What is the name of the country where you take Sumatra. Sumatra island

A Frenchman lives in Sumatra, who has been traveling around these parts on a motorcycle for 20 years. According to him, he has not yet seen all the worthy places and is not going to stop. What is it that attracts him, having seen tropical views?

Sumatra is a unique combination of majestic volcanoes, delightful lakes with water like a child's tear, virgin jungle, cool highlands and endless valleys. In the necklace of islands scattered around it, you can find the best diving in the world, and extra-surfing, and ancient megaliths. Sumatra is inhabited by unique Minangkabau and Batak peoples with their impressive architecture and extraordinary musicality. And to everything else, Sumatra is located away from mass travel destinations, so you can enjoy its magnificence thoughtfully and calmly, without looking back at the herds of organized tourists.

The island closes the entire archipelago from the west and is cut in half by the equator. The climate, respectively, is equatorial and subequatorial, with year-round temperatures around 30°. The western part of Sumatra is occupied by highlands, where the climate tends to be European.

In its ethnic and religious composition, the island is an amazing mix of strict Acehnese Muslims in the north, Christians and formal Muslims in the center, Muslim Javanese in the south, with the addition of wild animist tribes living in the jungle and on the islets of the west coast. All of them, however, live amicably and there have been no outbreaks of violence on interethnic grounds.

The history of Sumatra, as well as neighboring Java, forms the basis of the history of the whole country, which can be found in the corresponding section. Once the most powerful empire in Southeast Asia, Srivijaya, with its capital in Palembang, fell apart long ago, relegating Sumatra to a secondary role in regional politics. Now the main events and battles are unfolding around oil, the richest deposits of which are found in the east and north of the island. The Ache Sultanate, with its capital in the city of Banda Ache, fought for independence for a long time, first with the Dutch administration, then with the government of Indonesia. The latest clashes took place in 2003, when 3,000 people were killed as a result of bloody battles between the army and the separatists. Everyone was judged by the tsunami in December 2004, which washed away half the city. Since then, the situation has become much calmer, although the Acehnese do not leave the dream of becoming a “second Brunei”.

The most interesting places are concentrated in the north and in the center of the island. The southern part, although it has natural attractions, is much less popular. Most tourists travel on the Medan - Padang section, discussed below, sometimes stopping at the northern tip of the island in the province of Ache.

Map of the island of Sumatra.

Sumatra is the fifth largest island in the world in the northeast of the Indian Ocean as part of the Greater Sunda Islands, which are part of the Malay Archipelago. The island lies south of the Eurasian peninsula of Malacca and is separated from it by the Malacca Strait. The origin of the name of the island is rooted in antiquity, when in the language of the tribes that inhabited Indochina, the word "sumatai" meant "behind the water."

The island of Sumatra is washed by the waters of many straits of the basin of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, separating it from many neighboring islands and rocks. In the north of the island, its coast is washed by the waters of the Andaman Sea, which passes into the Strait of Malacca, connecting it with the South China Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean. The straits of this sea, Berhala and Banka, separate the island of Sumatra from the islands of Pinga and Banka, respectively. The southeastern coast of the island is washed by the waters of the Java Sea, which, through the Sunda Strait, which separates Sumatra and the island, connects to the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. A fairly large number of islands and island groups are located off the southwestern coast of the island: Mentawai, Batu, Nias and Simepue, separated by the Mentawai, Mekua and Samagu straits.

Administratively, the island of Sumatra is divided into several provinces and is an integral part of the territory of the state of Indonesia.

West coast of Sumatra.

Story.

Experts say that the first people appeared on the island of Sumatra around the second millennium BC. A lot of evidence of this is currently being found during excavations on the territory of the island. At the same time, archaeologists distinguish at least three cultures, whose representatives replaced each other in different time periods.

In the period of the II-V centuries AD, the first states of the region began to form on the island of Sumatra, among the most famous and significant powers of that period, it is worth noting the kingdom of Srivijaya with its capital in the modern city of Palembang. The kingdom of Srivijaya constantly waged wars of conquest and was able to subjugate the islands of Java and, as well as the Malay Peninsula and part of the territory of the current state of Thailand.

