Getting Around in Lake Toba

The most popular way to travel around Lake Toba is by boat. You can either take the cheaper school boats that operate on limited schedules or the public boats that run frequently throughout the day. The public boats cost 7,000 rupees per trip, and they travel from Tigaraja and Ajibata to Tuktuk and Tomok village in Samosir Island. Also available is a bigger boat that is used to transport buses and cars from Tigaraja to Tomok.

When you are on Samosir Island or Tuktuk, you can rent a motorcycle to get around. A full day rental costs 70,000 rupees, which includes 4 liters of petrol. Although there is little traffic on the islands, you have to be careful when you are riding your motorcycle, because there may be trucks and buses appearing on the roads occasionally, and the drivers can be rather reckless. Also, the condition of the roads in some parts of the islands is very bad, and accidents may happen if you are not careful.

Many tourists choose to travel by foot or rent a bicycle from their guesthouses. If you are walking or biking to faraway places, make sure that you have enough time to get back to your lodging before dark. Some parts of the islands are very quiet and dark at night, and it may be dangerous if you lose your way. In case you get lost, you can seek help from the locals. Most of the people there are very friendly, and they will do their best to help you.