Sumatra has a small railway network that operates in different provinces of the island. The eventual plan is to build a railway network that will form the Trans-Sumatra Railway. The railway system of Sumatra is fragmented and not of great use for tourists. If you plan your itinerary right, there are a few lines that […]
How to get from Medan to Lake Toba by train and bus
Lake Toba is the largest lake in Southeast Asia and one of the highlights visiting Sumatra. The nearest big city is Medan, and it takes about four hours by road to travel from Medan to Parapat (the main city on the lake). There is also a railway network in North Sumatra, with Medan as the […]
Kualanamu Airport Rail Link: The Medan airport train
The Kualanamu Airport Rail Link is an airport railway connecting Medan to Kualanamu International Airport. Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) is the airport serving Medan in North Sumatra. The airport is located 23 kilometres east of central Medan and not in Medan (thus it is not Medan International Airport). The airport opened in 2013, replacing Polonia […]
Hotel Review: Festive Inn, Medan – Indonesia
Hotel Name: Festive Inn. Address: Jl. Sambu, Pandau Hilir, Kota Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia. I stayed at the Super OYO 3159 Festive Inn in Medan, Indonesia. I booked online at the rate of $8.23 USD per night, and I booked it for its price and location in Medan. I was passing through Medan after getting the […]
Hotel Review: Kama Hotel, Medan – Indonesia. Budget hotel in the Medan old town area
Hotel Name: Kama Hotel. Address: Jl. Jend. Ahmad Yani No.97, Kesawan, Medan, Sumatera, Indonesia. I stayed at the Kama Hotel in Medan, Indonesia. I booked online at the rate of $17.54 USD, and I booked it for its location in Medan. The Kama Hotel is on Jalan Jend. Ahmad Yani, which is the main road […]
Hotel Review: Vivo Stay, Medan – Indonesia
Hotel Name: Vivo Stay. Address: Jalan Surabaya No. 2-4, Ps. Baru Medan City Center, Medan, Indonesia. I stayed at Vivo Stay in Medan, North Sumatra. I booked online at the rate of 193,682 IDR ($12.68 USD), and I booked it for its price and location in Medan. I had been to Medan before but I […]
Where to stay in Jakarta : The best areas for visitors and best hotels
Jakarta is the biggest city in Southeast Asia, and finding a place to stay here can be an overwhelming experience when confronted with the map of the city. Despite its size and unruly streets, finding where to stay in Jakarta is manageable if you stick to a defined area that is most useful for first-time […]
Jalan Jaksa – The slow demise of Jakarta’s backpacker street
On my first trip to Indonesia in 2009 I travelled from Medan to Bali by ferry, bus, train, and plane. Midway through that trip I arrived in Jakarta with a copy of Lonely Planet Indonesia in hand. The Book directed me to Jalan Jaksa – the backpacker street of Jakarta. I don’t remember where I […]
Jakarta Airport Rail Link – Train details, and which stations are best for visitors
Jakarta is famous for being one of the most congested cities in the world, so the introduction of the airport rail link has been a welcome relief for visitors to the Indonesian capital. The Soekarno–Hatta Airport Rail Link was built with the combination of a new railway connecting to an existing track. As such the […]
Notes on Jakarta – Metros, moto apps, an airport train, and a giant seawall
Jakarta has been making headlines in 2019, and not always in a good way. In August the Indonesian government announced that it was planning to move the capital of Indonesia to a location in the jungles of Borneo. This news, coupled with high-profile reports that the city is sinking, has led news agencies around the […]
