City of Ancient Tradition. Our 7 Days 6 Nights Trip in Medan (Part 1)

In September 2015, myself and Camel took a trip to the Sumatran region after a meeting in Medan to enjoy the stunning scenery and to explore the lush rainforests, waterfalls, mountains and lakes in this mysterious island (Pulau Samosir). The last time I visited Medan was back in 2010 with my colleagues for an exhibition fair.  

I arrived at Kualanamu International Airport, Medan 2 days ahead of Camel. Medan is the capital city of North Sumatra and the largest city on the island of Sumatra. With a population of around 2 million people, Medan is also the third largest city in all of Indonesia, right after Jakarta and Surabaya.

Medan

Our trip started in the north, the bustling city of Medan, one of the largest city in Sumatra. The first few days, we visited the Grand Mosque (Mesjid Raya), not too far (walking distance) from our hotel. This Mosque has an impressive black domed Moorish style roof. 

Maimoon Palace, a must-visit spot when you're in Medan

The interior of the historic Maimoon Palace

The interior of the historic Maimoon Palace

The interior of the historic Maimoon Palace

The interior of the historic Maimoon Palace

The interior of the historic Maimoon Palace

The interior of the historic Maimoon Palace

The exterior view of Maimoon Palace

We then moved on to Maimoon Palace, a must-visit spot when you’re in Medan. This lavish royal palace was built in 1888 by Sultan Makmun Al Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah of the Deli Sultanate with Malay, Italian and Dutch influences. We were told that members of the royal family still reside within the palace and were advised to maintain our decorum at all times.  

Local snacks

Local snacks

Travel by local becak when you're in Medan

Medan has the shopping facilities of any big city including many malls. Shopping was at Yuki Simpang Raya Mall (walking distance from our hotel) and Sun Plaza Mall, in which we went there by taking a local becak, also known as trishaw or pedicab. The charges are ranging from between Rp. 5000 - 10,000 depending on your destination (near or far).  

At the Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni  

At the Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni 

The interior of  Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni 

The interior of  Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni 

On the following day, we headed to Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni - that is definitely recommended if you’re in Medan. What makes this particular shrine so interesting is that it is a Catholic shrine but with South Indian influences and with Tamil Hindu architecture. It is unlike any church you’ve ever seen before. As the name suggests, this church is dedicated to Mother Mary, who is believed to have appeared to residents of the coastal village of Velangkanni in Tamil Nadu, India. This Catholic Church features Indo-Moghul architecture. Inside, paintings of Biblical stories adorn the walls of the church.  

Tjong A Fie's Mansion

The interior of Tjong A Fie's Mansion

The interior of Tjong A Fie's Mansion

The interior of Tjong A Fie's Mansion

We then headed to Tjong A Fie’s Mansion. This two-story mansion is a Medan must-see for anyone who is interested in history. It was built by Tjong A Fie, a Hakka merchant who went on to own most of the land in Medan through his plantation. Our final stop in Medan for that day was at Pasar Ikan Lama (Traditional Market).  

Remember to take home Medan's best Bika Ambon

Medan is also famous for producing some of the best Bika Ambon in Indonesia. This is a delicious cake made of rice flour. Of course, a trip to Medan will not be completed without buying Medan’s famous snacks, Bika Ambon (Tapioca Cakes) and Bolu Meranti (Medanese Swiss Roll), and so we bought some to take home as souvenirs. Remember to visit Jalan Majapahit for the best selection Bika Ambon. 

When in Medan, a visit to Lake Toba is a must. Samosir Island is wonderful for a quiet getaway. Stay tuned for our next post on City of Ancient Tradition. Our 7 Days 6 Nights Trip in Medan & Lake Toba (Part 2).   

Day 1: 27 Sept 2015 (Sun) Penang → Medan

Morning: Depart from Penang (PEN) International Airport → Medan  Kualanamu (KNO) Airport

Afternoon: Free & Easy

Check-in: Madani Hotel Medan   

Day 2: 28 Sept 2015 (Mon) Medan

Morning: Free & Easy

Afternoon: Mesjid Raya (Grand Mosque) → Shop for Bolu Meranti → Yuki Simpang Raya Mall (Shopping) → Sun Plaza Mall (Shopping)

Check-in: Madani Hotel Medan 

Day 3: 29 Sept 2015 (Tue) Medan

Morning: Free & Easy

Afternoon: Maimoon Palace → Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni → Tjong A Fie’s Mansion

Check-in: Madani Hotel Medan 

Day 4: 30 Sept 2015 (Wed) Medan → Paparat → Samosir Island (Tuk Tuk)

Morning: Free & Easy

Afternoon: Medan → Parapat (Lake Toba) Approx. 4-5 hours drive + Ferry ride to Tuk Tuk (Samosir Island) Approx. 45 minutes – 1 hour ride (**last ferry ride from Parapat to Samosir Island --Tuk Tuk/Tomok is at 7.00p.m.) 

