The fruit market
Highland oranges, strawberries and passion fruit.
Christian Advs Sltg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Equifins — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Christian Advs Sltg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lim Natee — CC BY-SA 4.0
A cool mountain town some thirteen hundred metres up in the Karo highlands, about two hours' drive south of Medan, where city people come to escape the heat. Its average temperature is about eighteen degrees, dropping to twelve at night, mist wraps it in the evening, and two volcanoes stand nearby: Sibayak and Sinabung. Its best-known sights are the fruit market, selling fresh highland fruit such as oranges, strawberries, passion fruit and vegetables, and Gundaling Hill, about two kilometres from town, with a wide view of both volcanoes and the fields, which visitors climb on horseback or by cart. A local tale says its name comes from an English phrase a foreigner said to his sweetheart on parting. The town and hill are mostly free, with small charges for parking and horse rides. The road from Medan has many stops, among them the Sibolangit forest and roadside grilled-corn stalls on the mountain road. It can be a day trip from Medan, or an overnight stop on the way to Lake Toba. Bring a jacket for the cool evenings. The area is mostly Christian, so ask about halal restaurants, which the town does have.
Highland oranges, strawberries and passion fruit.
Views of Sibayak and Sinabung.
About 18 °C at 1,300 metres.
Karo highlands, about 66 km south of Medan
Sinabung is an active volcano that has erupted repeatedly since 2010 with loss of life, so do not approach or climb it; view it from afar at Gundaling and follow local authority warnings.