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

HillPark opens for Idul Fitri

HillPark Sibolangit Theme Park opens for Idul Fitri

For anyone visiting Medan this festive holiday, you will be glad to know that HillPark Theme Park will be opening everyday for 01 October 2008 to 12 October 2008

Opening Times:

• Monday to Friday - 10.00 to 18.00 WIB
• Saturday - 10.00 to 21.00 WIB
• Sunday - 09.00 to 19.00 WIB

HillPark Sibolangit is the latest theme park in Medan about  1 hour drive from Medan - halfway to Berastagi. Tourist may choose to stay at the hotels in Berastagi or a new boutique hotel at Sibolagit known as “The Hill”

For more information about the rides and pictures of HillPark, you may refer to this page on HillPark Theme Park Sibolangit

Rainbow Halo Around Sun

Rainbow Around the Sun in Medan!

This is an amazing phenomenon that happened in Medan today right about 12 noon to about 1 pm. Everyone called or sms their friends and family members to look up into the bright blue sky of Medan to see this “Rainbow Halo around the Sun” also known as a “Sun Dog” by meteorologist.

And you can see everyone reaching out for the camera phone and point it to the sky to take this amazing sight of a perfect circle of rainbow around the sun. So we took out ours too just to show you here.

We took this picture from Sushi Tei Medan as you can see the signage of the restaurant in the picture and the date 22 Sep 2008 12.44pm

Rainbows after rain are very common but seeing this ranbow-like halo around the sun is very rare. It is actually the same physics in play here. The halos usually appeared when there are high clouds overhead. These Clouds are made of tiny ice crystals which refract the sunlight.

There was no rain today although it did rained heavily last night causing storms and several districts out of electricity when several “trafo” from the PLN exploded.

This photo is taken from our car to show you a better picture. It was difficult to take a full circle of the halo effect as it is really HUGE and prominent above the sky. As it is noon time, the Sun Dog is right above with a bright sun shining down.

Halos are also  optical phenomena that appear near or around the  Sun or  Moon, and sometimes near other strong light sources such as street lights. There are many types of optical halos, but they are mostly caused by  ice crystals in cold  cirrus clouds located high (5-10 km, or 3-6 miles) in the upper  troposphere. The particular shape and orientation of the crystals is responsible for the type of halo observed.  Light is  reflected and  refracted by the  ice crystals and may split up into  colours because of  dispersion, similarly to the  rainbow.

We did wonder if this phenomenon was only viewable around Medan? or further… ? If anyone has any information please feel free to share them in the comments below.

More pictures of the Sun Dog - Halo Matahari in Medan

taken much further away to show you the perfect circle of Rainbow:

Ok, this picture here below should proof that this phenomenon is really in MEDAN with Rainbow Halo in te sky overlooking the water tower of Tirtanadi of Medan by Harian Analisa Medan

Another good picture taken at noon ( sun is larger and brighter ) But dont be mistaken, the black lines blocking the view are electrical lines commonly seen in hanging from house to house in Medan

Medan Kuala Namu Airport

Medan International Airport at Kuala Namu North Sumatra Indonesia

Want a glimpse of the new Medan International Airport?

Medan’s new airport is long overdue. The current Medan Polonia Airport is one of the busiest airport in Indonesia and yet smaller and older than many airports in Indonesia. I once visited Padang - a town much smaller than Medan and surprisingly, it has a newer and modern airport compared to Medan.

You will understand what I mean when you land in Medan where passengers still have to take the stairs up and down the plane.

Yes, we do not have the hangars that we can walk to the planes from the terminal like many airports in the world. ( ehm.. except for the latest budget terminals in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur etc that were specifically built for the budget airlines )

Medan was supposed to build the Kuala Namu Airport to replace Polonia Airport before the 1997 economic crisis and the project was delayed until recently.

Here’s a video by Air Transport Authority of Indonesia ( Departmen Perhubungan Udara Republik Indonesia ), PT. Angkasa Pura Schipol, PT. Hasfarm Dian Konsultan and PT. LAPI Ganeshatama Consulting of a 3D simulation of the new Airport building at Kuala Namu

Hopefully, the next time you visit Medan ( 2009-2010 ) , we can welcome you with our new Airport at Kuala Namu

Puasa Imsakiyah 1429 - 2008 Medan

Ramadhan Fasting Month Period for Medan - Imsakiah 1429

Please find attached the time schedules for Ramadhan Fasting month period for Medan for 01 Sep 2008 to 30 Sep 2008.

