Taman Simalem Resort Merek

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Taman Simalem Resort Berastagi Lake Toba

Taman Simalem Resort is located on the hills of north-western part of Lake Toba, one of the highest and deepest crater lakes in the world. It is located 45 minutes away from the resort town of Berastagi and can also be reached in 2.5 hours by road from Medan, the provincial capital of North Sumatera.

Acquired in 2002, the 200-hectare property will be developed in stages as a major agro-tourism attraction in the region, with more than 25 hectares of organically grown Oranges, Loquat, Passion Fruit, Tamarillo, Guava, Tea, Coffee and Avocado.

Some facilities under development include:

• Kodon-Kodon Cafe (tasty treats in gazebos overlooking Lake Toba)
• Toba Cafe (fast-food outlet with great view of golf course)
• Pearl of Lake Toba Plaza (best view of Lake Toba for photo-shoot)
• Buddhist Temple (ancient Buddhist Temple architecture)
• Management Office
• Windy Cafe (snacks on the site of Tongging Lodge & Convention)

Some Facts
In the next two years, visitors will be able to enjoy:

• Pangambatan Zoopark (animal park, jungle trekking and camping facilities)
• Karo Agrotourism Farm (center for research dan cultivation of fruits and vegetables)
• Tongging Lodge & Convention and Spa (200-room hotel and dormitory)
• Merek Funland (children in- and outdoor playground)
• Owners’ Guesthouse (20-room exclusive accommodation)
• 9-hole Gorat Ni Padang golf course (set in the midst of tea and coffee plantation)

The development of Taman Simalem Resort will be capped with the development of members-only One Tree Hill Villa Resort and cable-car link to shore of Lake Toba in 2010.

Taman Simalem Resort is developed by PT Merek Indah Lestari, an associated company of Hotel Sibayak Internasional Berastagi, North Sumatera’s first 4-star resort, in partnership with Nexus Investment Pte Ltd, a Singapore investment company.

DO YOU KNOW?
Taman Simalem Resort lies on an unutilised grassland named Gorat Ni Padang, where cattles used to graze in the past.

All the building materials used in this project are sourced from outside – not even a grain of sand or aggregate is taken from the river that runs throught the site.

130 hectares of jungle that surrounds the site was acquired so as to protect the national forest reserve that lies next to Taman Simalem Resort.

One Tree Hill Villa Resort is named such because of the sole pine tree that existed on the location – it will be preserved and the buildings will be designed around it.

Simalem in Batak Karo language means cool and pleasing

Kayak in Lake Toba

Ever thought of Kayaking in Lake Toba?

I received this special interesting Breaking News Story featured in Straits Time Singapore from our reader Mr. Ronen Skaletzky.

The feature is about the wonderful experience of 10 kayakers comprising Australians, Britons, Germans, Malaysians and a Singaporean - rowing Kayak 139km down Lake Toba for over four days.

Have you ever thought about Kayaking in Lake Toba ( North Sumatra - Indonesia ) - The Largest Crater Lake in the world twice the size of Singapore? Read this adventurous story…

“…Some might say it is one of the most beautiful places in the world to kayak.

We took three months to plan the trip online. Some of us were strangers and the only binding factor was we each owned folding kayaks that could be collapsed into backpacks for easy transportation.

We met at Polonia Airport in Medan before heading for the lake. I was the first to arrive with a 19kg backpack containing food and a kayak.

A customs officer asked: ‘What is it?’

I answered: ‘Sampan.’

He let me through, shaking his head in disbelief.

Halim, a German who owns a local paddle tour company and was joining us as a member in the expedition, was waiting at the airport entrance with a wide grin. He excitedly waved a paddle in the air, making himself impossible to miss.

When everyone had arrived, we embarked on a bumpy four-hour 180km ride to Tigaraja ferry terminal in Prapat town, right on the edge of Lake Toba.

Boats at this terminal head mostly for Samosir, an island in the middle of the lake. There are no pre-designated ferry stops. Passengers simply give the name of their accommodation and alight at the piers nearest to their hotels.

At dusk, we got off at a tiny pier built for Romlan, a traditional Batak house hostel run by a German woman in Tuk Tuk town on Samosir Island.

Night was falling and with the help of torches, we struggled to assemble our kayaks. But something was wrong. My kayak was missing an aluminium rod, integral for stretching and supporting the skin to keep it afloat. I had left it behind in Singapore. My heart sank.

The new blue kayak was to have its debut row on Lake Toba. I had even christened it Toby.

