Toba's tourist heart
Guesthouses on the water.
Christian Advs Sltg — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Christian Advs Sltg — CC BY-SA 3.0
A small peninsula on the east coast of Samosir island that has been the tourist heart of Lake Toba for decades, where most visitors stay, its tip lined with guesthouses, hotels and restaurants right on the lakeshore among gardens and traditional Batak houses. Life here is slow and quiet: swimming in the clear lake from guesthouse jetties, paddling, cycling or motorbiking around the peninsula, and restaurants looking over the water to the mountains. From here it is easy to visit the nearby villages of Ambarita, Tomok and Simanindo with their tombs and museums. Wandering is free, and lodging ranges from simple to good hotels. Ferries from Parapat drop passengers straight at the guesthouse jetties in about half an hour to an hour. The climate is mild and fresh and the nights quiet, so allow at least two nights to enjoy the lake. Some restaurants serve pork, so ask for halal restaurants, which exist.
Guesthouses on the water.
In clear water.
Ambarita and Tomok.
Tuktuk Siadong, east coast of Samosir island
Yes: Muslim-run restaurants exist in Tuktuk and Parapat, but many Samosir restaurants serve pork, so ask before ordering, or choose fish and vegetables.