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Trip to
Sumatra
Nature in its wild state
Sumatra will surprise you with its biodiversity, its local population rooted in ancient traditions, and the vastness of its landscapes. A kingdom of orangutans, tigers, and elephants, it is home to nature reserves where species preservation takes on its full meaning.
Your holiday in Sumatra
LOCATION
0°N, 102°E
Greater Sunda Island
Java Sea, Andaman Sea, South China Sea
SURFACE AREA
473,481 km²
POPULATION
Malay, Alas, Gayon, Batak, Orang-Oulou, Orang-Loubou Niha, the Passoumah… 50.4 million inhabitants (2013).
TIME ZONES
UTC +7:00.
7-hour time difference between Medan and France
RELIGION
Muslim majority Protestants, Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus.
official language
Bahasa Indonesia
Languages spoken: Acehnese, Batak, Malay, Minangkabau.
Currency
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Highest point
Mount Kerinci 3,805 m
Sumatra, located in western Indonesia, is above all a land of extraordinary fauna and flora. Indeed, Sumatra is home to some of the most lush tropical jungles on the planet, between plateaus and high mountains, dense-canopy forests and steep canyons.
It is a privileged playground for some of the rarest animals and plants in the world. There are more than 200 species of mammals, 190 species of reptiles and other amphibians, 580 species of birds, and more than 15,000 plants have been identified; more than 400 have also been discovered since 1995 (WWF figures).
Sumatra is also an exception in terms of animal coexistence: it is the only place where you can see tigers, elephants, rhinoceroses, and orangutans living together. Proboscis monkeys, clouded leopards, sun bears and, discovered recently, the Tapanuli orangutan. So many magnificent creatures living in harmony, sadly threatened by logging and human greed.
Since 2004, part of Sumatra’s jungle has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as three different national parks covering a total of 25,000 km²: Gunung Leuser National Park, the larger Kerinci Seblat, and, at the island’s south-western tip, Bukit Barisan Selatan.
Sumatra is home to around twenty different peoples and some forty Austronesian languages, used to varying degrees. This vast territory, which welcomed great travellers such as the Chinese pilgrim Yi-Tsing in 671, the Arab explorer and geographer al-Masudi in the 10th century, and later George Cœdès, was the cradle of great war epics as well as age-old legends such as those of Toba and Lau Kawar.
VISIT
Sumatra
Plan your trip to Sumatra
The island of Sumatra is best discovered in adventure mode, with the desire to meet timeless peoples and to explore extraordinary fauna and flora—experiences that must be earned. Indeed, the area of the territory, as a reminder, is more than 470,000 km², which does not allow you to cross the island from end to end in just a few days; you will need patience and curiosity to appreciate all the richness Sumatra has to offer.
Minibus, 4×4, public boats, local craft, rafting trips, bike rides, local buses, domestic flights—every means of transport is possible to reach your destination. Road conditions depend on the goodwill of local authorities, the latest rains, the most recent landslide, and the sometimes unpredictable route will remind you of the pleasure of straight, well-maintained roads.
Travel to Sumatra,
so much to see…
Discovering Sumatra means accepting stages that are not necessarily planned, making unlikely encounters, not seeing what you wanted, and meeting surprise and its companion, authenticity.
Sumatra reminds us that our “plans”, our desire to see wild animals, our wish to have exceptional encounters, and even the budget we have devoted to our trip do not inexorably determine how our itinerary will unfold.
Sumatra, like the other Indonesian islands, tests us before adopting us, offers us different paths, asks us to make concessions, to reinvent ourselves as travellers, to accept losing certainty in order to gain curiosity—this is also what it means to discover Sumatra.
Visit Sumatra,
and discover the unusual
Each itinerary offered in Sumatra by Amanaska is aligned both with your way of travelling and with feasibility, possible logistics, existing points of interest, and the distances to cover to reach them.
Depending on the length of your stay, it will be possible to go in search of wild animals, which does not guarantee that you will see them, because they are, by definition, wild and you do not have an appointment with them. You may therefore be able to catch a glimpse of orangutans or tigers—it all depends on the time you devote to it—or share the daily life of an elephant sanctuary.
If you do not mind the road, volcanoes such as Sipiso Piso await you, and you will also be able to visit villages such as Nagori, Ambarita, or Simanindo, or continue discovering the world’s largest matriarchal society, the Minangkabau. As a family, in a group, as a couple, or on a trip with friends, Sumatra will require you to adapt, because you will be choosing an off-the-beaten-track itinerary—unique, atypical, and unforgettable.
