Do you know Danau Toba? Have you ever heard about Danau Toba ? Have you ever visit Danau Toba in your vacation ? Danau Toba or Lake Toba is an important icon of Indonesia and is also its most famous lake. Through the 1990s, Lake Toba was the choice holiday destination for Southeast Asians, particularly Singaporeans who came to enjoy the weather and scenery. Towards the end of the 20^th century, economic development in the region brought about a growing number of competing destinations. Lake Toba, without new or exciting developments lost its attractiveness.

Danau Toba or Lake Toba in English is the largest volcanic lake in the world and is in Sumatra, Indonesia. Samosir island within the lake is the island within the island of Sumatra. Danau Toba is an immense volcanic lake covering an area of 1,707 sq km (1,000 sq km bigger than Singapore) with an island in the center. Formed by a gigantic volcanic eruption some 70,000 years ago, it is probably the largest resurgent caldera on Earth.

Some studies say it might have been associated with causing previous ice age/climate change and the largest human population bottleneck ever. Genetic estimates suggests that there were only a few thousand individuals that survived the catastrophe. The island in the middle – Pulau Samosir – was joined to the caldera wall by a narrow isthmus, which was cut through to enable boats to pass; a road bridge crosses the cutting. Samosir island is the cultural centre of Batak tribe who are mostly Christians in the modern days.

World famous Danau Toba in the Batak highlands, approximately five hours drive from Medan. Danau Toba is the largest lake in South East Asia and also one of the most spectacular, surrounded by tall mountains and with the large island of Samosir in the middle. If we descend from the mountain we see the lake glittering in all its beauty. The Dutch writer Rudy Kousbroek even called Lake Toba, ‘the most beautiful place on earth. Most visitors stay on the peninsula of Tuk Tuk on Samosir, named after the linguist Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk. In general people stay several days on Samosir to discover the island, to visit traditional Batak villages, to swim in the lake and go to the hot springs in Pangururan.

There are two ways to go to Lake Toba from Medan. One way via Brastagi in the Karo highlands and the other way along the plantation route and Pematang Siantar. Danau Toba was perhaps once more popular than it is nowadays, but for many it remains a firm fixture on the Banana Pancake Trail. It is a great laid back place to chill out for a few days after jungle trekking etc. The location is very popular with Chinese tourists around Chinese New Year, when availability drops dramatically and accommodation costs sky rocket.

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