Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Medan the same after 18yrs

Heard alot about Medan Lake toba. Some said it is the biggest lake in South East Asia and once was the most popular tourist attraction in the region in the 80s and 90s.

Step into Medan for my 1st time recently 04Jun for a business trip - Very different from Jakarta. More organized, less traffic, less dust and many chinese. Hey, not bad huh!.

Surprisingly, the chinese speak fluent Penang Hokkien!!. I thought I am in Penang. I am Hokkien but my slang are from the south. The Medanese Chinese mix their language with Indonesia+English+Hokkien = Medanese version language. What a good mixture for me who are half cooked Hokkien. I just "tembak" with my own version.... hey, not bad... they understand.

After my business trip, i extended 1 nite to explore what I always heard "Medan Lake Toba" is. Is it that attractive, what is so beautiful about it? Why the place is totally "subside in our tourism list? Why no one think of honeymooning in Medan anymore?

Truth has been revealed. !! Medan has not being developed and improved for 18yrs. We visited Brastagi, Sipiso piso a mountainous area similar to our own Cameron Highland. Cooling temperature with lots of hotels and villas. No fancy restaurant or "happening" at night. Not even a bar or a band in the hotel. It feel like "back to the history". I was told the hotel room was refurbished with new furniture and new painting... but I feel those wooden furniture is almost outdated.

Danau Toba is just merely a large lake with about 800km diametre that the local said the Samosir Island in the middle of the lake is as big as Singapore. The scenery overlooking the lake is not attractive anymore due to changes of the climate and polution (forest burning). The photo taken is just one color.


Is sad that the internal and external factor has dampen the whole tourism industry in this area. plus no new improvement on once was a popular tourist attraction now stranded without even known to some of the young generation traveller in the 20s.


Being in the travel line, we have to constantly made changes to attract tourist.
How can China become so successful in their tourism industry eventhough the places of visit remain unchanged every years. How Australia a country with no natural wonders or speciality but can attract thousands of visitors? I pray that the Indonesia government will not loose this natural wonders created by God. I am sure the Medanese is still very proud of their "MEDAN LAKE TOBA"

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