At the beginning of the 10th century AD, the island of Sumatra began to be mentioned in ancient writings, and in the writings of the 11th century, the name "Isle of Gold" was assigned to it, since gold mines began to operate here.

In the XIII century. the kingdom of Srivijaya was weakened by internecine strife, which led to its fragmentation. Against the general background of the disintegrated kingdom, the principality of Pasai began to stand out, which at the end of the 14th century became one of the most powerful on the island of Sumatra and beyond.

A typical river village in the eastern part of the island of Sumatra.

In 1291, the famous Italian traveler Marco Polo visited the island of Sumatra, who rather colorfully described it in his writings.

Starting from the end of the 13th century, the island of Sumatra became part of the Majapahit empire, which lasted until the middle of the 16th century. In the period 1496-1904, the Aceh Sultanate, which is considered a follower of the collapsed Majapahit empire, was on the island.

At the end of the 16th century, Dutch missionaries and merchants began to arrive in Sumatra, who began to establish their settlements on the coast. By the end of the 17th century, Sumatra completely fell under the rule of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, like most of the islands of Indonesia.

World War I bypasses Sumatra, as the Netherlands was officially a neutral state. But during the Second World War, Sumatra fell under the occupation of Japanese troops.

After the capitulation of Japan, the Netherlands decided not to fight for the restoration of its power over Indonesia, and in 1945 the independence of the Republic of Indonesia was proclaimed, which territorially includes the island of Sumatra.

Sunset on the east coast of Sumatra.

Origin and geography of the island.

The island of Sumatra is quite large in area, so it is customary to consider its geographical coordinates according to its geographical center: 0 ° 23′44 ″ S. sh. 101°46′38″ E d.

The island of Sumatra, according to its origin, experts refer to the mainland islands, which are formed as a result of the movement of the continents. The island of Sumatra is believed to have formed about 6 million years ago, like most of the islands of the archipelago of which it belongs.

Sumatra is considered the surface part of the mountain range separating the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, which stretches from Burma (Rakhine Range) through and continues with the Pusat Gano Mountains, the Batak Plateau and the Barisan Range already in Sumatra itself. The mountain range of the island stretches from north to south along the west coast. The highest point of the island is the Kerinci volcano, reaching a height of 3800 meters above sea level.

A small Sumatran village on the shores of Lake Toba.

If the western part of Sumatra is mountainous, then its eastern part is low-lying and replete with many swamps and small streams.

It is worth noting that in the northeastern part of Sumatra there is one of the largest volcanic lakes in the world - Toba, formed in the crater of a volcano that erupted about 70,000 years ago.

The coastline of the island passes in such a way that it forms a large number of small bays and bays, convenient for mooring ships. The coast of the island, almost throughout its length, is represented by beaches with dark volcanic sand, and in some places even low sand dunes. In the coastal waters of the island, especially off the east coast, there are short coral reefs.

The island of Sumatra has rich deposits of minerals - oil, iron, coal, gold, nickel and tin.

View of Kerinci volcano.

Climate.

The position of the island of Sumatra on the equator forms the climate in these places accordingly. The climate here, by its type, is equatorial, sufficiently humid and hot. There are no significant seasonal temperature changes here. The air temperature throughout the year on average ranges from + 25 to +27 ° C. From December to March, the island is dominated by winds from the northeast, and from July to September - southwest. On the east coast of the island, about 1000 millimeters of precipitation falls in the form of tropical showers per year. In the western regions, this figure is higher, here it is about 4000 millimeters, and in the mountainous regions it reaches 6000.

View of the valley in the intermountain of the Barisan ridge.

Population.

