YOU’LL SEE IT’S TRUE... ABOUT SUMATRA
You’ll have a wild old time in this unsung Indonesian island... and you may even find Nemo
WALKING along the rim of the volcano, the stench of sulphur poured up from Mt. Sibayak’s active crater. A thunderstorm crackled in the clouds of the valley below, and that’s when I heard the grumble.
Mt. Sinabung, the sister volcano that sat 20 miles to the east, started to erupt. I sat back, whiteknuckled, and watched the scene unroll. I had trekked all day, camped out at the summit overnight, and woke to nature at her most powerful. I left Ireland in search of the wild and untamed. I found it in Sumatra.
Sitting just south of Malaysia, with a landmass greater than Vietnam or Cambodia, Sumatra is largely ignored by tourists seeking the best of South-East Asia. An Indonesian island with active volcanoes, tropical reefs, worldclass surfing and ancient virgin rainforests.
It is diverse in culture, wildlife, religion and landscape. From the jungles of Bukit Lawang to the tropical reefs of Pulau Weh, Sumatra has something to offer every traveller. BUKIT LAWANG AND TREKKING: Bukit Lawang, a village at the fringe of Leuser National Park, borders a rainforest which is home to tigers, orangutans, rhinos and countless species that cry out from the surrounding jungle.
One square kilometre of rainforest holds more species than Europe and North America combined. We set out before Christmas on a three-day trek with our guide Monang. Hornbills and eagles swooped overhead, their wings so big I could hear them thumping from the ground.
Ants as big as my thumb hurried about their business on the jungle floor as branches in the canopy bowed down with the weight of gibbons.
One morning we were woken by the call of, ‘Orangutan! Orangutan!’ as a semi-wild orangutan named Jackie sat perched in our camp with her baby. In the background, steam rose from the thick canopy, a process called transpiration. Sitting there it looked like the forest was breathing. The whole place was alive.
Our guide, Monang, made sure we didn’t want for anything over our three days. The food was out of this world, fresh fruit salad with pineapple, mangoustine, rambutan. At night we would have sambal, a spicy dish made with ancho- vies, chicken rendang and nasi goreng all cooked up fresh in our camp.
We came back to civilisation on Christmas Eve, tired, elated and ready for Christmas dinner!
TUK-TUK, LAKE TOBA
Tuk-Tuk is a sleepy little village, situated on the shores of the volcanic Lake Toba, in North Sumatra. The steep mountain walls surrounding the lake stand as a relic to the supervolcano which erupted there some 74,000 years ago.
In contrast to its violent beginnings Tuk-Tuk is peaceful, serene, and the best part is that only a handful of people seem to visit. The charm of the village is also a testament to the local Batak peoples, who themselves are friendly and incredibly musical.
It was common to hear a singsong coming from a home, shop or bar and then to be invited in!
Each night most restaurants were open, but catered only to a table or two of people. The standard of food was high, despite the lack of customers.
One day I ordered a fruit smoothie, only for the waitress to reach for a net and walk outside. In the garden she picked mangoes, passion fruit and bananas to prepare fresh. Pineapples even grow at the side of the road.
To sweeten the deal, everything was incredibly cheap. A lakeside Batak-style bungalow was about €9 per night. Breakfast of banana pancakes, fruit salad and a coffee would set you back less than three euro.
Local batak dishes such as Saksang, a braised pork curry, were fragrant and delicious.
The main activity on Tuk-Tuk is inactivity. It is a place to go to bask in tranquility.
The air is clean and crisp, there is little to no traffic passing by and the pace of life is so laid back
it might keel over. Instead of engine noise filling the air, there is only birdsong and the sound of passing boats on the lake, and rarely, the odd car.
After weeks on the road, hiking, trekking and roughing it, TukTuk offered a welcome respite of a weary traveler.
PULAU WEH AND DIVING
Located in the famous Coral Triangle, the island of Pulau Weh showcases the wonders to be seen beneath the waves.
World famous for diving and its vibrant coral reef, it is an island not to be missed. I rented a bungalow on the water’s edge for about fifteen euro per night.
With a snorkel I explored the reef which was home to every sort of fish imaginable.
There were surgeonfish and clownfish, known to some as Dory and Nemo from the Disney film.
Starfish and clams were scattered on the seafloor and multicoloured corals decorated the rest. The water in the sea was warm and inviting, and when it got too much, there was always a hammock waiting to dry off in the sun.
To become more familiar with Sumatra’s underwater life I went diving with Lumba Lumba Divers on Gapang beach.
Bobbing along, almost 90ft below the surface of the ocean we were treated to sightings of devil rays, moray eels and countless colourful species going about their daily business.
I had heard that to see the best of Indonesia, you had to go beneath the waves, and I can say that is very much true.
Pulau Weh, and the surrounding Aceh province, has been under Sharia Law since 2001.
This means no pubs and no booze. This may put some people off, but for me it was a great alternative to Thai or Cambodian islands.
Many South-east Asian islands have been destroyed by the UV-painted, party bucket wielding hoards of drunk and belligerent tourists.
In contrast Pulau Weh was easy going and relatively unspoiled.
Sumatra is an island for those seeking something different.
It’s so far off the beaten track it’s easy to miss, and because of this there are times it feels like it’s only you and the locals.
It isn’t all volcanoes and beautiful wildlife though.
At times the journey was bittersweet.
Hiking to the top of Mt. Sibayak, the path was littered with plastic rubbish nearly all the way to the summit.
Leaving and entering Bukit Lawang, you can see the palm-oil industry laying siege to the remaining rainforest, with the fringes quickly being whittled into profit.
Despite its shortcomings, it is one of the most inviting and exciting places I have had the privilege of visiting.
Wonderful people, beautiful landscapes and amazing wildlife combine to make Sumatra a one-of-a-kind adventure destination.