Recap of 6 weeks in Sumatra April-May 2024

Sumatra at a leisurely pace, from mid-April to the end of May—pure bliss! Outbound/inbound flight to Kuala Lumpur to reach Medan, then our stops: Medan - Berastaggi - Toba / Ambarita - Ketambe - Pulau Nias / Teluk Dalam - Bukittinggi - Harau Valley - Padang / Rimba. A journey shaped by the ethnic groups: the Bataks around Berastaggi and Toba, the Ono Niha on Nias Island, and the Minangkabaus starting from Bukittinggi. Christians in the north and Muslims in a matrilineal society at the end of the trip. Rare animals in their natural habitat, orangutans in the canopy and hawksbill turtles within snorkeling distance. Though Sumatra isn’t a hotspot for Western tourists, it’s incredibly easy to explore Indonesia’s largest island. Since there were four of us and the journeys are very long (avg. 30 km/h), we opted for taxis between regions and rented scooters on-site; 3 days trekking in the primary forest of Gunung Leuser and guesthouses for accommodation the rest of the time, meals at local warungs. As I struggled to find info on Nias Island before our trip (thanks to Filemich for reassuring me about this stop), I’ll focus on this destination! We took an overnight ferry (https://www.wjl-line.com) from Sibolga to Teluk Dalam, in a 4-person cabin, and stayed at Taman Baloho Indah guesthouse, a bit outside the town and by the Indian Ocean—I highly recommend it. You can reach Erwin, the owner (a name from Dutch colonization), via WhatsApp at +62 812 6074 2874. He rents scooters and can also take you fishing if you ask, then you get to enjoy the fish cooked by his wife. Thanks to our guide Nitra (WhatsApp: +62 822 1383 9300), a young woman passionate about her history, we explored the east coast to visit a megalithic site, then crisscrossed the island’s interior for several days, from village to village, all still very traditional. She lives in Bawomataluo, the most famous of them. She was our gateway to her world, its rituals, and customs. We spent a week on the island—absolute heaven! Don’t hesitate to ask me about places, accommodations, or contacts for taxis or guides from our long stay—I’d be happy to answer!

Thanks for sharing your Sumatra trip report—it’s really interesting for those of us, like me, who aren’t familiar with Nias. I’d mostly heard about it from surfing enthusiasts. I traveled a lot in Sumatra a few years back (from 1994 to 2015) and gradually noticed a growing Islamic presence, especially in cities like Bukittinggi and Berastagi. There were endless sermons, usually in the evenings and on Fridays, with the sound system blasting! Enough to make a heathen like me want to run for the hills!

I’m completely respectful of religion, but sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming for me.

How is it now? Did you experience what I’m describing, or not?

Aside from that, I really loved that part of Indonesia.

Good evening, We had the same feeling when comparing it to our first trip in 2017 (so after yours), especially in the Bukittinggi area and all the way to the Harau Valley. We would’ve preferred less overwhelming noise, to be honest. On the other hand, we didn’t experience the same thing around Berastagi or in Nias, where most people are Christian and less expressive in public spaces.

Hi, roughly what does the budget look like? What are the sanitary conditions like there? Thanks

Indonesia is a relatively budget-friendly destination—you can easily find guesthouses once you're there. And don’t worry, Indonesians are pretty welcoming.

Hi there, For two people per day, we spent an average of 12.50 € on accommodation and the same on meals. We always had a double room, and most of the time a private bathroom, and we ate at small restaurants or the market. For transportation, we paid 450 € for two for all our local travel, but we used taxis a lot since there were four of us. It’s definitely not an expensive destination! Happy planning

scooter rental on site

Hi there, I’m planning to visit Sumatra this summer with my wife. Is it easy to rent scooters there? Do we need a motorcycle license, and what’s the price like?

Thanks in advance.

Philippe

Hi Philippe, It’s easy to rent scooters—from what I remember, around 8-9 €. We didn’t need to show a license to ride the local scooters, but we had an international driver’s permit with us (requested in France, takes about 6 months). Happy planning to you