Budget in Lake Toba

Part of the Lake Toba travel guide — see every topic in All Lake Toba Guides.

Lake Toba is inexpensive to an unusual degree, because tourism never returned to its 1990s level and prices reflect that. A lakeside room with a jetty is 150,000–300,000 rupiah, a meal is 25,000–60,000, and a scooter for the day is 100,000. The significant cost is getting there: four to five hours from Medan by car, or a flight to Silangit. A backpacker manages on 250,000–400,000 rupiah a day; a comfortable stay runs 600,000–1.2 million.

Accommodation and food

Simple fan rooms 100,000–250,000 rupiah; lake-view rooms with hot water 250,000–600,000; better hotels 700,000–2 million. Food: a warung or guesthouse meal is 25,000–60,000, a fish dish 50,000–100,000, and a beer 30,000–50,000. Because most guesthouses serve food and there are few standalone restaurants, you will eat where you sleep, which keeps costs predictable. Coffee is excellent and cheap. Realistically, food and a room on Samosir come to 200,000–400,000 rupiah a day.

Getting there

The dominant cost. A private car from Medan is 700,000–1,200,000 rupiah one way, a shared minibus 100,000–200,000, and a public bus less. The ferry from Parapat is 20,000–30,000. Flights to Silangit vary widely; Medan is generally better connected and cheaper to reach from abroad. On the island, a scooter is 80,000–150,000 a day and fuel is minimal. Sharing a car from Medan between three or four people makes the whole journey inexpensive.

Activities

There is very little to pay for, which is much of the appeal. Village entrance and performance fees at Tomok, Ambarita and Simanindo are 10,000–50,000 rupiah each. Kayak or boat hire is 50,000–200,000. The hot springs at Pangururan charge a small fee. Swimming is free. Ulos cloth ranges from 150,000 rupiah for a simple modern piece to several million for a fine traditional one. Sipiso-piso waterfall on the northern rim charges a small entry.

Practicalities

Bring cash from Medan or Parapat: ATMs on Samosir are few and frequently empty, and card acceptance is minimal. Prices are generally fixed rather than negotiable at guesthouses and negotiable for scooters, boats and cloth. The most common budget error here is not the daily spend but underestimating the road: a private car in each direction from Medan can cost more than a week of accommodation, so share it or take the shared minibus.

Budget at a glance

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