Quote:
Originally Posted by DirtyWhiteBoy
How was that?
Been wanting to go there but seems they have major earth quakes every couple months and it geeks me out a little.
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great...not overcrowded with tourists, easier to communicate with locals than in Thailand, nice nature, and comparing to Thailand all looks much "wilder" (especially those crazy bus drivers....)
bad sides: really shitty roads (20 hours ride, distance of 400-500 km), UMTS only in big cities, in small villages (typical for Sumatra), you are lucky if yo get GPRS edge...
Berastagi are nice (you can climb active volcanos), Toba is wonderfull, (in both places Christians live...), Bukkitingi (nice city) are also nice (mountains, rice fields and so on...muslims, Padang people)...I wanted to go to Aceh but didn't have time...-> orthodox muslims there and beautiful beaches, also lot of cannabis (but you know penalties for being unlucky....)
also people are very friendly...if you treat them with respect
you can get nice room in Toba for under 7 $ easily....in other parts of Sumatra you basically pay the same prices like in Thailand, but you get lower standard...
(backpackers guesthouses)
when you fly to Medan heading to Toba or Berastagi, just live this city asap, it's madness..the worst what you can see from asian city in one place..crowded,polluted and noisy