The schedule is not only useful for those who are fasting but you may also use it as a guide to plan dinner invitations with your friends and clients.

Note:

This schedule is for Medan, Belawan, Delitua, Hamparan Perak, Kuta Lim-baru, Labuhan Deli, Percut, Namurambe, PancurBatu, Patumbak, Tanjung Morawa, Tiga Johar.

For Other areas:

BangunPurba, DolokMasihul, LubukPakam, PantaiCermin, Perbaungan, Batangkuis, Sindaraya, Sipispis and  Tigaras (-1minute) .

Dolok Merawan, Firdaus, SeiRampah, Pematang siantar, Serbelawan, Tebing Tinggi,TigaBalata ( -2 minutes ).

IndraPura, KualaTanjung, LabuhanRuku, Lima Puluh, Perdagangan and Raja Maligas ( -3 minutes ).

Air Joman and Tanjung Tiram ( -4 minutes ).

Binjai, Gebang, Hinai, Kaban jahe, Kuala,Munte, NamuUkur, Padang Tualang, Pamah, Secanggang, Simpang Empat (Karo) , Stabat, Tanjung Pura, Tanjung Selamat, Tiga Nderket and Tiga Binanga ( +1 minute ).

Bahorok, BatuKarang, Besitang, LauBalang, Pangkalan Brandan, Pangkalan Susu, Pulau Kampai and Tanjung Langkat ( + 2 minutes ).

Jadwal Imsakiyah Ramadhan 1429 H / 2008 M by Badan Hisab dan Rakyat Propinsi Sumatera Utara

Feel Free to Share it with your friends using the Share button below

Fasting Month Rahmadhan 1429

The Fasting Month of Rahmadhan 1429 - 2008 in Medan Indonesia

There are several things that visitors need to be aware during this fasting month which is from 01 September to 30 September 2008.

Ramadan, the fasting month, is an event of great importance to the Indonesian and the world’s Muslim community. Being one of the five pillars of Islam, observance of the fasting month is the priority in the devout Muslim’s life during this month. Fasting involves a change in the daily routine of the Muslim faithful and represents an expression of their deep belief in God.

Many Indonesians look forward to Ramadan as an opportunity to test and develop their inner, spiritual selves. The fasting regimen is rigorous. No eating, drinking or smoking is allowed after the first prayer in the morning until the opening of the fast in the evening.

Prayer times change based on sunset and sunrise, so the exact timing is different every day. ( see the schedule attached Puasa Imsakiyah 1429 Medan ) The morning prayer usually comes around 4.30 AM. Before this time, a Muslim family must rise and consume the last food or drink that they will have for the next fourteen hours.

The opening of the fast, or Buka Puasa, occurs around 6.00 PM in the evening. At this time, all fasting Muslims will break the fast by drinking, eating and attending prayers. Expect restaurants to be more busy than usual especially those that are serving Indonesian or local food as many families may not cook for this breaking fast period.

During this time, you may noticed that some restaurants may be closed or are opening discretely with curtains covering up windows of restaurants during the fasting time. This is a sign of respect for those who are fasting.

You can see an example here of a picture taken today at Mc Donalds Yuki Medan where they have prepared the curtains to cover up the windows of their fast food chain for Rahmadhan.

Other ways visitors should do as a sign of respect are:

• Be discreet when consuming food. Do not to eat or drink in public places except for restaurants.
• Be observant and do not offer food or drink during the fasting hours to those who are fasting.
• Be respectful and do not showcase your own food or drinks in offices or public places.
• Be empathetic and tolerant as you may find energy levels of those who are fasting to be low which may affect service levels and lower performance.

If you are fasting, you may find these places useful when breaking fast or BUKA Puasa where food can be served almost instantly apart from those fast food restaurants such as Mc Donalds and KFC of course. The restaurants that serves Padang Food such as the Garuda or Simpang Tiga can prepare your table with food waiting for the time for you to break fast and consume instantly.

The expat website of Indonesia wrote a very good article on Business Across Cultures: The Fasting Month. If you are doing business or an expat in Medan, you may want to read more about it.

