Sumatra
Sumatra is huge island with 1800 km
& 450 square kilometers width, stretching from the
Indian ocean in the North to the straits of Sunda in the
South. It is a land of virgin tropical rain forests,
volcanoes, high plateaus, waterfalls, lakes, peaceful
white sandy beaches, terraced rice fields & endless
plantations. The people of the island are hospitable &
warm & can be divided in to many groups of ethnic such
as Acehnese, Bataks, Minangkabau, Malays, Nias, etc. Each
groups has their? owns dialects, religious beliefs,
traditional arts, customes & cultures. The diversity
of arts & cultures literary make this island a Garden
of Eden for social & historical scientists &
cultural seekers. From the Acehnese in the North, the
Bataks people around Lake Toba, the unique matriarchal
social system of the Minangkabau & the Malays people
that mostly at the coasts.
Travelling in NORTH SUMATRA will bring you to these
beautiful & interesting places:
Medan
Medan means battlefield in Indonesian vocabulary, referred
to the site of battlefield between the Aceh Kingdom &
the Deli Kingdom. Once Medan was part of the Deli
Sultanate but now is the capital city in Medan are the
Mesjid Raya (Grand Mosque), the Maimoon palace, the prewar
architecture buildings in the down town, crocodile farm,
etc.
Bohorok,
The Sumatran Orangutans Rehabilitation Center.
Also known as Bukit Lawang,
lies in South of Gunung Leuser national park. Here young
orangutans are taught self preservation skills by human
teachers for a return to their original habitat. The
center is a 45 minute walk from Bukit Lawang at the end of
a river trail. A canoe on a cable is provided for crossing
the river. Besides of to observe the Sumatran orangutans,
Bahorok is place for the adventurous.
About
The Orangutans.
One of the great apes, usually vegetarian & tailes
& equivalent to the African gorilla & Chimpanzee.
Their name, in Indonesia, means "Man of the forest".
Orangutans are often loners & do not travel in large
families. Another orangutans rehabilitation center is in
Tanjung Puting National Park Central kalimantan serves the
quite distinct Bornean subspecies of this endangered ape.
Brastagi
A lovely tourist town that located in the karo highlands
known for various kinds of flowers, vegetables &
fruits most famous of which is the "Marquisa"
passion fruit. It is 66 km southwest of Medan &
surrounds by two volcanoes: Mt. Sibayak & Mt. Sinabung.
Lake
Toba & Parapat
The centerpiece of Sumatra is the gigantic crater Lake
Toba. With 80 km length, 40 km width & 450m deep, Lake
Toba is the largest lake in Southeast Asia. It was a
caldera of giant volcano that collapsed around 100.000
years ago. Now Lake Toba has become one of the major
tourist destinations in Indonesia, offers its natural
beauty, cool climate & rich culture of the Batak
people. On shore of Lake Toba there is Parapat, the
embarkation point for ferries & boat to Samosir island.
It is a busy resort mostly by tourism.
Samosir
Island
Located right in the middle of Lake Toba, Samosir island
covers an area of 630 square-km. This island is home of
the fiercest but kind hearted Toba Bataks. Visiting the
village of Tomok, Tuk-tuk, Simanindo, Ambarita are
recommended for traditional Batak Toba houses & local
dances.
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