Nias Island

Nias Island lies about 125 km of west Sumatra Island on the Indian Ocean. It is part of North Sumatra Province. The water surround the island is great for sea activities, such as surfing and scuba diving. The people also have curious culture, which will enrich visitor's heart.

The island has some prehistoric remains, which built on megalithic Stone Age, and considered came from the oldest megalithic culture in Indonesia.The local call their land as Tano Niha or "land of the People", while the people calls them selves as Ono Noha. Ethnically, the Niasers are involved in to the Ptoto-Malay ethnic who once ever get with the Asian Proto-mongoloid world. Niasers speak a kind of language related to Malagasy. Because of the similarity in languages, custom, body size of the Niasers with the Bataks on Sumatra mainland, it is possible that the Niasers have derived from the Bataks.

Surfers will call this island "Paradise on Earth". Together with its beautiful white sandy beach, Lagundri Bay challenge surfers with spectacular waves. In the high season, the waves told to be as high as 3.5 meters. The waves of Sorake Beach on Lagundri Bay have ranked to be within the best ten waves of the world. It is true if some surfers referred of Sorake Beach waves as "the most notorious right-band reef breaks". There are events held for surfers, including the World Professionals Qualifying Series. Surfers are better being ready when your heart cannot leave this island after a visit.

Enormous breakers pummel of Nias Island attracting the best surfers in the world to Lagundri Beach. The unforgiving power attacking the shore seems to have bred the same qualities in the people, whose militaristic culture has fascinated anthropologists for decades. This island lies off West Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. Bawomataluo and Hilisimae villages are curious places to visit, where visitors can see performances of traditional war dances and thrilling high- jump sports, i.e. people making dangerous leaps over 2 meter-high stones. Typical scenes are dancers clad in traditional costumes with bird feathers on their heads, a hall for the Chief-of Tribe built on wooden logs with stone chairs weighing up to 18 tons. There are daily flights from Medan to Nias Island.

To reach this place, there is weekly ship from Jakarta (the capital city of Indonesia) to Gunung Sitoli; There are Ferries from Sibolga to Gunung Sitoli, Teluk Dalam, or Lahewa every day; Before the crisis hit Indonesia, there is daily flight from Medan to Gunung Sitoli, however it is less frequent nowadays. Gunung Sitoli is the capital city of Nias and it is the center of administration and business affairs of regency. There are several travel agencies hotels, public busses and rental cars to support tourism here. There are also some government and private banks available.

Geographically
Nias Island lies on 10 30' north latitude and 970 98' east longitudes. It covers of 5,625 km2 areas, which is mostly lowland area of ± 800 m above sea level.

Population
It is the biggest in a group of islands on Sumatra side that is part of North Sumatra province. This area consists of 131 islands and Nias Island is the biggest. The population in this area is about 639,675 people (including Malay, Batak, and Chinese). Nias has a very unique culture and nature, which is far different from other areas in North Sumatra. This is because of its separate and remote location from the rest of Sumatra.

Tongging was located 112 km from Medan City. This area is located near to Sipiso-piso Waterfall with 360-foot height. From this place, we could enjoy picturesque scenery of Toba Lake. In the intersection of Merek we could turn to Sipiso-piso in Mount Tandukbenua slope (1.947 m. from sea level).

The surrounding panorama indeed is very much enchanting. From the balcony of the two leveled guesthouse that was located in the south of this plateau, the visitor could see the calm and beautiful nature of Toba Lake.

Sibayak and Sinabung Mountain

Berastagi to Sibayak Mountain distance are only 7 Km, this is why the hikers choose this City, as the closest alternative to reach the mountain peak (2.094 meters from sea level). With the currently available infrastructure, the vehicles could reach close to the mountain peak that was known with its beauty nature.

On the Peak of Sibayak Mountain, we could see a sulfuric crater lake with wide around 200 x 200 meters, with temperature 119.6 Celsius and the temperature of surrounding air is 21 Celsius. The other scenery of Sibayak mountain peak is Sinabung mountain peak (2.451 meters from sea level), located in the west.

Berastagi Town

Berastagi, a tourist town, is another lovely town located in Karo highlands. The town is known for its plantations and various kinds of flowers, vegetables and fruit, most famous which is Marquisa passion fruit. It's 66 km southwest of Medan and is 4.594 feet above sea level.


