After seeing Bali extensively on motorbike, I am looking for a new destination to roam for nice views, good nasi campur and refreshing swims.
I was thinking of Sumatra spending a few weeks around Lake Toba and a few weeks Bukittinggi-Maninjau etc.
Any recommendations regarding motorbike routes for the Toba & Maninjau-area, what area have nice mountain views, where to rent bike and about clean and friendly accomodation for max 150.000 IR (preferable cheaper but no shared bathroom etc) would be greatly appreciated.
I like to have a place where I feel welcome to sleep and where I like to stay at least a few weeks and make daytrips from there.
There is not much in the Lonely Planet about beautiful views and places to visit so any help is appreciated, cheers!
I really enjoyed the views from Batam to Pekanbaru (by boat), make sure you go all the way to Pekanbaru on the ferry and don't go the 'bus ride from hell' via Tanjung Buton. The next stage from Pekanbau to Bukittinggi by bus is also very scenic. A regular contributor (I cannot remember the name) has described his travels arround Jambi and they sound great. You would need time and Bahasa Indonesia for this.
Bukittinggi/Minanjau is all you have heard about it so I won't add more. Makan Padang is famous for its food (if you want a change from Nasi Camur). There are beaches there too (not great).
I enjoyed Danau Toba (I travel by push bike). Carolinas in Tuk-tuk is well within your budget and convenient. I have also been to the Piso-piso waterfall at the far end of Danau Toba (based in Brestagi). volcanos, traditinal vilages etc.
Bukit Lawang is also worth a trip. I have no doubt that pPamela and several other regulars will add their experiences of North Sumatra and Aceh and nearby islands very shortly. So I shall leave the rest to them. (If they don't do a search on TT.)
Paul
Actually the whole area around Danau Toba and Danau Maninjau are nice to get around by motorbike.
From Maninjau you can cycle around the lake.
Daytrip to Bukittingi is not too difficult however the road down from Maninjau to the Padang highway is full with (very sharp) bends.
Nice route is also east from Bukittinggi with many nice adatvillages with the minangkabau houses and nice views on ricefields.
Even a daytrip to Padang would be possible like a roundtrip from Maninjau west and from Tiku south along the coast and return via the highway. The highway can be very busy but also has beautiful sights on certain places.
If you base yourself in Tuk tuk you can make a roundtrip around the island. If you go west to "the mainland" you will pass a beautiful mountaineous secenery on your way to Tele, from where you can take the road south to Siborongborong, then up north again via Balige and Porsea to Parapat to cross to Samosir again, but this is quite a hike b ut can be done in one day.
Accommodation
Tuk Tuk on Samosir, Tabo Cottages in several prices. Could be possible for Rp 100.000, nice bathroom, clean
Maninjau, hotel Tan Dirih, small hotel with good rooms an excellent restaurant also Rp 100.000, own bathroom, clean
And about the beautiful views; the whole area in Minangkabau is gorgeous and Samosir is a sleepy peninsula with few traffic on the road.
Anne Mieke
Thanks for both posts, there is a lot of detail on it and I am printing it all out and will try to do it all! I will have about 2 months for Sumatra so if there are more people with places to visit around those areas I would love to hear it! I travel on a slow pace and rather spend more time in a few places than travel the whole island. It is easier to get to know some local people and feel part of their life that way.
But thanks again so far, you guys are great!
Hi,
You could always head off from Padang down to Maura Labuh- (about 4 hrs by bus)the roads are quite good down that way. On the way you pass the twin lakes of Diatas and Dibawah. This is a very beautiful area and there is accomodation down by the lake but I have never had the time to stay there.
Twin Lakes of West Sumatra
Juz a guy from Melbourne who used to post on TT cycled this way back in 2004 and even went into the village of Maura labuh, armed with a photo pf my adopted Indonesian grandmother and visited all the family there.
He stayed in this hotel up the road that had this enormous chandelier in it, something I did not even know after about 5 visits there.
So of course, last year when I returned I visited the hotel, wow what a chandelier and the views out the back of the hotel towards the rice fields are breath taking.
Most people in the area do not speak English, but I do have a friend Reni- University graduate in English who is back living in the village and has her own small english school there.
I am sure she would be a good contact to have if you wanted to venture this way. I will send you a Private Message her mobile telephone no.
And from Maura Labuh you can get to Sungai Penuh, Kerinci and the gorgeous village of Kersik Tua because you have your own transport.
Normally this is not possible with public transport unless one is able to get someone to drop them at a bus station about 30 minutes from Maura Labuh like my friend and I did in July 2000.
The scenery in the whole of this area is breath taking from my point of view.
And from Sungai Penuh you could travel through the Kerinci National Park all the way down to Maura Sako-(see my photos of Jan 2005) but the road is quite terrible for most of the way and then through to Tapan and up to Painan- a beautiful area along the coast about 2.5 hrs south of Padang. Again see my photos of Painan- 2005 and 2006.
Oh, so many options and such a short time.
Whatever you do , simply have the best time. West Sumatra is one of my favourite areas in Indonesia.
Pamela.
Then you have North Sumatra with Brestagi, Lake Toba, Bukit Lawang, Tangkahan.
And then there is also Ketembe in south Aceh and the scenery from there right through the Gayoland area to Takengon and Lake Tawar is spectacular and right into Banda Aceh. Pulau Weh is beautiful as well.
Pamela.
Motor Bike Tours in Sumatra:
guys, the main question in this thread - for me - are not the routes, albeit the suggestions are great but the bikes......
I used rented m. bikes all over Southeast Asia. In places like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam etc. Never had any problems, except with the corrupt police in Bali.
How about Padang? I will arrive in Padang on 25/08 - open end and would love to rent a m.bike. How and where??? That is the issue. I was there 15 years ago and there was no bike for rent. This kind of spoiled my trip. Any advise how to rent a m.bike in Padang would be most welcome!
And what about the drivinc licence? In Bali International Driving Licences are accepted. In Thailand, Cambodia, Laos etc., noboddy asks. In Batam, you can't get a bike or car with anything but an Indonesian licence. So how about Padang?
Padang Hotels: any advise on, Nuansa Hotel and or Batang Arau? Shall i book a room via internet or just fly there and walk in?
Many thanks for all comments!Text
trusted partner