Prepare your
Holiday in Sumatra
HOW TO GET TO SUMATRA?
To date, there are no airlines that fly directly to the island of Sumatra. From France, Switzerland, or Belgium, you will therefore need a stopover, for example in Singapore, Jakarta, or Kuala Lumpur. You can also take a domestic flight during a family trip to Bali, or from Jakarta, to fly directly to the city of Medan via “Kualanamu International Airport” or to Padang Airport in western Sumatra.
WHEN TO GO TO SUMATRA?
As in much of Indonesia, the island of Sumatra has a tropical climate with very heavy rainfall. You will also notice that we have written “heavy rainfall” rather than simply showers, because when it rains in the country, it looks more like a waterfall.
Naturally, the landscapes benefit from this, offering up magnificent views and lush green regions. As a result, throughout the year, rain combines with the heat to create a tropical climate where, whatever the season, the humidity level is around 75–80%. On Sumatra, as on other Indonesian islands, it is nevertheless possible to identify two seasons that define the year.
There is the dry season, from late April to early October, sometimes with a little rain or cloudy weather, especially at higher altitudes, and then a (torrential) rainy season that truly begins in late November/early December and ends in April.
Of course, during the rainy season it does not rain every day and the sun is often present, but in general the rains are fairly regular, thunderstorms are frequent, flooding is daily. In short, it is another face of Indonesia.
It should be noted, however, that you do not come to the island of Sumatra for a stable climate. Even if we know that in July the weather is fine over 40% of Sumatra’s territory, there is a strong chance that, during your trip, rain will also be part of the programme—this is part of the tropical climate.
WHAT TO DO IN SUMATRA?
As we have seen, Sumatra offers extraordinary natural wealth, both in its fauna and flora and in its peoples, all of whom have a history, a past, and a daily life shaped by ancestral traditions.
Choosing to discover a region of Sumatra such as the Minang country, an island such as Samosir, or wanting to meet a particular people such as the Batak, given the distances, sometimes means having to make difficult choices, unless you can leave for a few weeks or a few months. What you will see and do in Sumatra will therefore depend on the number of days your stay lasts.
Depending on the time you can devote to Sumatra, you will be able to: Discover Lake Toba, the world’s largest crater lake, from the top of the Sipiso Piso volcano; swim with Asian elephants; cross rubber plantations; take long walks or treks to reach orangutan communities in Gunung Leuser National Park.
Hike in the jungle to see gibbons and macaques, and end with a night in the tropical forest. Swim under waterfalls or in hot springs, and raft down rivers that run through age-old natural scenery. Get up at dawn to climb Mount Sibayak.
Visit villages such as Dokan, Lingga, or Sigapiton, or the Pandai Sikat weaving village. Share their daily life and soak up the flavours of traditional markets such as Berastagi.
Take a ferry to Samosir Island, home to the village of Tuk Tuk where life is good, or take a boat to the village of Nagori and visit schools and local associations. Take a long walk in the Maninjau nature reserve to discover the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia tuan-mudae…
There are many opportunities for unusual encounters, to share powerful moments, and to see sites that are sometimes touristy but that mark the history of the island of Sumatra. The paths, hikes, and roads to get there will also be an excuse for stops and breaks in the heart of Sumatra—an exceptional island that remains one of the world’s last sanctuaries.
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Indonesia
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From its inception, our agency has been committed to participating in responsible tourism,
with deep respect for the population that welcomes us, for the fauna and flora,
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AMANASKA BALI
148 REVIEWS
An unforgettable stay thanks to Amanaska.
Melisande is very attentive and always available to chat and answer our questions, whether before or during our stay.
Stéphane, another member of the agency, was also very friendly.
Thank you once again for the high standard of your services.
Amanaska organised a three-week family holiday in Bali for us, which will remain etched in our memories forever.
What did we love? EVERYTHING! From the quality of our discussions with David, the agency’s founder, as we planned our bespoke tour of the island – avoiding the overly touristy traps – to the selection of charming hotels blending tradition and modernity, right through to our guide and driver, who were always so attentive and knew the route inside out.
We particularly enjoyed the opportunities to meet Balinese families and discover their way of life, arts and traditions in an intimate and personalised way (cooking classes, dance lessons in a magical school, making our own kites, visiting a village with its nursery school, and so on).
And what can we say about the kindness and hospitality of the Balinese people? That first glimpse made us want to come back.