Currently, the population of Sumatra is approximately 50.6 million people, which makes the island the fourth largest in the world in terms of population. By ethnic composition, the majority are Indonesians (divided into several ethnic groups of Javanese, Madurese, Sundanese, Minangkabau, and so on), among other representatives of peoples and ethnic groups, it is worth noting the Chinese, Thais, Indians, Vietnamese and Laotians. The official language of Indonesia, including on the island of Sumatra, is the Indonesian (Malay) language, which belongs to the Austronesian language family.

The local population is employed in agriculture, mining, textile and processing industries.

The largest city in terms of size and population of the island and the center of the province of the same name is the city of Medan, inhabited by more than two million inhabitants. Among the large and densely populated cities of the island are Padang, Palembang, Belawan, Pematangsiantar and Pekambaru.

Administratively, the island is divided into 10 provinces, the largest of which are North and South Sumatra, Aceh and Lampung.

The monetary unit in circulation on the territory of the island of Sumatra, as well as in fact, throughout Indonesia, is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR, code 360), which the Indonesians colloquially call perak. 1 Indonesian rupiah is officially divided into 100 sen.

Great Mosque in the city of Medan.

Flora and fauna.

More than 30% of the territory of Sumatra, mainly in the eastern part of the island, is covered by equatorial rainforests. Palms, ficuses, giant bamboos, creepers and tree ferns predominate in them on the eastern plains of the island and in the foothills of the ridges. In mountain forests at altitudes of more than 1500 meters, laurel trees and evergreen oaks grow in large numbers, here you can also find maples, chestnuts and some species of coniferous trees. In the mountains, intermountain areas and on the plateau, to a greater extent, you can find shrubs, herbaceous plants and alang-alang, which is an emdemic for these places.

The fauna of Sumatra is diverse. Only 196 species of mammals live here. A large number of reptiles (more than 250 species), more than 270 species of tropical river fish and over 450 species of birds. Emdemic for these places are 9 species of mammals, 19 species of birds and about 30 species of river fish.

The most prominent representatives of the Sumatran animal world are the Indian elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros (emdemik), buffalo, Sumatran tiger (emdemik), black-backed tapir, orangutan, gibbon, Malayan bear, pig-tailed macaque, siamang, striped pig, woolly wing, leopard and island civet (emdemik ). Of the reptiles, it is worth highlighting the Sumatran boa constrictor (emdemik), the “flying dragon” and the gharial crocodile.

Lake Toba.

Tourism.

Local authorities have only recently begun to pay attention to the development of tourism on the island of Sumatra. The climate and natural conditions here are such that they create extraordinary prospects for the operation of tourist facilities for various purposes.

On the coast of Sumatra, only minor areas do not have sandy beaches. In areas where rivers do not flow into the seas, the beaches are washed by the purest sea waters, especially the Indian Ocean. The sand on the beaches has a dark brownish color due to its volcanic origin. In those parts of the coast where coral reefs are located, simply fabulous conditions for diving and snorkeling are created. In the bays and bays protected from strong winds, one can meet a large number of windsurfers recently.

Tourists - lovers of wildlife, local tour operators organize eco-tours to the equatorial rainforest, where you can enjoy the view of pristine wildlife.

Fans of sights and ancient monuments will be presented with architectural structures of the Middle Ages: the Great Mosque and the first urban railway on the island in the city of Medan.

It is worth noting that about 80,000 people visited the island of Sumatra with a tourist mission in 2012, which surpassed similar indicators of previously recognized leaders in the tourism business in different parts of the world.

Coast and beach of Sumatra island.

During the holidays, everyone seeks a change of scenery. And where to do it, if not in Southeast Asia? Of course, the first thing tourists flock to is India, Thailand, the islands of Bali and Java. But there are no less interesting places in those parts. This article will focus on Sumatra - one of the largest islands on Earth.

Location and climate of Sumatra

It ranks sixth in size among the largest islands in the world.. It is located in the Indian Ocean and belongs to the group of Indonesian islands. To the south lies the island of Java, which is separated from Sumatra by the narrow Sunda Strait. To the east is the huge island of Kalimantan, and in the north through the Gulf of Malacca begins the elongated peninsula of the same name. Malaysia and Singapore huddle on it.