My new friends scoured the area for a substitute rod and found a piece of bamboo. They sculpted ’screws’ for the rod out of tree bark and used plastic cable ties to secure the rod and Toby was ready to go.

The next day, we rowed 55km south to Muara town, passing several waterfalls teeming with jumping fish.

Once in a while, cranes flew by and eagles descended to the water to fish, like a scene out of National Geographic.

There were only a few hours of morning light before the crater lake became shrouded in mist. In the afternoon, the mist condensed into clouds, lingering low on the hills.

The water temperature had fallen over the last few years to about 24 deg C due to global weather changes. So going to the restroom was a cold ordeal because it involved jumping into the water.

When it stormed in the evening, the lake churned up rough waves that could overturn small kayaks. The storm also sent winds so chilly that even windbreakers could not keep us warm and heavy raindrops beat down painfully on our tired bodies.

It became essential to have lightsticks strapped to our life jackets so we could spot one another easily.

We munched on muesli and nuts to keep energy levels up and drank from bottles of water we had stored in the sterns and bows of our kayaks.

It was a relief to finally reach the town of Muara where we spent the night in Wisma Muara Nauli, a hotel that was still in its final stages of construction.

The next morning, as we left the hotel, locals in motorboats stared at us with puzzled looks.

Rowing a boat apparently is for the poor who do it out of necessity. And nobody kayaks in Lake Toba.

Halim, who has lived in Indonesia for more than 10 years, explained: ‘The idea of paddling a boat is absolutely crazy to the locals, it is a lapse into backwardness. Once they can afford motorised boats, it is absurd to use such a primitive form to move a boat forward.’

That night, we got lost when the batteries of the GPS system ran out after 16 hours of paddling. Even with a full moon overhead, differentiating Samosir Island - our key landmark - from the various hills and crevasses was impossible.

Finally, at midnight, we found Sampean. The family hosting us ran out of their homes, shining lights onto the dark water to guide the paddlers. They served a meal of mee gomak - noodles with a very hot sauce made of peanuts and grounded chilli padi.

On day three, paddling north to Silalahi, a remote sleepy village, revealed more of the lake’s beauty, as the hills surrounding it were filled with flowers.

You spot more Christian tombs than humans, scattered all over the hills. The Bataks were converted by American missionaries in the 19th century. Today, on Samosir Island, which is also called the Island of the Dead because of the tombs, locals practise a mix of animistic beliefs and Christianity.

The villagers at Silalahi made an impression on us on the last night. They gathered at the only restaurant in their town situated along the lake, anticipating our arrival. They had prepared a song and dance to welcome us, and also called a TV crew from Medan to film our arrival.

But we were four hours late and we arrived in a storm.

Still, the villagers ran out to welcome us, making their way down slippery rocks to carry the kayaks ashore.

David, the restaurant manager from Morina guesthouse, had his employees move all the tables and chairs outside into the rain, so our kayaks could be kept safely inside for the night. They also whipped up a stunning meal of Toba french fries and local dishes.

The next morning, the village chief danced and sang before we left. Young and old, they stood in line to shout, ‘Horas! Horas! Horas!’ (a Batak greeting that means God bless).

Finally, on the fourth day, we paddled into Tongging village to disassemble the kayaks and a van took us to the airport.

Sim Cher Huey, who organised the expedition and owns kayakasia.org, claims this to be the first folding-kayak expedition in Asia.

According to Halim, Sumatra is ‘a great place for adventurers, a lousy place for tourists’. The downside is its poor infrastructure. Nonetheless, Lake Toba was for me a journey of wondrous sights where time stood still.“

Source: Breaking News Straits Times Singapore

Lake Toba Medan Sumatra Tour

Medan Travel - Lake Toba, Brastagi Tour

There has been many requests for a package tour for Medan Lake Toba & Brastagi

Yes it can be difficult and costly to get to Lake Toba as it is more than 4 hours drive from the city of Medan. Language barrier and safety concerns have also added to this.

If you are the adventurous type, you may want to try to arrange it yourself, but with many hotels without email address or website, it can be difficult to get hold of a room. Renting a private car is costly, public buses are only recommended for the experience back packers.

So we arranged a package tour for our visitors to Medan with reputable hotels and an English speaking guide to ensure your trip is safe and enjoyable. Personally, we did have a bad experience with a package tour to Lake Toba and hence we want to ensure this does not happen to any new visitors to Lake Toba.

