Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 226

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Pulau Samosir is arguably the best spot
in Sumatra in which to relax for a few
days on a hammock by the azure water.
Most tourists make for the eastern
shores of Samosir, directly across the
lake from Parapat, where there's a string
of enjoyable resorts, the main one being
Tuk Tuk, with plenty of hotels,
restaurants and bars. From here, you
can trek into the deforested hills within
the centre of Samosir or circle the
island's coastline by motorbike, calling
in at tiny Batak villages that have
flamboyant tombs and distinctive
concave-roofed houses, as well as the
island's cultural centre of Simanindo, on
Samosir's northern shore.

Tuk Tuk, is the tiny village of Garoga ,
from where you can hike to the
spectacular waterfall of the same name
(after rainfall). Ask locals for directions.

Ambarita
At the foot of a small banyan in Ambarita
lies a curious collection of stone chairs
(daily 6.30am-6pm; Rp6000), one of
which is mysteriously occupied by a stone
statue. Most of the villagers will tell you
that two centuries ago, this site played
host to royal conferences and the
beheadings of criminals; others say the
chairs are actually less than fifty years old,
the work of a local mason who copied
drawings of the original.

Simanindo
Simanindo lies at the northern end of the
island, 15km beyond the town of
Ambarita. he Museum Huta Bolon
Simanindo (daily 9am-5pm; Rp10,000)
is housed in the former longhouse of Raja
Simalungun, a Batak king, and showcases
a range of historic artefacts, including
spears, Chinese porcelain, magical
charms, a wooden guri guri (ashes urn)
and the royal boat. here are daily Batak
puppet dance performances (Mon-Sat
10.30am, Sun 11.35am; Rp50,000).

Tuk Tuk
he waters that lap the shores of Tuk Tuk
are safe for swimming , though they can
be dirty; the roped-off section of the
lake by Carolina's , complete with
pontoons, canoes and a diving board, is
the most popular place. here are also a
few activities on offer in Tuk Tuk,
including guided treks through the
interior of the island (Rp750,000) and
speedboat trips to Tomok, Ambarita and
Simanindo (Rp500,000/hr). You can
also rent bicycles (Rp25,000/day) and
motorbikes (Rp80,000/day), should you
want to visit the more far-flung reaches
of the island.

4

Simarmata and Pangururan
Continuing round to the western side
of the island takes you to Simarmata ,
halfway between Simanindo and
Pangururan, and one of the best-
preserved Batak villages on Samosir.
here's little to see in Pangururan itself,
though there's a hot spring across the
bridge in the village of Tele. Rico Melati ,
a restaurant at the top of the hill, has
great views and the nicest hot-spring pool
in the area (free for diners; Rp5000 if you
just want to swim).

Tomok
Tomok , 3km south of Tuk Tuk, is the
most southerly of the resorts on the east
coast; dozens of virtually identical
souvenir stalls line the main street.
Tomok's most famous sight is the early
nineteenth-century stone tomb of Raja
Sidabutar (daily 7am-7pm; donation),
the chief of the first tribe to migrate to
the island. You'll be asked to drape an
ulos (traditional Batak scarf ) across your
shoulder as a mark of respect before
entering. he sarcophagus has a Singa
face - a part-elephant, part-buffalo
creature of Toban legend - carved into
one end, and a small stone e gy of the
king's wife on top of the lid. On the way
to Ambarita from Tomok, due west of

Trekking across Samosir
he hills in the centre of Samosir tower
700m above the lake, and at the heart of
the island is a large plateau and Danau
Sidihoni , a body of water about the size
of a large village pond. It's a ten-hour
walk from one side of the island to the
other, but a stopover in one of the villages