Sumatra has a very interesting location relative to the entire globe. It lies in two hemispheres at once - northern and southern, and the equator line divides it almost in half. The climate here is appropriate - in Sumatra it is very hot and humid. And it's hard to forget that the Indonesian islands lie in a seismic zone. Just a few years ago, a terrible tsunami caused serious damage to island nations and claimed many lives.

Since Sumatra is located in the equatorial climate zone, the climate here is not very diverse. From December to March, the island is slightly cooler, northeasterly winds blow. From April to November they change direction to the southwest, it gets hotter. But the heat is easier to endure, due to the decrease in humidity. Most precipitation falls from September to December. The driest months are January and March. The humidity also varies by region. The driest area is located in the eastern part of the island, towards the west coast the humidity increases. And most of the precipitation falls in the mountainous regions.

Attractions of the island of Sumatra

There are not too many cultural and historical attractions in Sumatra, as well as large cities. However, some of them are still worth visiting. The city of Medan is not much different from other cities of the Indonesian islands. However, this is a fairly large settlement with its own flavor and history. Here you will see a combination of dilapidated buildings and beautiful palaces, colonial and Indian architecture.

One of the most beautiful sights of the city is the Masjid Raya Mosque.. This beautiful white building is made in the Moroccan style. It is known for its black domes, graceful galleries with many arches and intricate Islamic designs. In the evening, the mosque looks just magical. Sunset paints the snow-white walls in all sorts of shades - from bright orange to pale lilac. And the black domes stand out against the background of the setting sun. The Masjid Raya Mosque is considered a symbol of the culture and religion of Medan. It was built in the 19th century, but is revered by the locals as a real antiquity.

Another attraction of Medan is Istana Maimun, which means "Sultan's Palace". This building is like a small copy of the city - a huge building, made in a slightly chaotic colorful style. The palace is surrounded by a spacious green lawn, reminiscent of English meadows. However, the rows of palm trees do not let the imagination run wild and bring us back to reality. In the middle of the lawn stands a structure based on the Italian Rococo style. Here you can see the already familiar black domes and air arches with complex ornaments. But the color scheme is completely different than that of the Raya mosque. Cheerful ocher-orange color is found everywhere in the decoration of the palace. Many arches, terraces, gazebos and turrets merge into a single intricate composition. This is Istana Maimun - another symbol of the island of Sumatra, just as colorful, chaotic and exotic.

These are the brightest sights of the city of Medan. Here you can also see the Protestant Church of the Savior Emmanuel, the Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Chinese Temple Vihara Gunung Timur. You can get a closer look at the history and culture of Medan at the Bukit Kubu Museum.

Nature of the island of Sumatra

How poor Sumatra is in cultural and historical sights, so rich is its nature. If you stopped by this island during an excursion, do not waste time on mosques and museums, the analogues of which you will find on any other island.

Head straight to the dormant supervolcano Toba. This is a legendary place that at one time played a role in the fate of the entire planet. Researchers report that the Toba volcano erupted about 70,000 years ago. It was so strong that the ash enveloped the entire planet, weakening the penetration of sunlight and provoking an ice age. At this time, the diversity of flora and fauna dropped sharply, many species simply died out.

Changes have affected every continent. Some scientists believe that until that time the population of the Earth numbered millions of people, after the eruption they remained from 3 to 10 thousand. Now this place is considered the most picturesque on the island. A beautiful lake has formed in the crater of the volcano, where tourists from all over the world flock. On the way to Lake Toba, it is worth stopping at the Sipiso Piso waterfall. The view of the waterfall is truly spectacular. A stream of water rushes through the upper plateau, with a roar overcomes a distance of 120 meters and falls into the bay. You can go down a winding concrete ladder to the foot of the waterfall. But it is worth considering that the return rise under the scorching sun is not an easy task. In the middle of Lake Toba rises the island of Samosir. An island within an island is an amazing phenomenon in itself. But even more interesting is the local population. Bataks live at their unhurried pace. It seems like nothing has changed here for centuries. Adults work in the fields and gardens, feed livestock, mend nets and smoke fish right under the scorching sun. Dark-skinned children run wherever they please. For tourists, whole performances with traditional songs and dances are held here. Photographers like Samosir the most. Here you can take unique shots, soaked in the sun and local color.

