowdo and he is from one of the local tribes and a PHD scholar who is studying history in the nearby University. Nageswar would be able to take us to some of the nearby villages and meet up with the local tribes in that area. 

The major tribe in the area are the Paraja (which comes from Sanskrit Praja meaning the common people). Their mother tongue Parji is a form of Gondi belonging to Dravidian family of languages. But now most of them living in undivided Koraput district speak the regional language called "Desia". 

The Parajas are simple, friendly and hospitable, but like to remain aloof from the people of other communities as they are shy by nature. Paraja settlements are uniclan in structure and are usually located near foothills where perennial hill streams are flowing down the hills to provide them drinking water throughout the year. In multi ethnic villages they live in separate hamlets keeping social distance from other ethnic groups and maintaining their own cultural identity

Gowdo took us to one Paraja village where we met an old blind man who was the last of the story tellers. He said that the new generation didn't sing the old songs and probably these will be lost with him. He sang a few songs for us and attempted to act it out. Playing musical instruments is also fading away as the younger generation dances to Desia songs from Youtube.

Local Landa

In the evening, we went riding triples to another Paraja village near where Gowdo stays. It was a while that we rode triples (during school days!). Luckily for us, all of us were slim and could fit in. We also tasted some "Landa" made from Ragi. Tribal communities drink Landa at home with younger and older members of the family. This is a fermented drink and is good for the gut. Landa is an essential component of various festivals, is considered auspicious and is offered to appease the gods for good fortune, a bumper yield and good health. 

We went and met a teacher who made us sit outside his home. Soon a friend of his who was a local leader joined us. They were all young, in their 20s. All of them have taken advantage of Government schemes and got themselves educated. I went through some study material. The textbooks were written in Desia by a NGO called Asha Kiran Society and the hope was that this will make Desia speaking people literate and then pave the way for them to learn Odiya, the state language through bridge literacy material.

The Dancers at the Village

We requested the teacher's wife to arrange for a dance session with some music. She was shy and initially hesitated, but then after a little more prodding took up the task enthusiastically, gathering the village children and ladies to dance for us. They put up a boombox in the village square. The whole village turned up to watch with lot of enthusiasm. We waited for the eldest leader of the village to come who we greeted and then the program started. The songs were mainly Desia songs, but there were some old hindi remixes as well which shows how the local culture gets influenced by the mainstream over a period of time.   

We were keen to taste the local ‘mahuli’ liquor made from mahua flowers and these were brought surreptitiously in plastic packets. It was surprisingly smooth and light, even comparable to the best of Single Malts! As the evening progressed, the dances became more frenetic till we had to  stop when it became pitch dark and we took leave of the village after a lot of photographs and thanks to the entire troupe and village. 

Maths under the street light

While the older folks wore the traditional dress, the younger ones nowadays wear normal maxis and skirts wearing the traditional saree only during occasions. Also the mud huts were concretized with funds coming in from the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana. 

We then went to the next village which Gowdo is from and finally said our byes to our hosts. Before we left, we spied upon a group of kids below the village Banyan tree huddled up under the street light. To our shock and pleasant surprise, we found that they were studying mathematics and a few other subjects along with a tutor. The math was algebra and pretty complicated. The kids were bright, had a twinkle in their eyes and for sure, fire in their bellies. These were the next generation of kids with the hunger to lift themselves up and do well in Society. We were superbly impressed even as my friend immediately video called up his daughter to show her the real India, studying under the street light and ready to blaze their way to future success. 

Jagdalpur - Chattisgarh 

Chitrakoot Falls

From Borigumma, we left for Jagdalpur in Bastar district of Chattisgarh. Even a few years back, this area was the hotbed of Naxal activities, but with the presence of the heavily armed Cobra security battalions and developmental activities being carried out in parallel by the State, these have largely vanished and life was normal across the district. At Jagdalpur, we checked into the hotel and then hired a driver who would take us out for a day tour to the nearby Chitrakoot falls. It was also the week of Maha Shivratri and there was a festival fair going on near the falls where a large temporary market had come up.

