Sumatra logistics

Hello people,
My plane arrives in Medan at 20:15. The next day I would like to go to either Lake Toba or Bukit Lawang. Does it make sense to do this in a certain direction?
1. Get a hotel close to the airport or in the city?
2. Easier ( faster) to reach Lake to Toba or Bukit Lawang from Medan (airport)?
3. Can I get between Lake Toba and Bukit Lawang in one day?

My plan is to spend 4 days in BL and 4 days at Lake Toba before returning to Medan to fly out to Nias. Not really feeling Berastagi so far, thus the need to go straight between BL and Toba.
Thanks.

I've done only the BL to Brastagi 1-2 yr ago on a shared taxi basis. The taxi driver informed me he will continue on towards Parapat Tigaraja harbour where you will connect with the last ferry to Tuktuk. There were 3 other passengers that continued with the journey after I got out in Brastagi.

If you go to Danau Toba you would normally go to Tuk Tuk on Samosir Island by ferry which closes about 18:00. You can go there (to Parapat where the ferries depart from) and stay in a hotel till morning. On the other hand you can go to BL -- you will get there late but you get to your accommodation. You definitely need to prebook your accommodation and probably organise your transport through them. Go around the circle in one direction or another. Not sure which is the better direction at that time at night.

Yes -- you can go between the two in one day. This might mean going into Medan -- you have to discuss this with your driver or your booking agent (and make sure that they are in sync).

There is accommodation near the airport but I don't know where it is. You obviously know the difference between Medan and the airport (about 35 km, one hour between them) -- better to say KNO (Kuala Namu) when referring to the airport on TT to improve clarity.

Paul

I would take a taxi directly from the airport to Bukit Lawang upon arrival.

From Bukit Lawang to Lake Toba is around 8 hours, so a full day really, tourist bus best option, or private car if you're flush. It's closer from the airport but it makes more sense to go directly from airport to Bukit Lawang than to use the next day for travelling. You can't reach Toba the same day from the airport due to lack of ferry crossing late at night.

There's no sense at all in staying at the airport, pay for the taxi and get cheaper accommodation in BL.

Btw the ferry from Parapat Tigaraja to Tuktuk will drop you off at the pier nearest to your accommodation. So if you know the name of the gh, inform the ticket man onboard when he comes to sell the ticket. I think the last ferry to Tuktuk is about 7pm.

yes the last ferry is 7pm, though there is a 9pm car ferry (but it doesn't drop you to your guesthouse you need an onward pickup from there) from a nearby (2km) port

That 9pm ferry is Ajibata to Tomok?

Yes.
There is the option of staying the night in Parapat and cross to Tuk Tuk first thing in the morning.
I agree that going to BL first is the better option though it might be hard to find transport at that time of night -- as I suggest prebook your GH and organise transport through them.
Paul

Thanks for the replies. I would rather stay in Medan the night and get transport to BL the next morning. I’m sure by the time I get out of the airport it would be almost 21:00.
Is it easier to reach BL ( public/ shared transport) from Medan city or airport?

It is hard to get any transport except the public buses from Medan which are controlled by thugs -- I don't suggest you use them on your first time. Talk to your GH is best. The airport would be best. Or reconsider going to Parapat and spend the night there -- there are some reasonable hotels there -- don't use the one near where the ferries leave from. (cheap Charlies?)

Paul

Thanks for the replies. I would rather stay in Medan the night and get transport to BL the next morning. I’m sure by the time I get out of the airport it would be almost 21:00.
Is it easier to reach BL ( public/ shared transport) from Medan city or airport?

Well if you are at the airport you are not in Medan. You can take a taxi (around 150,000IDR) to a Medan city hotel (room from around 150,000IDR I think, I don't know for sure I don't stay in cheap places). Or you can take a train (around 100,000IDR) directly to the d'prima Hotel (around 4-500,000IDR), or an onward rickshaw from the train station (expect to get ripped off, around 50,000IDR, though 10,000IDR is nearer the mark) to a different hotel.

From the airport you are <5km to a few airport hotels Wings, Crew and Thong's Inn. I guess you can get a taxi to there from the airport. Room prices from 300,000IDR and up. There are probably some fleapit homestay in Lubuk Pakam or somewhere like that that would be less, but IDK.

If you stay the night in an airport hotel it will be less easy to catch a bus onwards, but maybe you can stop a bus I'm not really sure though, I guess taxis are more normal if you stay in an airport hotel.

If you go to the city then the next day you can head out to Kampung Lalang where you will meet some red-eyed meth fiends who will try and charge you around 100 or 150,000IDR for the 18,000IDR bus fare to Bukit Lawang.

A private car to Bukit Lawang should take 3 hours at that time, possibly slightly less if the driver has good technique for flying over the potholes. Possibly a bit longer on Saturdays, as there's a bit of traffic with people going out for Saturday night. So you should be there before midnight.

OP, if you're heading for Samosir from the airport, you can get Paradep minibus to Pematang Siantar. I was informed at the airport Paradep operates daily up till midnight, sometimes 24 hours during the holiday seasons. You can overnight in PS & get the door-to-door shared taxi to Parapat Tigaraja in the morning.
You can then use the shared taxi from Parapat to BL after Samosir.
FB also is a good source of local transport options.

Cost us 200,000 on the meter from our hotel in Medan to the airport. The share taxis from Parapat to BL go via Medan and think airport as well. Something like 150000 if my memory serves me correct. Left about 10.30 am.

Cost us 200,000 on the meter from our hotel in Medan to the airport.

which hotel was that?

from Medan I think most people now use go-car or grab-car. AFAIR, go-car works with bluebird but you pay the go fare, so the meter runs and the driver gets reimbursed by go, but you only pay the go fare. I think it was around 100,000 I paid to the airport from a distant point - metered fare was over 150k. Not sure from the airport, might work same. but you need to download the app.

Hotel City International. Stayed there mid November just gone.

Hotel City International. Stayed there mid November just gone.

there are two of them.

Cant rremember which # it was. Its up the road from Sun Plaza or something like that and the other way was a hospitall. I' m navigationally challenged so you might have to take a guess.

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