In the northern part of Sumatra there is a huge park Gunung Luser. It is the largest national park in all of Southeast Asia. Thousands of various birds and monkeys live in thickets of tropical forests - macaques, gibbons, orangutans and many others. If you are lucky, you can see leopards, Sumatran tigers, rhinos or elephants. Fans of extreme types of recreation can make a ten-day ascent to Mount Lucer or Loser or kayaking along the Whampoo River.

If you like everything unusual, visit the Querinsi-Seblat park. In the middle of the dense jungle is the formidable volcano Kerisi. To climb to its muzzle, you will have to spend at least two days. But the conductor can be found right among the local population. Also, for a small fee, you can be taken to places where exotic plants grow. Rafflesia is the largest flower on the planet. And here the tallest flowers grow - Amorphophallus. To admire the size and exotic colors of these flowers is only one thing - their terrible smell, which they spread for meters around.

These places are just a small part of the beauties of the island of Sumatra, which are worth exploring. Here you can relax in silence, and go fishing by the lake, and make a whole trip to the wild and untouched corners of the island.

The capital of Sumatra is the city of Medan. 1.5 million people live here. This place is the largest industrial center and is famous for its amazing cultural heritage.

Sumatra belongs to the Zod archipelago and is the fifth largest among all the islands in the world. It is located near the Malay Peninsula, from which it is separated by a strait.

The island got its name from the word "sumatai", which translates as "located behind the water." The island of Sumatra is washed on all sides by numerous bays, the Indian and Pacific oceans.

History of Sumatra

Archaeologists have been conducting excavations for several years, the results of which indicate that the first people will send here around the 2nd century BC. It was also found out that representatives of three different cultures lived on the island for a long time.

From the 2nd century AD, the first states began to appear in Sumatra. The most famous is the state of Srivijaya, the modern capital of which is located in Palembang. Srivijayas regularly waged wars, the result of which was the annexation of Java and the Malay Peninsula.

After the 10th century, the island of Sumatra began to be mentioned in documents as the "Isle of Gold". The thing is, at that time the first gold mines appeared here.

After a few centuries, the kingdom fell into decay. Civil strife among influential statesmen was to blame. Srivijaya broke up into several principalities, among which only Pasai could grow strongly, economically.

At the end of the 13th century, the famous Marco Polo visited Sumaru. The beauty and singularity of the island made an indelible impression on him. After some time, Dutch missionaries and merchants arrived in Sumatra, who founded numerous villages on the coast.

The First World War bypassed Sumatra, since the Dutch state was on the neutral side, but during the Second World War the island did not escape the occupation by the Japanese. After the liberation, Sumatra proclaimed the independence of Indonesia, of which it is a part.

Weather in Sumatra

The location of the island relative to the equator plays an important role in shaping the climate. The climate here is equatorial, it is moderately hot and humid.

There are no significant temperature fluctuations here. It fluctuates from +25 to +27 degrees.

All precipitation falls in the form of short showers.

Island population

The current population of the island is 50.6 million, which by number puts Sumatra in the 4th place in the ranking of the most densely populated places in the world. In national terms, there are most of all Indonesians, who are divided into small nationalities. In addition, many Chinese, Thais, Indians and Vietnamese live on the island. Indonesian or Malay is recognized as the official language throughout Sumatra.

The local population leads an active lifestyle and is engaged in agriculture, as well as various types of industry: textile, processing.

Among the major cities, Medan stands out with over 2 million people.

Flora and fauna

More than 30% of the entire territory of the island is occupied by tropical forests. Palm trees, ficuses, bamboo, creepers grow here. Rising higher, evergreens and laurel trees appear in the forests. You can also find maples, oaks and chestnuts. Alang-alang, endemic to Sumatra, grows on flat surfaces.