The water in the falls was less due to the upstream dam, we were told it would be much more during the monsoon season. After seeing the falls, we went into the market where there were hundreds of stalls and a milieu of crowds. We tried out different types of Mahuli brought to the fair by tribal women in plastic buckets! Feeling nice and high, we set out on a circular route back to Jagdalpur. Enroute, we stopped at a steep ravine called Mendri Ghumar which was a lovely spot and from there we could see miles away into the valley below where the river Indravathi was flowing.  

Traditional Cock Fight

As we were returning back, we spied upon a place where there was a traditional cock fight going on. We were invited to have a VIP seat where we could see the cock fighting events. It was a betting market out there, with different contenders finalizing the duels to be fought based on the bird weight and size. The selected birds were then tied with a steel claw which would mean that this would be a fight to the death with the winner killing the other bird. As the birds were brought onto the fight arena, there was a frenzy of betting with cash trading hands instantly like the stock market and the sounds rose to a high pitch as the birds fought aggressively, till one of them dropped off to his death. The sound of the crowds would then die down with the winners jubilantly counting their earnings while the losers give a sigh of defeat and try their luck in the next round of bird fight.

It was gruesome as well as fascinating. No amount of classroom teaching will teach the science of economics, supply and demand as spending a day in these markets.  

The Godavari Belt - Andhra Pradesh

Paddy Fields

From Jagdalpur, we set out to Bhadrachalam the next day which is a town in Andhra Pradesh in the Godavari River belt. The plan was to stay a night there and then take a boat down the Godavari to Rajahmundry where the Godavari meets the sea. This area is one of the most fertile deltas in India and the rice fields of Godavari have made the Kamma castes of Andhra Pradesh rich and prosperous.  The Kammas are one of the richest groups in Andhra Pradesh with socio-economic and political prominence throughout the Telugu-speaking regions of India. Valuing education along with wealth, in recent times, large number of Kammas have migrated to the United States.

Boat Ride down the Godavari

The boat ride was around 7 hours and would have been a great experience, except for the Indian penchant for music and dance which accompanies every outing. We had hoped for a quiet drift down the Godavari as it went through the Papikondalu Wildlife Sanctuary, bit that was not to be. We also joined in as there was no option and ended up playing housie, listening to loud music and dancing on the deck for Andhra uncles and aunties. For the first time in my life, I got a full house and my friend RK, got the top line. We donated the winning proceeds to the crew and our reward was to dance on the deck with the cast and crew. The crew also put in a dance drama which was quite enjoyable.

We finally reached Rajahmundy and spent the evening with our school friend, Suresh and his family who is based there.

Sri Rama Sadan

The next day, we set out for a trip down the delta into the verdant green fields. Enroute RK wanted to find the village of his origin which he had seen in a Youtube video and we ended up going to a small village called Peruru near Amlapuram. There we found a house called Sri Rama Sadan. The lady who came to greet us was the owner of the house. She had returned back from the US and built the house in the local tradition. We took a tour of the house which was built using local materials and had a large courtyard and a Gowshala (Cow Shed) at the back. It was a nice tour and we had a good conversation with her and her  philosophy of life and why she came back to take care of her parents and in-laws. 

Yanam

We then rounded off our trip by going to Yanam (Part of Pondicherry !)which was at the sea edge and turned back from near Kakinada to come back to Rajahmundry. All the way, I was imagining how the area can be turned into the next Schenzen if only our politicians had the vision and will power as the area had everything going - lot of land, river delta, a port, rich crops and commodities and well drawn roads from the hinterland to the sea. 

The next day, after saying good bye to our friend and his family, we caught the flight back to Bengaluru completing an eventful trip that will be remembered for a long time for the diverse experiences that we had.