Escaped the city and found Toba Lake, an unplanned nature trip. But my heart loves it.

Some trips begin simply like that... no plans, no goals, just "good promotion tickets"

I went to Medan, Indonesia. I don't even know where in the country this city is. Let's just say... book first and think about the rest later

As soon as the plane touched down in Medan, I started to feel a bit confused. This city doesn't have anything spectacular to do. If I'm being honest, it could even be called a "pass town". But what is not far from here is one of Indonesia's legendary landmarks —Lake Toba (Toba Lake)

Start looking for information from local people. Asked for a car to go to the lake. Finally found it!It's a shared van with other passengers.You have to wait for the full number before the van can leave. Of course... there are many people traveling together. And the atmosphere in the car was that there were onlygolden-headed foreignersalmost all of them. It's hard to find an Asian person to sit with. Traveling like this Asian people may not like it as much. But for me... The more it makes you want to try and experience it even more

The van took me out of the city. Running through the winding road The view began to change from buildings to forests
until blue-green water appeared in the distance...Toba Lake

It's not just a lake. But it's another world

This lake was formed from the largest volcanic crater in the world. And most importantly... It still maintains its naturalness without adding anything. When we actually arrived, the first word that came out of our mouth was "Oh wow, wow..." It was wide, big, quiet, and peaceful, like being sucked into another world
a world where there were no warning sounds. No one is chasing (It's a bit difficult to follow. because the internet signal here is poor)

A lake that is not formed by rainwater... But from a world-destroying explosion

Toba Lake is not just any ordinary lake. But it is a lake thatformed from the eruption of a supervolcano. (Supervolcano) about 74,000 years ago, which the explosion was so violent that scientists believe Affecting the climate throughout the world and may have greatly reduced the human population in that era

Simply put, if the world had Instagram back then, people might post "Goodbye world" in a row.

The result of the eruption is the collapse of the volcano until it forms a gigantic "basin" and over time. Rainwater and natural streams filled the gap to form what is now Lake Toba. which is considered to be the largest caldera lake in the world

Present: Quiet, peaceful, beautiful and not yet hit by waves of tourists

Lake Toba retains a remarkable rawness and calmness. There aren't many luxury resorts. There are no advertising signs that you can find wherever you go. There is no sound of car horns, just the villagers, the smell of the earth, the smell of the leaves, and the magnificent view that is 100% natural

Keep walking along the shore. You will see villagers washing clothes. Carrying water for use in daily life simple life That's raw and real. No filter

This is the home of the Batak people, who still maintain their own culture strongly. There is the sound of local music. There are smiles that we haven't seen from big cities for a long time. Visiting here I didn't feel like I was just a tourist. But more than that is the feeling that we really are "guests" of the community

Unstaged nature

What impresses me the most is the "rawness" of this place. There are no flashy cafes. There aren't too many photo spots. There is no one to set the scene for you to follow. There was only a lake stretching as far as the eye could see, the sound of the gentle wind, and the waves hitting the shore. and time to be with yourself without rushing to go anywhere

If anyone is still not satisfied, I recommend you tryrent a motorbike or drive yourself.Drive a little further. There will be a hot spring source where you can still see geothermal energy bubbling. The smell of sulfur floats from afar, but it is recommended thatyou should carry a maskor a cloth to cover your nose. Because the smell is very strong. (from direct experience If you inhale it into your lungs unexpectedly, you will almost naturally choke.)

When it was time to return I took the ferry back to shore in silence. My heart doesn't want to go back yet. It's as if this lake has truly been mesmerized.

If you're looking for a trip that doesn't require a lot of planning, it doesn't have to be exact, but you might get a feeling in your heart. Try closing your eyes and booking a ticket to Medan. And let nature take you. Maybe... the best trip. It may start with the word "I don't know where to go" is fine