About North Sumatera

Western Island: Nias

Grand Mosque

Sultan Palace

Orangutan

Fruits

The City: Medan

The gateway to this exotic region, Medan, is a bustling port town, replete with movie-style crowded markets, seedy bars and shady characters, but also broad avenues, Arst-class hotels and transport and fine restaurants, the fruits of Sumatra's broad-based economic development. From humble beginnings as a small kingdom on the Deli River delta, Medan became capital of a powerful tanate in the late 1800s, then developed into a booming plantation town during the early 1900s as Sumatra's tobacco, rubber, palm oil and tea fetched high prices on the world markets. Post Independence Medan has continued to grow into Indonesia's largest city outside of Java, with oil and industrial goods added to the list of lucrative exports.

Each successive era has left its mark on the city's architecture. The grandeur of the Sultanate of Deli is celebrated in the Maimoon Palace, an intriguing melange of Oriental, Middle Eastern and Western architectural styles designed by an Italian in 1888. The classically Malay Grand Mosque stands opposite.

Dutch-era plantation prosperity turned Medan into a model of colonial elegance. Imposing century old neoclassic and rococo. Mansions line several boulevards, and the renovated Hotel Dharma Deli, an art-deco masterpiece, is both a tourist attraction and first rate hostelry. The Tip Top Restaurant, a colonial era social center, still serves delicious ice cream and coffee on sidewalk tables in the heart of modern Medan street life.

Northern Villages

Leaving frenetic, sprawling Medan and heading into the highlands, the beauty of Northern Sumatra unrolls in endless vistas of lush plantations and charming villages, with the majestic Bukit Barisan range providing the backdrop. A few hours from Medan, under the smoking volcanoes of Sibayak and Sinabung, lies the tranquil hill station of Berastagi. A favorite resort of the Dutch, the cool climate and rich volcanic soil is ideal for growing European fruits and vegetables. Great mounds of oranges, passionfruit, avocados and other produce line the streets and fill the markets delicious, healthful food on sale for risible sums.

Berastagi is the heart of Karo Batak country. The youngest of the several Batak tribes, the Karo maintain many aspects of traditional life, customs and culture. A people legendary for their warmth and gentleness, the Karo are nonetheless formidable chess players. A casual game with a Karo farmer is an invitation to a thrashing for all but the most proficient players.

North Sumatra's natural splendour is relatively easy to experience. The active Sibayak volcano is a mildly strenuous morning climb from Berastagi. Parts of the huge Gunung Lcuser Reserve, which straddles the North Sumatra-Aceh border, are open to visitors through rafting expeditions down the Alas River and tours of the orangutan rehabilitation center at Boharok, where formerly captive apes are re-introduced to the wild.