KETAMBE & LAKE TOBA

Pick up from Medan Airport (Kuala Namu), and transfer to Berastagi, a small city in the mountains, and the cultural hub of the Batak Karo people. If time allows and your kids are wide awake, we will explore the night markets! Accommodation: Berastagi hotel Transportation: Private vehicle (3hr drive)  

We wake up nice and early, drive to Mount Sibayak, and with a short walk we will be at the top of an active Volcano! If your kids want a sleep-in, there is also the option to just have a relaxed breakfast at our hotel. Later in the morning we will wander through the local fruit markets, where you can enjoy the colours and flavours of fruits you’d never stumble across at your local grocery store back home. Then, marvel at the centuries of old artworks, tools and manuscripts of the Batak Karo culture at a nearby museum. Then it’s back in the air-conditioned car and on to the heart of the Leuser ecosystem, Ketambe! On the way we will stop at Kafe Juma for lunch, where you can sample the finest local coffee from the surrounding plantations while enjoying beautiful mountain views. We will arrive in Ketambe in the late afternoon, where we will check in, relax, and have a briefing for jungle trekking the next day! Accommodation: Sumatra Jungle Guesthouse Transportation: Private vehicle (4hr drive with multiple stops)  

We head off into the jungle after breakfast, searching for wildlife, and observing the natural behaviours of the local sumatran orangutan, and lucky for us, you never have to venture too far. So don’t worry, we tend to only walk a few kilometres a day, and at a very slow pace in order not to miss anything hanging out in the trees. Our experienced guides will seek out wildlife and answer all your questions, while our lovely porters prepare camp, set up your sleeping area, and start preparing a jungle banquet! You will spend the night next to a rainforest stream with a beautiful swimming hole. Accommodation: Rainforest camping Transportation: Hiking  

You will continue searching for wildlife, while slowly trekking deeper into the jungle, and by lunchtime you will arrive at your camp for night 2, the world famous Ketambe Hot Springs! An idyllic location, where natural hot springs mix with fast flowing water, making a range of different temperature pools to relax in. The volcanic minerals that crystallise when the hot spring waters reach the surface, attract a huge array of butterflies, plus other jungle animals looking for a salt-lick to substitute their diet! Night treks are also possible if you just ask your guide, as once nightfalls, it’s a great time to see the nocturnal animals, like slow loris or stunning snakes!

You will wander around the jungle searching for wildlife, slowly making your way to base camp for lunch, and emerge from the jungle in the afternoon; replenished and revitalised by the wondrous Leuser ecosystem! You will then return to the guest house to freshen up, and enjoy a restaurant meal in your guest house.

To start the day your guide will take you for a stroll through Ketambe village, dropping in to see a native bee farm where you can sample some jungle honey. You will then relax by the banks of the Alas river at the Elephant Horn cafe. After some drinks and snacks you will get to experience authentic village life; collecting local produce and preparing a meal with a local family; this is a cooking class where you truly embrace the local cultural practises. After enjoying the meal with the family, it’s free time, with the possibility of an afternoon motorbike tour to a waterfall! Optional extra*: For your last evening in Ketambe, it’s possible to organise a performance of the Saman dance, an ancient ritual performed by groups of young Gayo men throughout the highlands of the Leuser ecosystem; once you see the rapid synchronised hand movements required to perform the Saman dance, you will realise why it is also called the dance of a thousand hands.*A Saman dance performance requires a separate payment of €200 which is paid directly to the Ketambe youth organisation. Accommodation: Sumatra Jungle GuesthouseTransportation: Possible motorbike tour, otherwise enjoying wandering around the village  

For the uninitiated, there is a pun in the subheading as the ancient Batak Toba kings were quite partial to beheadings… but these days it’s a lot more friendly! Lake Toba is an incredible geological wonder; it’s the largest volcanic lake in the world, resulting from one of the largest known eruptions in earth's history, it was so large it caused a global volcanic winter!En route to Toba you will stop in at the Sipisopiso falls, ending the day by rolling into your lodgings on the lakes edge.

Explore the ancient Batak kingdoms of Toba, discover the royal grounds where elaborate ceremonial executions took place; and explore their traditional homes, which are built with such ingenious carpentry they don’t require a single nail, yet can stand for centuries! We then cruise around the lake looking at local art galleries; Toba’s incredible hand crafted art revolves around characters from Batak mythology, a beautiful memento of your Sumatran adventure! We will also check out some of the local markets and head to a restaurant for dinner were you can sample some of the local delicacies.

This is your day to decide what you want to do. Quickly becoming a must-do tourism destination in Sumatra, the lake is dotted with restaurants, bars and plenty of other ways to relax and revitalise yourself after your adventures in the jungle! You could go on a boat cruise, or hire bikes and cruise around this epic caldera lake.

Depending on the time of your return flight, this day can include cycling around the shores of the lake, or we catch the first vehicle ferry across the lake for our trip back to Medan airport. Alternatively, you can arrange flights out of Silangit International airport, which is right next to Lake Toba… this is where our journey together comes to an end, for now! Terima kasih teman - thank you, friends. Accommodation: Self-managed if necessaryTransportation: Private vehicle