6 days in Sumatra: Which one of these 2 options?

Hi Everybody,

I'm currently in Jakarta, and have 5-6 days available to spend in Sumatra. I'm a hiking passionate and love scenery and cultural experiences. There are two areas in Sumatra that would fit my interests, both easily reachable with a cheap flight from Jakarta, but I think I only have time for one, because going from one area the other seems to have a 16-hour bus ride I can't skip with interval flights.

1. Berastagi and Danau Toba.

2. Kerinci NP and Harau Valley / Danau Maninjau.

If you have been to both, I would deeply appreciate if you could provide some advice on which area you liked more and why. Again, I love hiking, stunning panoramas, traditional villages to visit.

Thank you so much.

The first is better for traditional villages, but overall I much prefer the 2nd.
I think it offers prettier scenery and better hiking. Still good for traditional architecture, too.

Thank you so much. I'll probably fly in and out Padang, then. I read that the bus from Padang to Subgai Penuh is 7-8 hours, but I understood that I don't need to get that far, but rather I would stop 1 1/2 hours earlier on the same road at Kersik Tua. Is this correct?

Also, I'm not quite sure about the difference between the Kerinci Valley and Kerinci NP with Gunung Kerinci. I've been reading that LP guidebook, but it only lists hikes to do in the NP, such as Gunung Kerinci, Danau Gunung Tujuh, Danau Kaco, Danau Kerinci. When it talks about the Kerinci Valley, it doesn't list anything to do there, so I'm wondering if there's hiking or just the valley itself, and whether or not it's worth going to it.

And last, G. Kerinci is surely a great goal, but I haven't found much about whether or not it's worth the price tag. I won't have time to hike G. Kerinci and to those lakes listed on the LP guidebook, so I was wondering if the climb does offer worthwhile views. Do you think I should skip Hanau Valley / Danau Maninijau and stay longer in Kerinci? If not, what would u suggest I did in Kerinci?

I really appreciate your help. Thank you so much.

Kerinci isn't really a valley, it's more like highlands around the mountains there. The national park is huge, but most tourists concentrate themselves in one section of the park, in and around Gunung Kerinci itself. The main village there is Kersik Tua, where you need to be based.

It's a full day's journey from Padang/Bukittingi to Kersik Tua. Factor that in when you make plans. With only 5-6 days, I don't think you have time for anything other than the Kerinci area. I don't think you'll be able to fit in Maninjau.

The two main hikes in the area are up Kerinci, and to Gunung Tujuh's lake. They're two of the best hikes I've ever done in Indonesia. So good, in fact, that I've done them both twice. The Gunung Tujuh hike is an easy day-hike, a nice warm-up for Kerinci. There are two ways to approach Kerinici: do it as a day-hike (in which case you might not make the peak, but should still get up above the treeline, for fabulous views, if the weather's good); or do it as an overnight hike, and try and summit on the second day. The volcano was very active the last time I was there, so do be careful. I have always climbed on Kerinci independently, but most foreign tourists go with a guide. Once you find the trailhead, the route up is obvious though.

The Kerinci valley is the huge, flat, populated valley with the town of Sungaipenuh in its center. It is not scenic or interesting, though Danau Kerinci is there. The valley is not part of the national park but forms an enclave surrounded by it.
All the best sights/hikes are around Kersik Tua, reached before the valley proper.
Gunung Tujuh is a few hours hike, Gunung Kerinci typically 2 days though can be done in one.
If you feel you can't do either, it makes little sense to go to Kerinci.

As for the others, I found Harau nothing special.
Maninjau is nice, especially seen from above. An easy trip from Bukittingi.
This is also where you could see many unique and beautiful traditional houses - there are basically none in the Kerinci area.

Thank you so much for your advice. I have a quick question about G. Kerinci.

The guidebook seems to indicate that guides are compulsory, but if I am allowed go by myself, then I would much prefer that. I'm an experienced hiker, but if the trail is hard to find at night, I'd get a guide. But, Giora, you said that the trail is easy to follow. Does it remain easy to follow until the summit at night?

Also, is the trailhead also easy to find (I assume so, for such a famous mountain).