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

Miss Indonesia 2008 Raline Rahmat Shah

Miss Indonesia Pageant 2008

We are proud to present you our Miss North Sumatra - Raline Rahmat Shah who represented Medan North Sumatra in This year’s Miss Indonesia Pageant 2008.

Raline Shah comes from a high profile family in Medan with her father Rahmat Shah owner of Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery in Medan which is probably the only Private Wild Life Museum in Asia which Medan is proud to have.

Raline graduated from the prestigious National University of Singapore in Political Science and New Media Communication, born in 1985, she is multi lingual speaking fluent English and French.

What makes Raline even more unique is her natural beauty and her welcoming smile as you can see from the pictures below.

Raline may have come 4th in the Miss Indonesia 2008 Pageant from the decisions of the judges.

BUT the Most Astonishing part is:

She received a landslide victory as Miss Indonesia Favorite ( Putri Favorit Indonesia ) with over 76% of Indonesian voting for her in the SMS polling. As a comparison, the runner-up only received 6% of votes.

The Miss Indonesia of the People of Indonesia:

Horas | Batak Traditions

The Meaning and Definitions of HORAS & Batak Traditions

Horas is a greeting frequently said in everyday life by Batak People from North Sumatra especially the “Tapanuli”.

In addition to Horas, other unique greeting words are Menjuah-juah from Karo and Yahobu from Nias. But Horas is the most popular and widely used. It is difficult to find the Indonesian translation as Horas means, among others:

• how are you,
• wishing a good health,
• introductory word,
• good morning/afternoon /evening,
• welcome/goodbye.

Horas in Batak tradition has its uniqueness, created from Batak’s life philosophy “Dalihan Na Tolu” (DNT). Literary DNT means “Tungku Nan Tiga” or Stove supported by three legs. The philosophy shows the intimate internal relationship from three Batak’s familial society which pray for everyone to always be “Horas-Horas”: Somba Mar Hula-hula, Elek mar boru, Manat Mar - Dongan tubu.

According to DNT, Batak Familial relationship is divided in three parts : Hula-hula (family of the wife), Dongan tubu (our surname, patriarch line, father, grandfather and sons), Boru (women family from father, our sister and their husbands’ family). Somba mar – Hula-hula means to always follow and respect the Hula-hula in order to be “Horas-Horas” ; Elek mar- Boru means to love our sister and their husbands so we will be blessed abundantly.

Manat mar - Dongan Tubu means carefully maintain the family relationship to avoid misfortune and curse from our family. Every Batak person is a King (Raja), not in a monarch way of meaning.

The word is commonly used in Batak’s traditional ceremonies and every day life. In the DNT relationship, it is symbolized in a triangle, each is called: Raja ni Hula-hula, Raja ni Boru and Raja ni Dongan Tubu. Every Batak male in the society has been in the three DNT positions; Hula-hula, Boru or Dongan Tubu, depending on the situation and condition. Batak tradition does not consider one’s position, wealth or status because it solely refers to DNT philosophy.

In a traditional ceremony, a General might need to work and help the wife’s family who is a Sergeant. This might an ackward situation for the Sergeant, but that is Batak familial relationship. Based on their tradition, Batak people are simple, cooperative, giving and gentle. It is wrong to say that Batak people is rude, tough and difficult to socialize.

The rough and tough physical appearance is the result of Tapanuli natural condition which shape Batak people’s life. Tapanuli soil is dry and hard with high altitude from sea water that force Batak people to work hard for food. Hard wind and the long distance between houses have made them to scream or yell in order to communicate. Such character is only in appearance, but they have a good heart.

Another Tapanuli tradition is Tarombo (family tree) which is inherited from the father to the sons. It is said that all Tarombo is written on woodenbarks, leather and white linen and pass from generation to generation through the sons. From this Tarombo, the 20th generation will easily trace their patriarch and family members.

Horas jala gabe!

Source:

Paian Simbolon, Badak-Samarinda, East Kalimantan, INDONESIA

New Governor North Sumatra 2008-2013

Remember the election for the new governor of North Sumatra?

Well, here’s the result, the new governor and vice governor of North Sumatra are:

Governor: H. SYAMSUL ARIFIN, SE

Vice Governor: GATOT PUJO NUGROHO, ST

 

You can check out more on their education, biography, vision and mission even their family and childrens online at their main website Syamsul & Gatot