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Notes on Medan: Gateway to North Sumatra

March 28, 2024 By James Clark 2 Comments

Medan is the largest city on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. It’s the capital of the province of North Sumatra, and if you are visiting Lake Toba and/or Gunung Leuser National Park (for the orangutans) then you will pass through here. I have a soft spot for Medan as it was the first place […]

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: indonesia, medan, sumatra

Medan to Rantau Prapat by train (North Sumatra)

December 14, 2023 By James Clark Leave a Comment

The train from Medan to Rantau Prapat is the longest railway journey in North Sumatra (266 km). It’s not a route that is useful from a tourism perspective, but if you are curious to take a trip then here is what to expect. Tickets I bought my ticket at Medan station on the morning of […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: indonesia, medan, rantau prapat, southeast asia rail, sumatra

How to get from Medan to Lake Toba by train and bus

September 5, 2023 By James Clark 10 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: indonesia, lake toba, medan, parapat, siantar, sumatra, trains

Kualanamu Airport Rail Link: The Medan airport train

August 31, 2023 By James Clark 2 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Train Travel Tagged With: airport train, indonesia, medan, southeast asia rail, sumatra

Hotel Review: Festive Inn, Medan – Indonesia

August 14, 2023 By James Clark

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 […]

Filed Under: Accommodation Tagged With: hotel, indonesia, medan, sumatra

Hotel Review: Kama Hotel, Medan – Indonesia. Budget hotel in the Medan old town area

August 1, 2023 By James Clark

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 […]

Filed Under: Accommodation Tagged With: hotel, indonesia, medan, sumatra

Hotel Review: Vivo Stay, Medan – Indonesia

July 31, 2023 By James Clark

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 […]

Filed Under: Accommodation Tagged With: hotel, indonesia, medan, sumatra

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James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

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