Danau Toba
At Samosir’s northern tip, in the village of Simanindo, 15km north of Tuk Tuk, there’s a beautifully restored traditional house that now functions as a…
Must-see attractions in Sumatra
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
North Sumatra
Definitely not your everyday church, St Francis of Assisi is built in a monumental Karo Batak style, with a traditional multitiered pointed-roof design…
Danau Toba
In the village of Ambarita, 5km north of Tuk Tuk, is a group of 300-year-old stone chairs, where important matters were discussed among village elders…
Sumatra
This active volcano with three craters makes for a relatively straightforward ascent with two trail options: an easier gravel path or a tougher trail…
West Sumatra
Impressive waterfalls dot the whole Kerinci Valley. The easiest to find are the Air Terjun Telun Berasap in the ‘Letter W’ village 4km north of Pelompek…
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Museum
Sumatra
Along the banks of the Sungai Musi is this museum inside an attractive 19th-century building that incorporates a mix of European and local architectural…
Banyak Islands
Covered in dense jungle, Pulau Tuangku is the largest of the Banyak Islands. Surfers head to Ujung Lolok, the headland at the south of the island,…
West Sumatra
Benteng de Kock was built by the Dutch during the Padri Wars. Other than a few cannons and ramparts, there’s not much to it now apart from the nice…
North Sumatra
These narrow but impressive falls cascade 120m down to the northern end of Danau Toba, 24km from Kabanjahe and about 300m from the main road. It's worth a…
Sumatra
Bawomataluo's two streets meet opposite the impressive chief’s house, which is thought to be both the oldest and the largest on Nias. You can poke around…
West Sumatra
This extensive network of underground WWII Japanese bunkers built into a cliff face stretches for nearly 1.5km. It was built by local forced labour in…
Sumatra
Famous for its seven multicoloured boiling pools, the whitest allegedly home to the Kawah Putri spirit who’ll come if you call her, Bukit Daun makes for a…
Sumatra
Gunung Dempo is a semi-active volcano and the highest (3159m) of the peaks surrounding the Pasemah Highlands that dominate Pagaralam. Allow two full days…
Aceh
At the hilltop viewpoint reached by following the road 8km north of Iboih through the forest reserve, a gaudy 44m-high globe-shaped monument marks the…
Sumatra
Just 3km south of Pagaralam, by the village of Berlumai, are these stone carvings scattered among an idyllic countryside of rice paddies and coffee…
North Sumatra
The charming village of Dokan is around 16km south of Kabanjahe. Some half a dozen traditional houses can be found here and they're all occupied, which…
Medan
The home of a famous Chinese merchant who died in 1921 – formerly the wealthiest resident of Medan – this mansion mixes opulent Victorian and Chinese…
West Sumatra
Taman Panorama, on the southern edge of Bukittinggi, overlooks the deep Ngarai Sianok (Sianok Canyon), where fruit bats swoop at sunset, as well as the…
Padang
Within a grand traditional Minangkabau-style building is this excellent museum offering a thorough overview of Padang culture. Captions are all in English…
Banda Aceh
The Kherkhof is the last resting place of more than 2000 Dutch and Indonesian soldiers who died fighting the Acehnese. The entrance is around 50m west of…
West Sumatra
Silversmiths occupy several old Dutch houses in Koto Gadang, 5km from Bukittinggi. Catch a westbound angkot (3000Rp) or take an hour’s walk from Taman…
North Sumatra
On the road leading into the village of Lingga is this interesting little museum inside a traditional building with displays on Karo culture and artefacts…
West Sumatra
Belimbing, a village southeast of Batu Sangkar, is comprised of one of the largest surviving collections of traditional architecture in the highlands…
West Sumatra
Visited by a fraction of hikers who take on its more famous neighbour Gunung Kerinci, this active volcano, at the southern end of the Kerinci Valley,…
Riau
This museum does an excellent job in detailing Riau culture, with interesting displays on ceremonial clothing, architecture, traditional artefacts, batik…
West Sumatra
A two- to three-hour ramble through the jungle along a largely flat (and muddy) path, Danau Kaco will stop you dead in your tracks because you just won’t…
Sumatra
Housed in an imposing building that incorporates a traditional design, the Lampung Provincial Museum is a bit of a mixed bag. It covers everything from…
Sumatra
In Tegurwangi, about 8km from Pagaralam on the road to Tanjung Sakti, Batu Beribu is the home of a cluster of four squat statues that sit under a small…
North Sumatra
Around 4km north of the Tugu Perjuangan war monument, tree-shaded Gundaling Hill provides a unique vantage point from which you can see both Gunung…
West Sumatra
Built in the 1920s to house a clock that was a gift from the Dutch queen, Jam Gadang is Bukittinggi's town emblem and focal point. Independence in 1945…
West Sumatra
Considered to be the largest cave system in the Kerinci Valley, and not yet fully explored, Goa Kasah makes for a good day trek (around 2½ hours one way)…
West Sumatra
Head west up Jl Sudirman (past the post office) and turn left, where you’ll find this old wooden mosque with a pagoda-style roof. Built in 1874 without a…
West Sumatra
For fantastic, sweeping panoramas of Kerinci Valley head up to this hilltop lookout, especially popular with locals for sunrise and sunset. To get here…
North Sumatra
Set up inside the old Catholic church (c 1956), this centrally located museum has beautifully presented displays on Karo culture and crafts, including…
Sumatra
Standing as a prominent landmark with its ornate, red-tiled Chinese gate is this attractive Buddhist temple that dates to the late 19th century. Inside it…
Banda Aceh
PLTD Apung I is the 2500-tonne power-generator vessel that was carried almost 5km inland by the 2004 tsunami wave. It's now preserved as a memorial about…
Sumatra
This province museum covers all aspects of Jambi's cultural heritage, and is definitely worth a visit. Exhibits in English take in Buddhist temples in…
Padang
Although badly damaged in the 2009 earthquake, Padang’s colonial-era quarter around Jl Batang Arau is still worth a lazy stroll. Crumbling old Dutch and…
West Sumatra
Pulau Pagang is a small, beautiful island 1½ hours' boat ride from Bungus, with white sandy beaches and a handful of basic bungalows. It’s possible to…
Banyak Islands
Rather out of the way, this medium-sized island is covered in coconut trees, and has a couple of jungle paths you can walk and a gorgeous stretch of beach…