Check-in: Samosir Cottage  

Day 5: 1 Oct 2015 (Thurs) Samosir Island (Lake Toba)

Morning: Ambarita Village → Raja Siallagen Anceint Court → Raja Siallagan Stone Chair  & Batak Traditional Houses and Dance → Catholic Church of Inkunturatif  (Paroki St Mikhael Pangururan)

Afternoon: King Sidabutar’s Tomb in Tomok Village → Samosir Villa Resort  → Sigaruntung Panoramic View

Check-in: Samosir Cottage  

Day 6: 2 Oct (Fri) Samosir Island → Berastagi → Medan

Morning: Samosir Island (Lake Toba) → Berastagi → Simarnanjung Hill (for bandrek) - Tongging Hill → Waterfall Sipiso-Piso

Afternoon: Berastagi Town and Fruit Market → Gundaling Hill → Pematang Purba (Batak’s King Palace) → Taman Alam Lumbini

Check-in: Hotel Deli River and Restaurant Omlandia

Day 7: 3 Oct 2015 (Sat) Medan → Penang

Morning: Medan  Kualanamu Airport (KNO) → Penang International Airport (PEN)

Check-out: Hotel Deli River and Restaurant Omlandia
 
Entrance Fee(s):

◊Mesjid Raya (Grand Mosque): FOC

◊Yuki Simpang Raya Mall: FOC

◊Sun Plaza Mall: FOC

◊Maimoon Palace: IDR5K

◊Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni: FOC

◊Tjong A Fie’s Mansion: IDR35K

◊Ambarita Village (Raja Siallagen Anceint Court): IDR4K

◊Catholic Church of Inkunturatif  (Paroki St Mikhael Pangururan): FOC

◊King Sidabutar’s Tomb in Tomok Village: FOC

◊Sigaruntung: FOC

◊Simarnanjung Hill (for bandrek):IDR32K

◊Tongging Hill: FOC

◊Waterfall Sipiso-Piso: FOC

◊Berastagi Town and Fruit Market: FOC

◊Gundaling Hill: FOC

◊Batak’s King Palace: IDR4K

◊Raja Taksi from Medan to Samosir Island (Lake Toba) : Rp. 2,700,000

◊Boat to Parapat : IDR 30K 
◊Water Sipiso-Piso : IDR 12K
◊Gundaling Hill : IDR 20K
◊Donation at Taman Alam Lumbini (Free Entrance) : IDR 20K

Accommodation(s):

(i)   Madani Hotel Medan

Address: Jalan Sisingamangaraja/Amaliun No. 1 Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia

Contact: (061) 7358000  

Fax: (060) 7367779 

e-mail: reservation@madanihotelmedan.com / marketing@madanihotelmedan.com

Website: http://www.madanihotelmedan.com

Room Type: Superior room (Rp. 388.000/nett/room/night with 2 breakfast) 

(ii)Samosir Cottage

Address: Tuk Tuk Lake Toba, 22395 Tuk Tuk, Indonesia

Contact: +62625451170 

e-mail: henrymanik@samosircottages.com

Website: http://samosircottages.com/

Room Type: Deluxe Double (Rp. 800,000/nett/room/2 nights with 2 breakfast)   

(iii) Hotel Deli River and Restaurant Omlandia

Address: Jl. Raya Namorambe No. 129, Deli Serdang, Medan, Indonesia

Contact: +62-61-7032964 / +62-61-7032967

e-mail: contact@hotel-deliriver.com

Website: http://www.hotel-deliriver.com/

Room Type: New Deluxe Cottage (MYR 208.89/nett/room/night with breakfast)

Recommended Restaurant(s):

◊ Orari Restaurant & HomeStay (Samosir Island)

What to order: Barbecue fish with salad and chips, Chicken / Pork Rendang, Avocado juice with chocolate milk 

Local Transportation:  

Contact Person: Bloom

Telephone / WhatsApp: +62 813 7584 4395

Rate: Rp. 2,700,000 inclusive of petrol fuel, driver chargers and ferry charges (From Medan → Samosir Island (via ferry ride) → Medan)

Air Itinerary Details:

AirAsia: Penang International Airport (PEN) – Medan  Kualanamu Airport (KNO) / Medan  Kualanamu Airport (KNO) – Penang International Airport (PEN)

From                         To                               Flight             Date             Dep         Arr

Penang (PEN)        Medan (KNO)              QZ 107           27 Sept          1310        1300

Medan (KNO)         Penang (PEN)             QZ 106           3 Oct              1100        1245

Return Flight Ticket(s): 199.44 MYR/pax (inclusive of Airport Tax, GST and Processing Fee) 

Read more about our travel experiences @ North Sumatra:
Samosir Island & Lake Toba (Part 2) 
Parapat & Berastagi (Part 3) 

Note: All entrance / transportation fees and accommodation rates/charges listed on this post are based on our (chengywong.blogspot.com) travel dates (2015) and therefore subject to change(s). ©chengywong.blogspot.com is not responsible for content on external web sites. 

Welcome to Small World! This blog is not a travel agency, but rather a personal site which allows us to share our past travel experiences in a straightforward and far-reaching way. We often made great use of other peoples travel blogs and sites every time we plan for our travel itinerary as they often contained most updated information and invaluable resources from their past travel experiences.  We hope that you will find every piece of information & images contained within our blog handy and useful. Thank you very much for reading our post(s). If you find this blog worth a read, please feel free to leave a comment/testimonial or click "Like/Share" if you love reading them all. xoxo Both Chengy & Camel are passionate travelers who enjoys speaking to young keen travelers about the freedom to get cultured and to taste the fullness of life. Feel free to contact them if you need any travel advice, guidance or tips or if you have any burning questions with regards to your upcoming trip(s)/ journey.

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