As you may have read in our post on Lake Toba, it is the Largest Volcanic Lake in the world. One of the things Medan is proud to call home. Many travelers come to Medan especially to see one of the wonders of the world. So if you have a chance to come to Medan, why not take a day or two to visit Lake Toba.

See the itinerary of the package tour we arrange for you from the link at the top menu under “TOUR” or clik on the link below:

>> Lake Toba Tour <<

Tour

Medan Travel: Lake Toba Tour

3D/2N Lake Toba Tour with English Speaking Guide

The Itinerary

DAY 01: Arrive Medan – Parapat – Samosir Tour – Parapat (L,D)

You will be meet on arrival in Medan, the 3rd largest city of Indonesia, then depart for Parapat in 175 km driving through lush green countryside of ricefields, rubber, cocoa and oil palm plantations. Arrive in Parapat, lunch at local restaurant. Then start on Samosir Tour. Tour on part of the island, visit the sarcophagus / tomb of King Sidabutar at Tomok Village. And on to the next village Ambarita to see the stone furniture in the courtyard of King Siallagan. Then return to the lakeside town of Parapat and check in hotel.
(Overnight at Niagara Hotel**** or similar hotel)

DAY 02: Parapat – Brastagi (B,L,D)

After breakfast, depart for Brastagi with view of vegetable and fruit farms, pine tree plantation and stunning view of the Lake. Enroute visit Sipiso-piso waterfall. Arrive in Brastagi, check in hotel.
(Overnight at Grand Mutiara Hotel***** or similar hotel)

DAY 03: Brastagi – Medan – End Tour (B,L)

After Breakfast, visit fruit market and back to Medan in 2 hours drive. Enroute pass tropical rainforest. On arrival in Medan, lunch at local restaurant and tour the city sights which include Sultan Deli Palance, the Great Mosque, Merdeka Colonial Square, etc. Then transfer to hotel. End Tour

NETT rate in TWIN sharing USD$ 268 per person

Above rate include: Accommodation as mentioned above + daily breakfast, 3x Lunch, 2x Dinner, Land Tour & Boat Tour, English Speaking Guide & Entrance Tickets as stated in program.

Remark:
- Arrival flight must be early morning flight.
- Tour on part of Samosir Island using car

Contact MedanKu for more information

Lake Toba Largest Volcanic Lake in the World

Lake Toba North Sumatra Indonesia

The Pride of Medan Indonesia

Lake Toba also known as Danau Toba in Indonesia is the largest volcanic lake ( crater lake ) in the world.

At 100 km long and 30 km wide, measuring 505 m at its deepest point, it is situated in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Surrounded by tall mountains, it cradles the large island of Samosir in its middle.

Uniqueness of Lake Toba:

Unlike any other lake, if you think about the location — close to the equator — and look at the picture, you will realize that there is something strange about the lake. Most large lakes were formed by glaciers; large lakes close to the equator are sometimes formed by the damming of a large river. But there is no large river flowing into Lake Toba. The lake has a different and more dramatic origin.

Lake Toba marks the site of the largest volcanic eruption in the last 2 million years. It is, like Yellowstone, a “resurgent caldera”, or as geologists David Alt and Daniel Hyndman call this type of volcano, a “perfect horror”. Alt and Hyndman call resurgent calderas “perfect horrors” because they are both violent and enormous.

The size of Lake Toba may be a little difficult to grasp from the picture, so to give you some comparisons.

In Washington state, if the lake were aligned north to south in the Puget Sound area, it would stretch from Everett to Tacoma. In the Chicago area, it would stretch from Waukegan to Gary. In New York, it would stretch from West Point to the Statue of Liberty. This is one enormous volcano.

And its most recent eruption, about 75,000 years ago, was in Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8

The Young Toba Tuff has an estimated volume of 2,800 cubic kilometers (km) and was erupted about 74,000 years ago. The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, erupted at Yellowstone 2.2 million years ago, has a volume of 2,500 cubic km. The Lava Creek Tuff, erupted at Yellowstone 600,000 years ago, has a volume of 1,000 cubic km. The May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens produced 1 cubic km of ash. Not shown in the diagram, is the Fish Canyon Tuff of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The Fish Canyon Tuff was erupted 27.8 million years ago and has an estimated volume of 3,000 cubic km.

The volume of the youngest eruption is estimated at 2,800 cubic km, making the eruption the largest in the Quaternary. Pyroclastic flows covered an area of at least 20,000 square km. Up to 1200 feet (400 m) of Young Toba Tuff is exposed in the walls of the caldera. On Samosir Island the tuff is more than 1800 feet (600 m) thick. Ash fall from the eruption covers an area of at least 4 million square km (about half the size on the continental United States).

