Samosir

Geographical location

Samosir ( Indonesian: Pulau Samosir ) is a volcanic island in Lake Toba in northern Sumatra. It is 647 km ² about the size of the islands of Ibiza and Singapore.

It is the largest island in an island lake and has itself two small lakes. On its west side it is connected with Pangururan about a 700 meters narrow isthmus with the mainland Sumatra.

Most residents are Batak, it is also a number of Europeans have settled. The island belongs to the province of Sumatera Utara with capital Medan, where the government district Samosir with the main town Pangururan. From the harbor town of Parapat on the mainland can be reached in about 30 minutes by boat to the island. In addition to passenger ferries to the villages Tuk Tuk ( Samosir ), Tomok Ambarita and there is a car ferry to Tomok.

Since the 1970s, the island is a favorite destination for backpackers. Thus, an extensive tourist infrastructure is developed with a range of accommodation and restaurants particularly in Tuk -tuk.

Worth the cemetery of Tomok with its almost 400-year old stone graves and the huge banyan trees, the village Ambarita on the east side of Samosir, typical with its houses and a place of judgment are still well-preserved example of beautiful Batak architecture and culture, and the village Simanindo at the northern tip, where you can be a very well-preserved Batak house, which is now a museum visit, and attend dance performances.

Latest pictures

Ancestral home of the Toba Batak

Traditional Batak house

Lake Toba Samosir

Batak village

Lake Toba seen from Simanindo from

Historical Images

Market and coast at Nainggolan (1925 )

Assembly in urate (1906 )

Women dancing on the village square ( year unknown )