The fauna of the island is as diverse as the flora. There are more than 190 different species of mammals here. There are also a lot of reptiles (250), tropical fish (270) and more than 450 species of birds on the island. Among such a rich animal world, there are endemic forms that live only on the island of Sumatra.

Tourism and rest

The authorities of Sumatra began to engage in tourism relatively recently. The climate and other natural conditions of the island are ideal for creating a variety of tourist sites.

Almost the entire coast is covered with sand, which is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean. Due to volcanic activity, it has acquired a pleasant brownish tint.

There are many places on the island where there are coral reefs. This creates ideal conditions for diving and snorkelling. On the beaches, hidden from strong winds, there have recently been many windsurfers.

For connoisseurs of natural beauty, a huge number of eco-tours have been created, leading to the very depths of the equatorial forests.

Well, how can you do without sights. There are a lot of ancient monuments on the island of Sumatra. Let's take a short tour of the most interesting of them.

Lake Toba

This is the largest lake in Indonesia. It was formed over 70 thousand years ago and is of volcanic origin. Its coast has an unusual appearance, as it is almost completely overgrown with coniferous trees.

Tourists are always offered to take a boat ride on the lake, and no one ever refuses. The water here is crystal clear and transparent. If you look closely, you can see fish swimming somewhere at a depth.

Loesser National Park

Loesser got its name from the mountain of the same name, located on its territory. The park itself stretches for 150 kilometers across two regions of Indonesia. Since its inception, this place has attracted travelers and scientists from all over the world. This is due to the fact that the entire territory of the park is divided into several ecosystems.

Because of its uniqueness, Loesser Park was included in the World Heritage Site. Numerous tourists come here not only because of the beauty of the equatorial, humid forests, but also to see the Sumatran orangutan population. In addition, rhinos, elephants, tigers and a Bengal cat live here.

Bukit Lawang Village

This small village is located in Loessem Park. Bukit Lawang is the best place for active tourism activities. Almost every day you can see tourists from different countries here. On holidays, locals come here to take a break from the city.

Several hotels have been built near the full-flowing river. Most of the rooms have free access to the river, and the windows offer a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.

Great Mosque in Medan

The Great Mosque is located in the city of Medan. It is considered the main attraction of the island, as well as a famous monument of antiquity. The shrine was founded during the period of Dutch colonization. To this day, it is maintained in its original form.

In another way, the mosque is called Masjid Rayna. It was erected in 1907 by a Dutch architect in the Muslim style.

This place is still considered the main religious building in the city. The inhabitants of the province attach special importance to this place and consider it a symbol of religious culture. After the devastating tsunami in 2004, they began to revere her even more, because she managed to survive.

The village of Tomok Bolon

In the numerous villages of the island, you can get acquainted with the traditions and customs of the Toba Tabak tribe. The most colorful is the village of Tomok Bolon. It consists of huge wooden houses with thatched roofs. All dwellings are set on small elevations, which help to avoid flooding. Opposite each of them is a barn with grain. Its dimensions are so huge that the barn is often used as a bedroom.

The public house is considered the most beautiful place in the village. It is decorated with an unusual, beautiful ornament that combines red, black and white. Buffalo horns are an invariable attribute of this place.

The houses of local residents were traditionally divided into three zones: a corral for livestock, a large living room and a sanctuary where family heirlooms were kept.

Over time, the connection with the past is gradually lost. With the advent of modern infrastructure, the appearance of the village is changing. And no one can say for sure that after another natural disaster, the houses will be restored unchanged.

Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

This national reserve was created to protect and increase the population of orangutans. It was founded in 1973. This is one of the few places in the world where you can still see wild orangutans. In total, there are more than 5,000 individuals in the reserve.

The main task of the rehabilitation center is to accustom animals to life in the wild. For many years, orangutans were pets in Indonesia, but by the end of the 20th century, their population had drastically decreased. And today, the staff of the reserve are striving to increase the number of orangutans and adapt them to an independent life in nature.

