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 makes the place more interesting than any of the museum-like traditional buildings you might have seen elsewhere. However, as they remain family homes you’re unlikely to be invited inside to look around. You can get here by the occasional direct minibus from Kabanjahe (7000Rp).
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
15.72 MILES
Famous for its steamy sulphurous fumaroles, Gunung Sibayak (2094m) is one of Indonesia’s most accessible volcanoes. Getting to the summit for sunrise is a…
12.38 MILES
Located between Berastagi and Danau Toba, this impressive, well-tended palace complex sits on the edge of the village of Pematang Purba. It was the home…
13.7 MILES
While today it's one of the most active volcanoes on the planet, remarkably Gunung Sinabung lay dormant for over 400 years until its dramatic eruption in…
7.85 MILES
The most visited of the villages around Berastagi, Lingga, a few kilometres northwest of Kabanjahe, has just a couple of traditional houses with…
22.94 MILES
Amid the fertile rice fields between Simanindo and Pangururan are these large multistorey graves decorated with the distinctive miniature Batak-style…
23.72 MILES
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…
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
11.79 MILES
Definitely not your everyday church, St Francis of Assisi is built in a monumental Karo Batak style, with a traditional multitiered pointed-roof design…
7.69 MILES
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…
Nearby North Sumatra attractions
7.62 MILES
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…
7.69 MILES
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…
7.85 MILES
The most visited of the villages around Berastagi, Lingga, a few kilometres northwest of Kabanjahe, has just a couple of traditional houses with…
11.29 MILES
Berastagi’s most prominent landmark is this homage to the humble cabbage, erected in 1972 as a 'thank you' for the riches it brought to the local economy.
11.57 MILES
Located 6km east of Berastagi, this gleaming golden Buddhist temple is a replica of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar. You'll need to arrange…
11.67 MILES
Set up inside the old Catholic church (c 1956), this centrally located museum has beautifully presented displays on Karo culture and crafts, including…
8. St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
11.79 MILES
Definitely not your everyday church, St Francis of Assisi is built in a monumental Karo Batak style, with a traditional multitiered pointed-roof design…