Medan [04/12 - 05/12]

We arrived at the city of Medan after a 5 hours journey from Parapat. The first majestic sight that greeted us is the Great Mosque.



We proceeded for dinner, where we have a choice of steamboat.



Thereafter, we checked in to our hotel - Swiss Bel Inn. This is a very new hotel which was completed in 2009.



Here is how the rooms look like.



Just next to the hotel is the popular food street of Medan.



We tried out the fried mee and also the pancake durian (only costing 20k rupiah)



The next morning was free and easy for us. So we decide to take a local ride from the hotel to the Tjong A Fie mansion which is 10mins away. The 1-hour car rental (with driver) cost us 60k rupiah. Entrance to the mansion is 30k per person. 



The mansion is rich in Peranakan culture and Tjong A Fie is said to be the wealthiest businessman in Medan. He has very close ties to the Dutch authorities.



There is a courtyard.



The dining area is located at the back of the house.



Here is the master bedroom. It is very large.



And some memories of the past with the Straits Times.



Visitors are lead to this room (called the Muslim Room).



At the second floor is the ballroom.



The house is still partially occupied, which is directly opposite as seen in the photo below.



The Tip Top Restaurant below has quite a history. So we also decided to check it out.



Here is how the interiors look like.



The tea were so-so. I guess people come here for the ambiance.



We met our tour guide, Hendric at 12pm and went to the Maimoon Palace.



Here is the palace grounds.



And the majestic throne where the royalty sit. The palace is partially open to visitors as the remaining compounds are still occupied.



We requested Hendric to send us to the Zen Garden Spa instead of Sun Plaza. We read that the Zen Garden Spa is the best Spa in Medan. He was initially reluctant due to strikes and demonstration going on. But we persisted.



It definitely live up to the name of being the best spa. All charges can be found on the internet. This is one of the best I have been to.



Here is how a typical room looks like.



Next, we took a cab to the Sun Plaza where we have around 2 hours for lunch and shopping.



We ordered the durian cake again. It is yummy.



This is a large shopping mall. We were not able to cover everything in 1-hour. (Notice there is a train for kids to sit on below).



On the last day - 5th December, the workers in Medan went on strike and block off several of the roads. Luckily, we were able to reach the airport safely.



I also noticed that the favorite snacks is the Sweet and Sour Lays Potato Chips and BBQ Flavored local brand.



Many of the locals also thought that LG is a Japanese brand as seen below.

Lake Toba [03/12 - 04/12]

The hotel we will be staying in Parapat is Niagara Hotel and Resort. Hendric told us the President of Indonesia stayed here before. Below is the sight that greeted us as we went into the hotel.



This is the main hotel resort. Our rooms are facing towards lake toba and away from the carpark.




Here is how our rooms look like.



It has splendid views of Lake Toba.



On a fine clear sunny day, we can see the moon in the sky.



There are also many gardens and parks around the hotel where guests can walk around.



From our room, we can see the sunset.



It is dinner time, and meal will be served next to the pool.



The environment is cooling and comfortable.



Dinner is served!!



The next day, we saw banners beautifully decorated with flowers. We heard these banners are used only for one day.



We met Hendric at 8.30am and we were to catch the 8.55am ferry. From our hotel, it is a 5mins car ride to the ferry terminal. Next to the ferry terminal, there is a market.



Live chicken is being sold.



There are also many freshwater products such as fishes, prawns, etc.



And here we hop on the ferry. It departs hourly to Lake Toba.



The lake is tranquil and beautiful.



There are nice local huts next to the lake.



A single canoe slowly make its way through.



This place reminds me of Lake Como as the Dutch architecture is quite well-preserved.



There are mountains surrounding the lake.



Here is our ferry, with Batik music playing in the background. It travels slowly.



The ferry takes 40mins and we are back on land.



A 5-min walk from the ferry, and we arrived at the Kings Tomb. Rows after rows of shops line the walkway. Remember to negotiate with the store keepers.



Here is the entrance to the Kings Tomb.



Our photo is below.



After shopping, we hop on the 11am ferry back to Parapat for lunch. And we have Indonesian Nasi Padang.