Enchantment of Medan

The influence of the Dutch and all other cultures that have made their mark on the city is clearly imprinted on the metropolis, as is exemplified by the architectural attractions and landmarks found in Medan.

One example is the Maimun Palace which was built in 1888 by the Sultan of Deli. This major attraction is a 30-room building built with Malay, Mogul and Italian influences. Of the 30 rooms, only the main room can be accessed by the public. This is where tourists can find a luxurious inauguration throne. Meanwhile, the back wing of the palace is occupied by members of the current Sultan’s family.

Restaurants in Medan

Medan is famous for its culinary tourism, due to the many types of food and delicious flavors it has. Foodies will love Medan. Ethnic groups living in this city contribute to the diverse and unique taste of the food.

One of the famous restaurants in Medan is Tip Top, which is located across the street from Tjong A Fie’s house. This restaurant has been around since the Dutch colonial period. In fact, Dutch officials often come here to just drink coffee and socialize. Besides that, Merdeka Walk, Wajir Seafood, Sari Laut Nelayan, Lembur Kuring are some recommended options for visitors.

Shopping in Medan

With so many malls and shops in Medan, shopping has never been easier. Tourists who like shopping will be very pleased with the choices offered in Medan. Foreign tourists in Medan often shop for fabrics at traditional markets, namely the Old Fish Market which provides many types of Muslim clothing and batik.

Sun Plaza, which is located at the corner of Jalan Ainul Arifin and Diponegoro, is the most popular shopping center in Medan. It has a food court that serves Asian and Western dishes. It also has a large supermarket called Hypermart. Delipark Mall in the Podomoro City Deli Medan superblock area is the newest shopping center built with an outdoor lifestyle concept called Rivapark and integrated with the landmark of the Deli river. It is equipped with various well-known food & beverages tenants in Medan.

Another modern mall in Medan is Center Point. It is located right in the middle of Medan, adjacent to the Medan-KNIA Railink station, making it is very accessible to out-of-town tourists who have just come from Kualanamu International Airport using Railink. This mall has a motto “Best in retail, entertainment, and attraction”.

Lake Toba

This is the attraction of North Sumatra which can be considered as a new paradise and a new gateway to visit Indonesia. Beauty of Lake Toba in North Sumatra has been recognized by the public as the largest natural lake in Indonesia. Lake Toba is always crowded with many local and foreign tourists as one of the best tourist destinations in the country.

Located in Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra, Lake Toba is 100 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide. As the largest natural lake in Indonesia, Lake Toba was formed from a super massive volcanic eruption 70,000 years ago. From Medan, with toll access, Lake Toba can be reached in just 3-4 hours.

Berastagi Tourism Area and Its Surroundings

Medan is connected with Nature Tourism in other regencies. Visitors can enjoy The Hill Hotel & Resort Sibolangit, a resort located in the village of Sukamakmur Sibolangit, which is a favorite vacation destination for families or those who like travelling. Fresh air and beautiful natural scenery will make you feel at home for a long time staying at this resort.

If visitors continue their journey, Berastagi is famous from its Gundaling and culinary delights. Visitors can continue the journey to Taman Simalem Resort. From there, the other side of Lake Toba can be enjoyed.

Medan Transportation Facilities

Kualanamu International Airport is an international airport in Medan, North Sumatra. This airport is the third largest airport in Indonesia (after Soekarno-Hatta Jakarta and Kertajati Majalengka International Airport, West Java). This airport is located in Deli Serdang Regency, 23 km east from Medan, so an executive train is provided, namely Kualanamu Airport Railink Services Train which specifically takes passengers from the airport to Medan or vice versa.

There is a mean of transportation in the city that is easily available to visitors. Apart from motorized tricycles, online-based transportation has developed in the city.

Handycrafts

Apart from architecture, weaving is an interesting craft of Batak tribe, which is one of the original tribes of North Sumatra. Examples of this weave are ulos and songket. Ulos is a traditional Batak cloth used in wedding ceremonies, death, building houses, art, etc.

Ulos is made from cotton. The colors of ulos are usually black, white, and red which have certain meanings. Meanwhile, other colors are a symbol of the variety of life. In Pakpak tribe there is a weaving known as oles. Usually the base color is black, brown, or white. In Karo tribe there is a weaving known as uis. Usually the basic colors of uis are dark blue and reddish.

In the west coast community there is a weaving known as Songket Barus. Usually the basic color of this craft is Dark Red or Yellow Gold. You can get ulos at the Ulos store in Medan on Jalan Sei Serayu No. 103.