Samosir Island, The giant dry “island of the dead” in the middle of Toba Lake. It’s a grim reminder of a second powerfull eruption, about 30.000 years ago. The resulting 630 km square of land mass in the center of the lake, now known as Samosir Island, is the world's fifth largest island lake. It is also arguably the world's largest island within an island.

Samosir island is an approximately almost as big as Singapore Island, often described as the heartland of Batak culture, with their traditional dwellings are elevated house made of hard wood, and are located amidst beautiful mountain scenery. The population of Samosir Island is approximately 130,568 people or 91 people per square kilometer.

The Samosir plateau mainly is clear rock, with some scattered forests, swamps and a small lake. There is a road parallel with the shores of the island and a bridge connects the island with mainland Sumatera. The road ascends to an altitude of 1800 metres after that. Here, the village of Tele offers a good view over the lake and the island.

During the northeastern monsoon (September until January), a strong wind usually arrived from the high altitudes, the Alogo Bolong or 'big wind'. Horas is the local greeting delivered with enthusiasm. The Batak people love their lake and island, and many traditional local songs are written about it. There are also some fine woodcarvers on Samosir Island, as a glance at any of the souvenir shops will verify.

Thing to Do: Swimming, Fishing, Rafting, Water Skiing, Speed Boat Trips, Power Boating, Shopping Traditional Craft, Watch and Learn Batak Culture, etc
Getting There: Take Public Transpot/ Rental Car or Bus (4 hours driving or less than 180 km from Medan City) to Parapat City then continue with Ferry from Ajibata, Parapat to cross Toba Lake
Places of Interest: Tomok, Tuk-Tuk, Siallagan, Sidihoni Lake

Read about the Lagend of Toba Lake and Samosir Island >>