And last, at what time would you recommend leaving if I want to go to the summit in one day without sleeping there? I read that it's 6 hrs up to the camp at 3400m and then only 1 hour to the summit from there. I assume that if I want to make it for sunrise, I could leave around 11pm.

However, unless it tends to get cloudy soon after sunrise, I wouldn't stress it too much to get there did sunrise and would later.

I appreciate any advice you may have. Thank you so much.

I visited Kerinci several times and never used a guide there.
The trail is obvious within the forest but could be less so above the treeline.
But if you are not a sunrise-freak, why climb at night anyway?
I climbed to the summit starting at 7am and was back in Kersik Tua in the early afternoon. Others might be slower, but still, it is not mandatory to climb at night.
As for finding the trailhead, you can get someone to drive you there by motorbike from the village, skipping an hour's walk through plantation.

Guides are not compulsory, though don't ask a guide that question! As the tallest volcano in Indonesia, and the tallest non-Papuan peak, Kerinci is very popular with Indonesian hikers. Very few of them take guides.

I had to ask a local or two the way to the trailhead the first time I climbed. It's easy, in that there's an obvious motorable track all the way to the trailhead, but there are a few such tracks on the mountain slope, and there's no sign anywhere pointing to the trailhead. You'll have to ask. The trailhead's about 5km from the tiger statue in Kersik Tua.

The trail is obvious to above the treeline. From there to the top, it's very rocky, and at times slippery scree, and there's no real trail as such. It's easy to find your way up: just keep climbing. It's much more difficult to find the correct way back down, if there's a lot of cloud around. You have to be careful on the way up to note your route, so that you can retrace your steps back down. Once you hit the trees, it's easy again. It's slippery all the way down though, it's not a mountain you can run down.

I started climbing (from Kersik Tua) at 6am when I summited in one day. I reached the trailhead about 6:50, reached the peak about 11:20, had about 25 minutes at the top, in cloudy conditions, and was back in Kersik Tua by 6 in the evening. You'll save yourself a bit of time if you take an ojek to the trailhead, but you'll still want an early start.

Thank you to both. Great advice. I assume the weather gets worse as the day progress, and that's why I was thinking about heading there early. But if it's not the case, it actually may be better not to plan on sunrise, so I won't need to carry as many clothes. I mean, it will b cold, but not that much compared to 6am. Thank you, again.

I spent a few weeks in Sungai Penuh 2012... the valley which has been mentioned has a wonderful view point in which you can see Mt Kerinci to the left and Lake Kerinci to the right.

Theres some fabulous day treks from SP which of course can be lengthened to at least one night (camping equipment is accessible if required...and with some forward thinking).

There are two tourist offices in the town; the best one located on the main through road dead centre of town (adjacent to the police station).
They had a great glossy booklet with many walks and attractions. It was in English and even back in 2012 was already 10 years old.... but the info within was spot on.
I did two reports on my time around that area which I'll have a look for within the archives of this forum.

Mount Kerinci.. of course local guides say hikers should be accompanied during the climbing of Kerinci..... money is probably a big factor but also there are guides who care about the welfare of others. The guide I know told the foreign visitors not to go up the mountain as it was dangerous; they went without a guide and were never seen again.... the guide mentioned was the first to climb the mountain during the initial search when they failed to return.
I'd happily pay what I think is a small fee to climb the tallest volcano in Indonesia... for safety reasons and to give a little bit to the local community.

My choice...... as much as I love Harau Valley and Maninjau I would suggest SP..... but like many who write on this forum, we all have our favourites for different reasons.
Having spent over 3 years (in the past 5 years) in Indonesia, with majority of time being based in North Sumatra, I would have to say Kerinci /Sungai Penuh is my favourite area.
Very little tourism with easy access makes it a dream destination for me.

Kerinci report - 2 parts.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-south-east-asia-islands-peninsula/indonesia/kerinci-report-part-2

Thank you so much. Wonderful report. I really appreciate your kind help.

I hiked in Kerinci 17 years ago, so I am afraid any practical info is outdated. Still the report I wrote may paint a picture of what it is like. And why sometimes having a guide is NOT a good idea...
http://waterlilyunltd.blogspot.nl/2016/06/lost-in-jungle-of-sumatra.html#lp

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