Indonesia — Toba Lake & Batak Tribe
Located at North Sumatera, Lake Toba one of the popular destination among tourists, with great scenery and one of the biggest lake in Southeast Asia. But, behind it’s beauty, Lake Toba has a history that changed human mankind.
~70.000 years ago
About ~ 70,000 years ago there was the biggest volcanic explosion in human history, namely Mount Toba. This explosion darkened almost the entire earth due to the volcanic ash. This ash blows into the area of China to South Africa. As a result of this explosion the temperature at the earth’s surface dropped drastically to reach 15 ° C (27 ° F). It is estimated that this disaster caused the death of living things up to 60% of the total population. This eruption caused a large crater which then filled with water and formed what we know today as Lake Toba. Research says that Mount Toba, which is currently located under Lake Toba, is still active and could erupt which could endanger local residents.
Population
The people around Lake Toba are Batak people. The Batak tribe is famous for its curved houses where each point is sharp.
Batak Tribe
The Batak tribe has a traditional dance, the Tor-Tor Dance. Formerly this dance was used for ceremonies such as death, or ritual summoning spirits. However, this traditional dance is also often used to carry out celebrations such as harvesting, etc. Along with the development of the era, this dance is also used as entertainment for tourists, or local people. Every Tor Tor dancer wears traditional clothes, namely Ulos. The dominant Ulos shirt in red, black and white colors is decorated with various weaves of gold or silver threads.
Destination
To enjoy the beautiful of Toba Lake, you can use 2 transportations:
1. Air
You can use airplane to land on Silangit Airport. From Kualanamu International Airport at Deli Serdang, Medan to Silangit Aiport take about 50–60 minutes. Upon arrival, you will use a car to Port in Parapat for about 1 hour.
2. Land
Parapat, the city located on Lake Toba, can be reached by car / bus for about 3 hours. The land route can be done via Medan — Parapat via the toll road.
Either by air or by land you will go to Parapat. When you arrive at Parapat, you will use a ferry to go to Samosir Island. The journey takes approximately 1 hour. You will arrive at Tomok Village or Tuk Tuk, where the island’s hotels and restaurants are concentrated.
Lake Toba is one of your favorite destinations and you must visit it. With its natural beauty and unique culture, Lake Toba has its own uniqueness. Wonderful Indonesia.
Thank you for reading.
