The stone chairs
The Batak's old court of justice.
edowardomd — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ziegler175 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ziegler175 — CC BY-SA 4.0
A heritage Batak village on the shore of Lake Toba on Samosir Island, ringed by old stone walls and lined with traditional Batak timber houses raised on stilts, their roofs curved like boats and carved in red, white and black. It was restored and reopened by the President of Indonesia in 2022. Its best-known feature is the stone chairs: a court of stone seats and tables under a great tree, where the village chief and elders sat to judge disputes and crimes, said by guides to be hundreds of years old. Local guides tell the stories of old Batak justice in a gripping way. Entry is a token fee of about ten thousand rupiah, and the local guide usually expects a tip. The village has shops of traditional Batak ulos textiles and occasional traditional dance. It is minutes from the Tuktuk peninsula, easy to reach by rented scooter or car. Half an hour to an hour is enough; combine it with the Huta Bolon museum at Simanindo to the north.
The Batak's old court of justice.
Carved Batak houses on stilts.
Traditional Batak weaving.
Ambarita, Samosir Island
Guides sometimes describe old punishments in blunt detail; with young children, ask the guide for a short version.