Lake Toba News

Lake Toba already was ''another version of Bali''...30 years ago.At least,it was something like what Bali used to be (for tourists,travellers etc.)

I must admit I don't see any resemblance to Monaco from either Toba or the real Bali......

i can see the potential in danu toba, labuan bajo certainly ticks all the boxes, you can never compare bali's hindu culture with lombok's... however, there are many, many other places in indo that could be popular, places just an open mind to having tourists and an international airport to bring them in...

I reported the plans for Danau Toba here https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-south-east-asia-islands-peninsula/indonesia/tourism-development-around-lake-toba although I think there was an earlier link -- if you read the comments in that link it refers to being another Monaco rather than Bali. From what I have gathered not much has changed but the airport near there is getting some more traffic.

Paul

Here is a previous post on the same subject.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-south-east-asia-islands-peninsula/indonesia/more-tourist-plans-for-danau-toba
I will look for others later.
Paul

Why doesn't Jokowi push for more places to suit hippy's and budget travellers ? Only joking ! Thanks for those previous posts Lungpaul I missed those. I realize he said Monaco but he's also spoken about '10 more Balis' .
But this seems to be the logic 'we build , they will come' . There is already a lot of competition for upmarket tourism elsewhere , even if part of Toba is turned into a little Monaco how does anyone know that it won't become a white elephant ghost town?

PICTURE - Pangururan , Lake Toba

PICTURE - Sunset , Tuk Tuk , Lake Toba

It also brings back memories of a former Thai Prime Minister - Thaksin who used to often talk about grand elite tourist developments.

They have been talking like this for eons. Sadly, they are suffering from the "build it and they will come" mentality withough doing much to support the local cultures and human development that would help attract tourists. Some of the local villages with spectacular and old rumah adat traditional houses in places like Lingga are literally rotting to the ground with no attention or assistance from the local tourism board. I went to one small local museum and it was manned by a young girl who confirmed that she was only about 10 years old.

Tuk Tuk is already becoming a ghost town if you talk to the locals. It appears there were a lot more years ago until they changed the visa rules and it has never recovered. About 4 years ago they put in new gutters on the main road many of which were changed as they blocked driveways. The new road was just built last year -- even then I don't think the small roads were fixed. There seem to be many big hotels that are empty but there may be tourist groups in them that people like TTers never use.

There is a small airport nearby but I believe it is underdeveloped and there is no ferry that is supposed to bring tourists to the island (they have to go to Parapet for ferries) -- there is little to no transport available even if there were transport.

The condition of the museums and artefacts in the Karo Highlands is a disgrace -- so many are just left outside to rot (or are houses in the process of rotting).

I see a lot of talk from time to time but no action.

Paul