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TravelTips24 : Asia : Southeast Asia : Indonesia : Sumatra : North Sumatra

North Sumatra

North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) is the northern province of Indonesia's Sumatra Island. It lies in the below of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province.

Regions

Cities

North Sumatera has more than 13 major towns, including:

Other destinations

  • Berastagi - the fruits town
  • Lake Toba - the largest lake in South East Asia, placed within exception volcanic scenery and surrounded by inspiring mountains
  • Gunung Sinabung (Sinabung Volcano)
  • Gunung Sibayak (Sibayak Volcano)

Culture and History

Talk

Travel to North Sumatra & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to North Sumatra

Medan Polonia International Airport (IATA: MES | ICAO: WIMM) has direct connections to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Penang for its regional flight and Jakarta, Batam, Pekanbaru, Padang, Banda Aceh and Lhokseumawe for its Domestic flight. The terminal building provides basic facilities including ATMs, money exchange, and a range of transport services.

Most flights are with one of this following airlines:

Firefly Airlines operate daily from/to Medan via Penang, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from/to Banda Aceh via Penang, as well as from/to Pekanbaru via Subang airport ( Kuala Lumpur). For more info, call: 603-7845 4543 or visit http://www.fireflyz.com.my

AirAsia operate 5 flights daily from/to Jakarta, 2 flight daily from/to Kuala Lumpur and Penang Excellent for both domestic and international flights. Flight delays are not uncommon. Be prepared for mind-numbing waiting games even during off peak season.

Malaysia Airlines operate 1 daily fligt from/to Penang and Kuala Lumpur They are not the cheapest, but prices are still normally reasonable.

Garuda Indonesia operate 5 flights daily from/to Jakarta and 1 flight daily to Banda Aceh

Silk Air fly from/to Singapore twice daily. This is a short-haul, lower service version of Singapore Airlines. The prices are reasonable.

Batavia Air operate 3 flights daily from/to Jakarta and a flight daily from/to Padang and Pekanbaru

Adam Air operate 8 flights daily from/to Jakarta and daily flight to Penang

Mandala Air operate 2 flights daily from/to Jakarta and Pekanbaru and a daily flight from/to Padang and Batam

Sriwijaya Air operate 2 flights daily from/to Jakarta and a flight daily to Banda Aceh, Lhokseumawe and Pekanbaru and 3 times a week to Ipoh Malaysia

Lion Air and Wings Air operate 5 flighst daily to Medan and a daily flight to Banda Aceh and Penang

Kartika Airlines operate 5 times weekly from/to Medan Via Batam and 2 times a week to Ipoh Malaysia

By boat

  • Domestic cruise

PELNI the Local Passenger cruise company operate weekly voyages from the Port of Belawan in Medan to Batam and Jakarta.

  • From Malaysia

Fast ferries to Palau Penang leave at 10 AM from Belawan and take anywhere between 5 and 7 hours, depending on the weather, ferry and mood of the driver. Ferries do not travel on Monday or Friday, and some public holidays. Ferries are often booked out, especially around Chinese New Year period, so it is wise to book in advance. Ferry prices are RM 150 each way, including departure tax.

Buses to North Sumatra

Medan can be reach by land and many buses serve Medan from Many cities in Sumatera and Java Island such as Pekanbaru, Padang, Banda Aceh, Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya.

Tours & Getting around North Sumatra

North Sumatra attractions and sightseeing

Danau Toba, or Lake Toba, is about 4 hours from Medan by car, and is home to world's largest crater lake and island-within-an-island. The town of Tuk-tuk on the island is popular with European tourists, and magic mushrooms are freely available (look for the magic mushroom and laundry service!).

Itineraries

North Sumatra city tours

North Sumatra Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

North Sumatra nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Stay safe

Get out

There are few expats here, but the Hash House Harriers has a few local chapters in Medan and surrounding areas.

This page was last edited at 14:57, on 21 August 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Seb Ruiz, David, Basri, Gobbler, Jani Patokallio, Tom Holland and Colin Jensen, Wikitravel user(s) Huttite and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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