Day 1
It was an overwhelming excitement for me and my wife, as we set off, flying to Medan, Indonesia with SilkAir. It was our first time flying with SilkAir and we felt so comfortable onboard their plane. Captain Jeffrey Lai and his entire crew cordially greeted us personally at our seats. We were thrilled and privileged that our names were been announced as the winner of Class 95’s, 20 Destinations in 20 Weeks, Discover Asia with SilkAir contest during the pre-flight announcement. SilkAir also gave us VIP treatment throughout the flight. Special thanks to the senior flight attendant, Ms Linda Chia for gathering her crew for a group photo with the pilots.

Upon arrival, our local guide, Harry, picked us up at the airport and introduced himself and went through our itinerary before we began our city tour. First stop was at the Istana Maimoon- Sultan Deli Palace. This palace has a history of 122 years – it was given a present by the Dutch to Sultan Mahmoed in 1888. It can house 30 rooms and it became a tourist destination not solely by its age but of its unique interior design, mixing the element of Malayan cultural heritage, Spanish, Indian, and Italian style.

Next, we visited the Mesjid Raya Mosque, built by the Dutch in 1906. Only a short 5-minute drive away from the palace, it is the biggest mosque in Medan. Islam followers gather at the mosque during the culmination of the fasting month. Then we went to Vihara Gunung Timur – The East Mount Temple. According to the care keeper, being the biggest Buddhist temple in Indonesia, it attracts at least three thousand visitors monthly since 1965.

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to check into the intended J.W Marriot hotel. However, we were put up into another 5* hotel Grand Swiss-Belhotel. There was even a shopping mall linked next to the hotel, Cambridge City Square.

To our surprise, both lunch and dinner were mainly Chinese cuisine cooked by the local Indonesian. They were tasty and sumptuous, comparable to the local seafood restaurants at home.

Day 2
After breakfast at the hotel, we set off at 8am, as the car ride to Lake Toba took approximately 4 hours. While en route, we stopped at 2 local delicacies shops, selling Dodol (a toffee-like delicacy that comes in different flavours), and Peanut Candy. Palm trees and rubber plantations also lined up along the way. Both are Medan’s main source of revenue especially palm oil. For lunch, we had our first Nasi Padang at Parapat before the boat ride across to Samosir Island.

The 30-minute boat ride across to Samosir Island was enjoyable. The breeze was very cooling and the waters were so calm, it almost seemed like you were looking into a mirror. Lake Toba is surrounded by mountains and clouds and that made it look heavenly.

We visited 2 villages at Samosir Island named Tomok & Ambarita. Locals are called Batak people who used to be cannibals till religion changed them. Individual kings ruled these villages before Indonesia gained independence in 1945. Both villages feature distinctive traditional peak roof house. At Tomok, we paid a visit to the ancient tomb of their King Sidabutar. We also bought some of their well-known handicraft items. At Ambarita, we were first shown to the tomb of their King Siallagan once we reached the jetty. We also saw 2 clusters of stone chairs & tables used by the King while he and his noblemen held council and the latter for the passing of sentence whenever an enemy or criminal was caught – the King determined their ill-fate. It was really a contrast between the stories and history of the Batak people and how they live now. They were so friendly and warm towards the tourists, which made they past hard to believe. They would shout ‘Horas, Horas’ which mean Welcome whenever we passed by them. They lived by the earnings made from tourist purchases.

Day 3
It was a free & easy day for us. We went to Sun plaza, the biggest shopping mall in Medan to do some last minute shopping before leaving to the airport reluctantly.

Thank you SilkAir for your hospitality and Happy 20 th Anniversary Class 95!