Indonesia - Sumatra

Sumatra is now our start in the fourth Asian country of our journey. Here, too, we quickly realized that you can't compare one country to another. Everything is new again here. Currency, culture, people, cuisine. Our first stop took us to Bukit Lawang, where we were on our way to see orangutans. However, the journey there proved to be more difficult than expected. We were ripped off by the locals when it came to bus ticket prices, we sat in a 12-person bus with 18 other passengers, half of whom were still smoking on the bus, and we were driven to our accommodation through the deepest potholes by a not-so-attentive driver, for which we paid a total of 11 euros for 2 nights. That makes up for some of the other things;) In Bukit Lawang, we went on a jungle trek to see orangutans in the wild. Without a tour guide, you shouldn't venture into the jungle, as you simply wouldn't be able to find your way out. Our tour guide told us about a Dutchman who had tried this and had disappeared in the jungle for 4 days until he was found. In the jungle itself, there are various species of birds, beetles, snakes, and monkeys. During multi-day treks through the jungle (about 7 days), it is even possible to see tigers and elephants. Unfortunately, no one here can guarantee that you will actually see animals. However, we were lucky and saw seven orangutans, including two babies, and at the end of our tour, we were even able to feed and touch an orangutan. We also saw the familiar macaque monkeys and Thomas monkeys, as well as a snake that lives in the forest and only moves once a month. A very successful day for us with lots of souvenir photos in our luggage.

After our stay in the jungle, we switched to the relaxed part of Sumatra and went to Lake Toba for three days. Lake Toba is the largest lake in Indonesia and the largest crater lake in the world. The lake was created by an eruption of the supervolcano Toba about 80,000 years ago. We had our accommodation in the small village of Tuk Tuk, which is located on the island in Lake Toba. To get to the hotel, you are transported by boat from the mainland to the respective hotel.

Once there, we had a fantastic view from our bungalow room, which was right on the lake. We felt a bit at home because it reminded us a lot of Lake Constance.

So we took the time to go canoeing, swimming, and exploring the island by scooter. We visited the oldest village on the island, a traditional Batak dance, coffee plantations, and a small lake located in the mountains of the island.

The area is really beautiful and perfect if you are looking for peace and quiet.

After three days, we returned to Medan because the next day our flight continued to Java. We started at half past eight in the morning with the boat to the mainland, from there it was supposed to go to Medan at 10 o'clock for just under 250 km, past the second largest waterfall in Indonesia. However, due to Indonesian traffic and unloading other passengers, the entire journey took us a whole 11 hours. You definitely need patience and time for Indonesian traffic - we know that now.