There are excursions to the tropics where you can not only see these amazing animals, but also admire the surrounding beauty.

Sultan's Palace

The Sultan's Palace or Istana Maimun is located in Medan. The palace was built during colonization and today is a prominent representative of that era. Thanks to frequent restorations, the architects managed to keep it almost in its original form.

There is a souvenir shop near Istan Maimun, which presents a huge selection of jewelry made by Indonesian masters. All of it is created taking into account the traditions and customs of the Indonesians and is considered a wonderful reminder of the flavor of the country.

Sipiso Piso Falls on Lake Toba

Sipiso Piso is located on Lake Toba. This huge waterfall (120 m.) is a picturesque sight that can surprise any tourist. Sipiso Piso is unique in that its waters are taken from an underground river that flows right under the plateau.

There is a legend that the waterfall was formed during the battle of the underground dragon with the spirits of the lake. You can admire the beauty of falling water from several equipped viewing platforms.

Sarcophagus of King Sidabutar

The tomb is located near the village of Tomoka, right behind the market. Here lies the Batak king himself and his relatives. This place is over 200 years old.

The tomb has an unusual decoration and is decorated with beautiful expensive ornaments. Numerous tourists constantly come here to touch the antiquity and feel the special atmosphere of this place.

Not far from the tomb of Sidabutar are the Batak houses, where a puppet festival takes place every year. This holiday is very popular among the local population and tourists.

Aceh Museum

This is one of the oldest museums in Indonesia. Here is a large collection of antique items found in the Aceh region. Most of it is the private property of the scientist Friedrich Stameshaus. Until 1933, he served as curator of the museum, and after his retirement, he sold half of the collection to the Amsterdam Institute.

After the declaration of independence, the museum became the property of the state. Restoration of some premises was carried out and a new additional building was built, where conferences and exhibitions are held today.

Polonia airport

This is the very first airport on the island with international traffic. It got its name from the name of the area where the Polish baron lived. At the end of the 19th century, this man received permission to establish a tobacco plantation in Medan.

In 1924, the first plane landed here. At the helm sat a test pilot who had flown from Holland. It was at this moment that the first runway appeared in Polonii. After that, the city authorities allocated money to complete the construction of the airport.

The official opening took place in 1928.

Known for its long dark sandy beaches, ruins of ancient temple complexes and palaces and untouched nature. Along the western coast of Sumatra are the Barisan Mountains, the highest peak of which is Mount Kerinchi (3800 m). The eastern part of the island is mostly occupied by a marshy plain.

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How to get there

Regular flights from Moscow fly to Denpasar (Bali), from there it is easy to get to Medan, the largest city in Sumatra and a convenient transit point on the way to Lake Toba, on domestic flights.

Search for flights to Denpasar (nearest airport to Sumatra)

Story

The first European to set foot on the land of Sumatra was Marco Polo in 1292. The colonizers appeared on the island later, in 1509, the Portuguese, and in 1596, the Dutch. As a result of clashes with the inhabitants of the island, the commander of the Dutch expedition, Cornelius van Houtman, was killed. A little later, the Portuguese tried to regain control of Sumatra, but the Dutch managed to repulse the attack. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Sultanate of Aceh in Sumatra controlled the pepper trade (as you know, at that time spices were valued no less than gold today), and it was with him that the Dutch East India Company mainly had to fight. At the end of the 18th century the Dutch on the island fought the British, who settled in the Bengkulu fort, and at the end of the 19th century, they unsuccessfully tried to suppress the uprising of the inhabitants of the Aceh Sultanate for a long time.

In 1883, the eruption of the Krakatau volcano near Sumatra, which ended in an explosion, plunged the entire island into the ocean depths.

During the Second World War, the island was occupied by Japan, and after that it became entirely part of Indonesia. Since then, demands for if not independence, then at least a certain amount of autonomy have been regularly heard, which were satisfied in 2001. Wide autonomy gives the island the right to even establish Islamic laws. The infamous tsunami of 2004 caused severe damage to the northern and western coasts of Sumatra.