We had an amazing three-week road trip in Bali, organised by Amanaska.
Dès le départ, l’équipe a été aux petits soins : Melisandre, notre organisatrice, a su créer un itinéraire sur mesure pour notre famille (avec deux enfants de 6 et 9 ans), nous permettant de découvrir un Bali authentique, loin des sentiers battus tout en étant à l’écoute de nos envies et besoins.[...]
A huge thank you to the whole Amanaska team for this unique experience and the thoughtful touches they provided. We highly recommend their services to anyone looking to discover Bali in a different way, with authenticity and warmth.
A wonderful trip. Discovering Bali was an unforgettable family experience... Melisande and her team at Amanaska made it easy for us to learn about the local customs and traditions. They listened to our wishes and stuck to our budget.
We can’t recommend them highly enough.
Thank you again!!!
I wanted to visit the real Bali, not the one overrun by mass tourism, and the agency understood this straight away. We discovered a wonderful culture and met some very kind and welcoming people. The trip alternated between sightseeing and sporting challenges for my older teenagers (aged 16 to 20). We watched the sunrise over the volcano and went on a bike ride through the rice fields. We even helped the locals replant rice. Our French-speaking guide was absolutely brilliant. The driver was very kind and incredibly skilful in this world of lawless roads…
It’s the best trip we’ve ever been on.
Thank you to the whole Amanaska team
We spent 15 days in Bali in June, exploring and unwinding. Mélisande put together an unforgettable trip for our wedding anniversary. Every time we arrived at a new hotel, we were delighted to find a bed decorated with flowers. Gustut and Nura were our guide and driver, and they looked after us so well.
This is the second time I’ve been to Bali and had my trip organised by you.
I’ll be back a third time with great pleasure.
Thank you
Léa and Pierre
We worked with Melisande from the AMANASKA agency to put together an 18-day holiday in Bali. Melisande was very professional, responsive and proactive in helping us plan our itinerary exactly as we wanted it.
We had requested a French-speaking guide and were able to explore Bali at our own pace, with a top-notch driver to boot. Furthermore, from speaking with them, it’s clear that AMANASKA offers working conditions that aren’t available everywhere.
Don’t hesitate to book with this agency; you’re sure to make some wonderful discoveries in Bali.
The tour was well organised, and the sequence of visits followed a clear plan, which saved time and helped to ease traffic congestion.
Well done to the whole team for their professionalism.
A courteous guide and an impeccable driver.
Best regards to all.
NAIT
A big thank you to Melisande for organising this exceptional trip. Thank you for choosing the activities and hotels... Everything is taken care of; once you’re there, all you have to do is enjoy yourself. Melisande is always available, whether before, during or after the trip, so thank you. And thank you also to our driver and guide, who were incredibly kind.
Our heads are full of memories and we have just one desire... to go back!
Estelle and Nadège
A big thank you to the Amanaska team for organising our three-week trip to Bali. Right from our first discussions, David put together an itinerary that perfectly matched our expectations: exploring the local culture and traditional sites whilst avoiding the crowds, a variety of activities to discover the island’s beauty, a pace suited to our family (children aged 11 and 15) and always an excellent choice of hotels. Thanks also to our guide and driver, who played a part in making this trip such a success. We simply went with the flow for three weeks and were able to enjoy our stay to the full.
David organised an absolutely perfect, tailor-made trip for us. We managed to avoid the crowds, which is a real feat in August. We discovered authentic places and people without missing out on the must-see attractions. David put together a trip that struck the perfect balance between relaxation and exploration.
A word of advice: let him take the lead, let him surprise you – he knows Bali like no one else. A special mention for the hotels: all different, magnificent, unexpected… we really switched off like never before!
See you soon for another trip to Bali, which I’m sure will be completely different!
We had a wonderful time in Bali with your agency.
A big thank you to Melisande, who took over our booking after Cyrielle had set it up; she was always cheerful, responsive and efficient, even when she was ill... Well done.
A big thank you also to our driver Ajik and guide Tut Nick.
It was almost a month of enjoyable moments, visits, breaks, etc., at a pace that suited us perfectly, and it was a trip that lived up to our expectations and desires.
I would just like to mention one small drawback: it would have been handy to have a personalised travel guide providing a comprehensive overview of the itinerary, activities, hotels (including the number of rooms) – in short, covering the whole month. Given our programme, I found this to be missing. I’m used to having this on similar road trips in other countries.
Thank you to the whole team!!!
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