Facts at a Glance
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 Facts at a Glance
Country: Indonesia
Area: 473,607 sq km (184,706 sq mi)
Population: 40 million
Capital city: Medan
Language Bahasa Melayu plus several local languages
Religion: Islam, Christianity
A regional Calendar of Events listing national holidays, festivals particular to the region and other events throughout the year is available from tourist offices in Sumatra. The most important time for Muslims, of course, is Ramadan (Buluan Puasa), the traditional Muslim month of daily fasting, which falls around January to February. Idul Adha is another important Muslim holiday, commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, and it is celebrated around April to May.
Independence Dayis celebrated on 17 August with a national public holiday, parades and special events. Further Muslim holidays are Muharram, the Islamic New Year in April-May; Hari Natal, the Prophet Muhammed's birthday in July; and Isra Miraj Nabi Muhammed, the ascencion of the prophet Mumammed in December.
May/June and September/October are the best months to visit, and though they're very busy periods you can usually find a place away from the crowds. The main tourist season is during the European summer in July and August, when prices rise and accommodation and transport can be tight. The main Indonesian holiday periods are the end of Ramadan, when some resorts are packed to overflowing and prices skyrocket. Another peak time is Christmas, when high school students take off by the busload to visit tourist attractions. Travel in the less developed areas can be difficult during the wet season, from about November to March.
 Attractions
Medan
Medan (pop 1.5 million) is the capital of north Sumatra and the third largest city in Indonesia. It is a huge, sprawling city and a popular entry/exit point for travellers. The solid Dutch buildings of the affluent older suburbs inspire images of bloated bureaucrats and burghers from the colonial era, while jerry-built lean-tos house the bulk of its population.
The city's two finest buildings are the Istana Maimoon (Maimoun Palace) and the magnificent black-domed Mesjid Raya. There are some fine examples of European architecture along Jalan Sukarno-Hatta, such as Bank Indonesia and the High Court. There are a number of museums, including the Museum of North Sumatra, which has excellent coverage of the region's culture and history, and the weaponry-and-warfare-influenced Bukit Barisan Military Museum. You can see cultural performances at Taman Budaya.
Much of the budget accommodation is close to the city centre. Jalan Semarang, a small street between Jalan Pandu and Jalan Bandung, has great food stalls offering Indonesian and Chinese meals late into the night.
 Banana stalls (19K)
This picturesque hill town in the Karo Highlands, 70km from Medan, is dominated by two volcanoes: Gunung Sinabung and Gunung Sibayak. At 1300m above sea level, the climate is pleasantly cool and the atmosphere refreshingly relaxed. Travellers come to Berastagi to experience the culture of the Karo Batak people and to go trekking. There are guided treks into the Gunung Leuser National Park and to surrounding volcanoes and attractions.
Lake Toba is another of the island's spectacular sights - a remarkable volcanic crater set in the middle of northern Sumatra, 176km from Medan. The lake is huge (the largest in South-East Asia), occupying the caldera of a giant volcano that collapsed on itself after a massive eruption 100,000 years ago. In comparison, Krakatau's 1883 effort was little more than a belch. The lake is surrounded by steep mountains, ridges and sandy, pine-sheltered beaches.
Flower power, Lake Toba (18K)
Samosir ferry, Parapat (21K)
Samosir, the wedge-shaped island in the middle of the lake, is thought to have been created by subsequent upheavals between 30,000 and 75,000 years ago. Samosir has long been northern Sumatra's premier attraction for travellers and has an abundant supply of accommodation and eateries ringing the shoreline. The main town in the area is Parapat, on the eastern shore of Lake Toba.
 Off the record
Few travellers make it to Sumatra's northernmost province. A pity, because it's a relaxed and friendly place with a rich history. Aceh's population is a melding of Indonesian, Arab, Tamil, Chinese and indigenous groups and, curiously, some of the tallest people in Indonesia live here. The state is the most staunchly Muslim in the country and is run under Islamic law. However, the Achenese also embrace animism, and offerings and rituals continue to play an important part in their lives.
Aceh's attractions range from the laid-back lifestyle of the island Pulau We, the deserted beaches of the rugged west coast and the jungle wilderness of Gunung Leuser National Park. The national park, which is one of the largest in the world, includes the Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre, an area containing orang-utans, gibbons, monkeys, elephants, tigers and the elusive Sumatran rhinoceros.
Mesjid Raya, Banda Aceh (14K)
Danau Ranau
Time, patience and endurance are vital if you intend to wander off Sumatra's tourist trail, and such travel is not overly encouraged by authorities. The beautiful mountain lake of Danau Ranau is in the Bukit Barisan mountains of southern Sumatra. It is one of the least spoiled - and least accessible - of Sumatra's mountain lakes, and you can hike, climb Gunung Seminung (1881m) or relax in the quiet atmosphere and cool climate.
Most routes to Danau Ranau go through the Trans-Sumatran Highway town of Baturaja, which you can reach from the main terminal in Palembang. From Baturaja it is a three and a half hour trip to Bandar Agung, by the lake, with a change at Simpangsender.
Another relaxing area is Kerinci, a rich, green mountain valley in Sumatra's eastern province of Jambi. The valley is dominated by a 3800m high peak at one end and a lake at the other. The area abounds with stone carvings, and attractions include hot springs, a tea plantation, lakeside tours and a waterfall.
If you're interested in the island's unusual domestic architecture, head for the remote villages of Kampung Peceren, Lingga, Cingkes and Barusjahe in the Karo Batak Highlands to see the pointed roofs. Cingkes is the largest of the villages and well worth the effort to get there. It has at least two dozen houses, all occupied and in good condition.
More than 3000 islands curve south-east from Sumatra to Kalimantan and north to Malaysia in the Riau Archipelago, making it possible to island-hop through over 170,000 sq km of sea. An interesting trip to Singapore could go via Pulau Tebingtinggi, Pulau Batam and Pulau Bintan.
You can fly from Jakarta to a number of places in Sumatra, and from Singapore, Penang and Kuala Lumpur to Medan. There are ships/ferries between Java and various ports in Sumatra. The Merak-Bakauheni ferry is probably the most popular, but you can also go from Padang to Jakarta. There are also ferries between Penang and Medan; Melaka and Dumai; and Singapore and Pakanburi via the Indonesian island of Tanjung Pinang.
Indonesia has a variety of airlines servicing domestic routes including Garuda, Mandala, Merpati and Bouraq. Each airline publishes a nationwide timetable which can be obtained from their respective head offices in Jakarta. On more popular routes, book well in advance, especially in the peak tourist season around July and August. Airport tax on domestic flights is usually between US$2.50 and US$4.
Sumatra's main roads are generally good, although they get worse the farther you go from the major towns. Standards have fallen because of the current economic turmoil. Rail travel is is possible on Sumatra, although the trains are pretty much a mixed bag: slow, miserable and cheap or comfortable and expensive. It's advisable to buy train tickets a day in advance to assure a seat. You can rent cars, motorbikes and bicycles in the main cities and tourist centres, and there are regular ferries from Sumatra to surrounding islands.
 Travellers' Reports
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Events
When to Go
Off the Beaten Track
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