That eruption would not have been pleasant for our ancestors. In fact, some scientists believe that the eruption, and the volcanic winter that followed, almost wiped out homo sapiens, cutting our population down to as few as 3,000, or even as few as 1,000. (That population bottleneck, as geneticists call it, would explain why humans vary less genetically that one would expect from the age of our species.)

How to Get to Lake Toba:

Since it is located in North Sumatra, the only way there is through the city of Medan - North Sumatra Indonesia

Lake Toba is about 4 hours drive by car from Medan City. You can travel by public bus which may take longer to about 6 hours. The usual stop is the town of ” Pematang Siantar ” halfway to Lake Toba for a toilet break.

Local town is known as Prapat / Parapat

Local transportation around the lake takes the form of boats. You can also hire a motorcycle for a day or two and get out and about ( Rp.50,0000 per day inclusive of 4 litres of petrol ). There are no police checking licenses and there is not much traffic - just watch out for the big trucks, buses and diabolical bridge.

See Tour Package for Lake Toba & Brastagi

Related Guides:

• Videos on Lake Toba
• Vacation Spots Ideas

Medan Must GO

Maimoon Palace

Medan offers plenty of sight and experiences for the visitor. One of the city’s best
known landmarks is Maimoon Palace, the former residence of the Sultan of Deli.
It was built in 1888 by Sultan Makmun Al-Rasyid. Remains of the sultanate, mostly
relics bearing the marks of the Malay nature of the area, can still be found in the
vicinity of the palace.

Grand Mosque

Not far from the palace is the Grand Mosque, one of the most striking anywhere
in Indonesia, built in 1906. The mosque’s grounds contains a graveyard where
a number of sultans of Deli and members of the nobilty are buried.

Bukit Barisan War Museum

The Bukit Barisan War Museum on Jalan H. Zainal Arifin has collection of
weapons and equipment used by the Indonesian freedom fighters during
the war of independence in the late 1940s.

Museum of North Sumatra

The Museum of North Sumatera at 51 Jl. H. M. Joni (open Tue to Sun,
8.30 - 12.00, and 1.30 - 5.00), was established 20 years agoto present and
preserve the natural and cultural history of North Sumatera’s ethnic groups.
Like most provincial museums in Indonesia, this is large, informative, well
laid out and inexplicably deserted. The concrete reliefs on the museum’s
facade depict a couple dressed in traditional costume from each of the
area’s ethnic groups. Inside is the history of Sumatera from pre-history to
the present day. Highlights include a couple of Arabic gravestones from 8
AD and a number of ancient stone Buddhist sculptures found buried under
Medan’s Chinatown district.

Crocodile Park

In Jl. Simalingkar B, is the Taman Margasatwa Zoo, which has collection of
animals both indigenous and foreign to Indonesia. The Crocodile Park is
located in the village Asam Kumbang. Here, hundreds of crocodiles are
hatched and raised in pools. Perfomances of men fighting the animals are
regularly staged.

Belawan Ocean Harbour

Belawan’s ocean harbour is located a little outside this North Sumatran port
town, which is known for its fresh and dried fish and other products of the sea,
and for its typical local seafood.

Waterworks Tirtanadi Museum

This a one-room waterworks museum, next to the old water tower on
Sisingamangaraja street. Old photos and old Dutch equipment are on
display.Open from Monday - Friday.

Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery

This is a well-kept private museum of its own kind. It displays 400 suffed
animals, most of them shot by the owner. It is interesting if you like dead
animals, it was established in 1999 and open from Tuesday - Sunday.
The entrance is not free.

Sri Marriamman Temple

The Hindu Sri Marriamman Temple, built in 1884 and devoted to the goddess Kali.
This typically colourful and elaborate temple is Medan’s oldest and most venerated
Hindu shrine. Remember to remove your shoes before entering, and keep quiet
inside thetemple grounds. The Sri Marriamman Temple marks the beginning of
the Indian Quarter, the Kampung Keling, the largest of its kind in Indonesia.

Vihara Gunung Timur (Temple of the Eastern Mountain)

This largest Chinese Temple in Sumatera, the Taoist Vihara Gunung Timur
(Temple of the Eastern Mountain), which, with its multitude of dragons, wizards,
warriors and lotus petals, is tucked away on tiny Jalan Hang Tuah, 500 meters
south of the Hindu Temple.