There is a pleasant colonial-style hotel with a golf course. Other new hotels can also be found. From Gundaling Hill a clear view of Mt. Sibayak and Mt. Sinabung volcanoes can be seen.

From this city, the visitors will enjoy charming scenery to the active mountainside, which are Sibayak Mountain and Sinabung Mountain. To climb Sibayak Mountain require at least 3 hours trip and we could enjoy pretty scenery in these mountains or 3 to 4 hours trip in the forest to see the nature wealth inside, for both the flora and the fauna around this forest.

The atmosphere of green nature from the reflection of the trees from the slope of Rangkap Sibayak Mountain (well known as Sibayak mountain) made the Berastagi city had flooded by tourists. The hill line along with the agricultural field, are always ready to refresh its visitor's eyes. Berastagi which rich with agro-industries became the appropriate choice for recreation spot other than Toba Lake and Samosir Island, which has become a trademark of North Sumatra.

Berastagi has the strategic location to become the stopping place, not just because several tourist attractions are easy to be accessed from here, but also the hotels are well provided. Hotels can be easily found with varying price, by offering the design typical to the locals. However the visitor still have the choice to choose the hotels and villas that historically were the legacy of colonial period.

Lau Kawar Lake

Kawar/Lau Kawar Lake is one of the tourist attractions in Karo Regency ranged about 100 hectare. The distance from Medan City is about 85 Km. This tourist attraction crowded with domestic and foreign tourists on Saturday and on Sunday as well as on holidays.

Legend Of Lau Kawar
The rice harvest season has arrived in Kawar village. The entire citizen was happy with the rice crops that had turned yellow and ripe. Likewise the Kawar village chief was definitely delighted since he had a very wide field. What the village chief hoped for now evidently was granted in this year. As the expression of gratitude to God, the Kawar Village chief held a Guro-Guro Aron Drum party in his field for four day and four the night. The entire citizen was invited to that extraordinary party.

Because the invitation was send by the village chief no one dare to refuse the invitation except an old woman, the mother of the village chief. This woman was alone in the house, while all of her child and grandchild went to the party. Continuously some faint drum voices from time to time could be heard from her bed. Around midday the danced was stopped for lunch break. The village chief and the whole villagers were having luxurious and abundant lunch. Beef and goat as well as pig and chicken were served in the meals; everyone was full, satisfied and happy. But this was just the first day.

After resting for a moment, the dancing and singing was continued came guided by the village chief's child. Strangely while dancing in the afternoon the village chief called his small child, apparently he remembered his mother who was left was alone and hungry at home. Rice with decent side dishes was prepared. The small child was told to deliver it to his grandmother house. However unfortunate fate once again fell on the grandmother, he forgot to delivered the lunch in time, even food he should be delivering was opened by him in the middle of the road and all beef, goat, chicken, and pig was eaten until only the bones left and then the grandchild packed the bone into the original parcel.

Although the lunch was arrived very late on the afternoon but the grandmother still smile to her grandchild who came to bring the lunch. After delivering the lunch, the grandchild then returns the field immediately. Thus the old woman with great difficulty got up from the bed to eat. But when the parcel in opened the grandmother startled because there are only bones in it. For a long time the baffled grandmother gazed at the parcel, did not realized his tear fell wetted his wrinkled cheek. Indeed the grandmother's fate was poor. The child whom she raised into a respected village chief has forgot his mother. The grandmother's conscience was very sad, disappointed and angry. She cried, and swore "I who give birth and raised you, till you have the respected position evidently you could not respect your own parents, this mother's milk as the witness my child, for that is swore” her tears continued to fell on her cheek. Not long afterwards the words of this unfortunate grandmother was granted, dark dew began to close the sky, as the day got dark. Lightning and the thunder swarmed continuously. The whole citizen who was celebrating the party began to panic; moreover the rain began to pour down rapidly.

The party was ended instantly; the entire citizen ran looking for a sheltering place. But the rain does not care, the rain continuously poured down for seven day and seven the night, then suddenly a flood happened. Kawar village that located precisely under Sinabung Mountain Foot was sunk. Nothing could be saved. Kawar village then became a lake, which today known as the Lau Kawar Lake.