Sumatra: Off the Beaten Path in Asia (page 3 of 3)

There’s no question of lost corners in this travel journal. All the places listed have accommodations available on Booking, Airbnb, etc. We’re talking about Sumatra—an island off the beaten path but within reach of any traveler like me. You don’t need to be an adventurer, backpacker, or globetrotter to go there.

I agree with you on that point.

Hi Attila! Thanks for your messages. I think we can try to debate without being too "harsh"... It's just a simple travel journal :) with its flaws and its strengths. We can also try to debate by adding nuance and staying calm...

I agree with you, Attila: in big cities (Medan, Padang) and tourist spots (Berastagi, Pulau Weh...), it's totally possible to find hotels with Western comfort or even luxury. You can also "arrive" in these cities by "comfortable taxi" or by plane, avoiding the uncomfortable buses on chaotic roads. So Sumatra becomes accessible to people who enjoy comfort and aren't adventurers. To open the debate: are there still places only accessible to pure adventurers? Even in Papua, even in the Gobi Desert, even deep in the Colombian jungle, anyone can get there if they have the means... Maybe the Arctic and Antarctica? And yet, luxury cruises are multiplying...

On another note, and in this sense I agree with Djalma, if you're coming from Bali (or comparing to Bali), Sumatra is less accessible to average travelers. It's harder to find 5-star hotels in less touristy areas. It's also less easy than in Bali to travel long distances comfortably...

As a concluding thought, I'll add some nuance to this "controversial" phrase from my travel blog: "Sumatra, as beautiful as it is, is only for backpackers / adventurers who can do without cozy, comfortable 3-star hotels."

Maybe I can rephrase it like this, which is more accurate: Sumatra is particularly suited to backpackers / adventurers who can do without cozy, comfortable 3-star hotels, even though it's possible to find luxury accommodations in big cities or tourist spots.

I don’t think the "particularly" adds anything here.

It’s not just adventurers/backpackers/explorers who venture off the beaten path where travel conditions are decent—it’s also people who are a little more curious than average, or those on their second, third, or umpteenth trip to the same country.

Sumatra, like other Indonesian islands, caters to these kinds of travelers.

Besides, Sumatra was once a rising tourist destination. The tsunami, repeated earthquakes, the blacklisting of local airlines, and the implementation of Sharia law in Banda Aceh have all taken a toll on tourism, making it tough to recover.

Hi there 😉

Uh! Are we talking about Sumatra here?

Sumatra used to be a land of future tourism

Lake Toba is a great example, with the large number of guest houses built on the Tuk Tuk peninsula (with a name like that, it must have attracted all the tourists craving Thailand), yet paradoxically, the few people you come across there. But that *might* have changed in the last 10 years—maybe on weekends with folks from the city (Medan).

The tsunami, repeated earthquakes, blacklisting of local airlines, and the implementation of sharia in Banda Aceh have taken their toll on tourism, and it’s been tough to recover

After several trips (6 in 9 years, including 2 to Sumatra) across the archipelago, I got the impression of a general lack of infrastructure management. Or when the friendly nonchalance quickly turns into unpleasant carelessness (hoping not to encounter situations caused by criminal negligence).

Example in the photo of an abandoned resort. I’ll keep its location quiet to avoid making things worse, though I hope it’s improved—though I’m probably dreaming.

Hey folks! 🙂

Tourism in Indonesia outside Bali and Java hasn’t managed to bounce back from the tsunami and those airline blacklists, even though the lists have gotten a lot less harsh toward the country since then.

For a long time, Indonesia disappeared from travel agencies’ catalogs—except for a few spots served by airlines that weren’t on those blacklists, like Bali. French travel guides even scrubbed their editions of anything beyond Bali, Lombok, and Java, even though earlier versions covered Sumatra, Sulawesi, and more.

Only independent travelers who weren’t scared off by the idea of a possible plane crash kept exploring all the islands—and there weren’t many of them.

Not enough to fill the hotels from the golden age, let alone build new ones...

And most of those independent, free-spirited travelers were (are?) on a tight budget. So even fewer customers for mid-range and upscale places.

Those places fell into disrepair—no money, no maintenance...

Add corruption to the mix...

Now, I think it’s the frequent earthquakes and all the international news that’s scaring off the more cautious travelers.

And they still haven’t had a repeat of Bali 2002... Whether we like it or not, it’s hanging over them. Most recent attacks have targeted law enforcement (Medan recently, Wiranto two months ago, etc.), but it’s only a matter of time before some lunatic goes after Westerners... And when that day comes, tourism numbers will take a nosedive...

I don’t know. Westerners have "gotten used to attacks since they can happen anywhere."

But there’s a difference between potentially being the victim of an attack at home and in a faraway country where you don’t know the language or the customs... Though I might be wrong.

Bali has experienced terrorism. Yet, it bounced back...

Hi,

Thanks for this really beautiful travel journal with great photos. I’ll think about heading there in 2025.

Lemaire Lionel

Great idea! Have a good trip :)