Lake Toba

Where to stay

Tuk Tuk, the peninsula on Samosir Island, is where budget travelers actually sleep. Nearly every guesthouse sits along the one looping road there, a short passenger-ferry ride from the Tigaraja pier in Parapat on the mainland.

Getting around

• Rent a motorbike in Tuk Tuk for around 80,000 IDR a day and ride the southern loop past Tomok's Batak king tombs and the stone execution courts at Ambarita. Both are free and within an hour of each other.
• The Tuk Tuk ferry drops passengers at several stops along the peninsula. Tell the captain your guesthouse name before you board so you get off at the right spot, not at Tomok by mistake.
• Buses from Medan's Amplas terminal to Parapat cost a fraction of tourist shuttles and run all day. Buy a seat ticket, not standing, and it's a straightforward 4- to 5-hour ride.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest and emptiest from September through November. July, August, and the stretch between Christmas and New Year fill up quickly, particularly on weekends when day-trippers and families from Medan arrive.