North Sumatra has plenty of natural attractions, all of which are just a couple of hours from the bustling capital city of Medan.
If you are curious about the other side of things, where the natives go, the areas at which the flocks of tourists do not understand, here are a few of the lesser-known, but no less noteworthy, sights of North Sumatra.
- Sipoholon Hot Springs
These hot springs are called the “soda water pools” as the bathrooms supposedly taste like a filthy carbonated drink (we do not suggest trying it). The seas are a vibrant blue-green due to its sulfurous content, and also the surrounding limestone hills dot the area with colors of orange, yellow, and green — such a picturesque landscape!
Don’t forget to bring your swimming suit if you want to bathe in the sulfur-springs pool. Sulfur is famous too for its healthy, healing properties. After dousing from the pools, you will emerge with glowing and radiant skin. If you feel hungry after soaking, you can try some delicious local cuisine at one of the North Tapanuli restaurants nearby.
- Dolok Tinggi Raja
If you have traveled to West Java, you probably have heard of Kawah Putih or the white crater lake, but do you know that there’s another hidden Kawah Putih located in the center of a forest in North Sumatra too? The 90°C water flows down limestone steps, causing the rocks to turn as white as snow. Nearby, this hot snow scene is mixed with moss carpets that lie about the imbued pebble as well as a large pond which bubbles from underneath the surface.
You can actually bathe in a second access point in the book as a result of the cold river waterfall and water which rushes in the hilltop to a pool. Is not it a beautiful place to stop and relax at after researching the beauty of the hot springs?
- Pantai Salju
Do not let the name fool you. Though this remarkable all-natural destination is known as “Snow Beach,” there is not any snow, and it actually is not a shore! But this will not make the place any less beautiful. As the water breaks on the stone bed, it appears white, and this resembles snow. The water flows out of a hill, so it’s clean and fresh.