Holidays in Sumatra

Popular hotels in Sumatra

Entertainment and attractions of Sumatra

There are enough entertainment and attractions on the island, these are natural wonders, and the ruins of temple complexes, and all kinds of outdoor activities. Look for landmarks for a quality holiday in Sumatra below.

Sights of Medan

The Paradise Mosque with black domes (1906) is one of the symbols of Sumatra; Maimun Palace (1888) - the residence of the brother of the current Sultan, only two rooms are open to the public; Military Museum - founded in 1971, a collection of weapons from ancient cannons to guns and machine guns of the 20th century.

Lake Toba

The world's largest lake in the crater of a volcano, which appeared about 75 thousand years ago, attracts tourists from all over the world. The water surface of Lake Toba is frozen in an environment of steep mountains, deep gorges and sandy beaches.

Sumatra, Lake Toba

Samosir Island

The best resort in Sumatra for lovers of a relaxing holiday. The most popular place is Tuk-Tuk village. There are thermal springs on Mount Belirang. In the village of Simanido, you can visit the Huta Bolon Museum and watch the performance of the traditional local dance Toba Batak. In the village of Ambarita, tourists are shown a group of stone thrones, on which to this day elders and judges sit during important events. In the village of Tomok, it is good to buy souvenirs. On the way to the shops, you can look into the museum of Raja Sidabatu with a tomb nearby.

Gunung Luser National Park

On the border of the province of Aceh and North Sumatra, there is the largest national park in Southeast Asia, Gunung Luser, which is inhabited by hundreds of species of exotic birds, gibbons, macaques, orangutans. Endangered Sumatran tigers, leopards, elephants, Sumatran rhinos are also found here, however, you can meet them not so often. There are hiking trails, you can go to conquer the mountains Lucer and Loser (climbing will take at least 10 days) or rafting on the Whampoa River.

Querinsi Seblat National Park

The park was founded in 1982 around the Kerisi volcano. The dense jungle is inhabited by rare animals, and amazing plants are also found here: the largest rafflesia flower on Earth and the highest - amorphophallus. The search for these foul-smelling flowers in the tropics and seeing off curious tourists to them has long been a way of earning money for the local population. Hiking trails in the park include an ascent to the mouth of the volcano (at least two days) and a walk to the high-altitude lake Gunung Tudzhukh. All necessary tourist equipment can be rented in the town of Kersik-Tua.

On the border of the province of Aceh and North Sumatra is the largest national park in Southeast Asia, Gunung Luser.

bugittings

In this city with a cool climate that allows you to take a break from the sweltering tropical heat, tours of the surrounding area with a visit to the bullfight, excursions to the Singkarak and Maninjau lakes, trekking in the mountains and volcanoes are offered. Rafflesia reserve is located 15 km north of the city near the village of Palupu, information about the buds that are about to bloom can be obtained from the tourist office.

Palembang

Sumatra's second largest city on the Musi River, which hosts a regatta featuring traditional Indonesian racing boats during the annual Srivijaya Harvest Festival (June 16-20). Attractions: Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin Museum, Balaputra Deva Museum, a small zoo with crocodiles, orangutans, elephants and bears.

Volcano Krakatoa

In 1883, the eruption of the Krakatau volcano, which ended in an explosion, plunged the entire island into the ocean abyss. More than 36 thousand people died under the lava and as a result of the tsunami that hit the shores of neighboring islands. A boat trip to the chain of islands left after the explosion includes a visit to the coral islands of Sebuku and Sebesi and Sertung Beach. The transit point for visiting Krakatoa is the city of Bandarlampung. From here you can also go to the Elephant Training Center in Wai Kambas National Park.

Bintan Island

Proximity to Singapore makes Bintan Island one of the most popular in recent times. The resort is positioned as ultra-modern, with good beaches and decent service. Attractions: the ruins of the palace of Raja Ali, his tomb, the ancient mosque of Raya-Sultan-Riau.