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| Penatapan Berastagi |
Berastagi has always been a popular weekend getaway for the residents of Medan. The one-and-a-half hour drive from Medan (capital of North Sumatra province) has exploded. However, the city can also be an interesting destination for Jakartans. It only takes 3.5 hours to get there: 2 hours drive from Medan Berastagi.
There is a vast forest along Medan Road, and occasionally you can see buildings adorned with unique checkered ornaments (a strain of the Batak ethnic group), a sign that you have entered your domain. From time to time you can also see women wearing the unmistakable Batak headdress.
Mejuah-Juah, welcome to the land of Karo! On the road that connects Medan to Berastagi, there is the Sibolangit Botanical Garden, which has several types of local vegetation. Then it is rolled and tilted and passes penatapen. If you want, you can stop here for a while to enjoy the fresh air or the uninterrupted views of the lower levels.
Near Berastagi there is an intersection leading to Semangat Gunung, a starting point for those who want to climb the Sibayak. After this intersection you will see hotels along the road to the top of the hill. You can also see a wooded hill on the right side of this winding road before you finally reach the main road.
Berastagi is a small town with a central area that includes only one main street with shops and restaurants left and right. For accommodation, it is best to choose mountain hotels, such as: Gundaling Hill, where it is quieter and offers better views.
The panorama of the Gundaling Hills is especially beautiful this afternoon. You can see the whole city, the surrounding orchards and the crater of the Sibayak, a volcano that has been inactive for centuries. To the west is Mount Sinabung (another inactive volcano), while the plains of Karo are to the south.
Martabak Telor and Bandrek.
The night is the best time to enjoy different dishes from North Sumatra to Pasar Kaget, a market open every evening on the main street of Berastagi. Among the interesting dishes are the Martabak and the Roti Canai, which have a strong Indian influence. Indians are not the dominant ethnic group in the province, but they have definitely left their mark on the culinary scene in northern Sumatra. Among the various stalls that sell this food are the Aboy restaurants, which bear the name of their owner. It offers Martabak Telor, Canai Roti and fried Indian rice.
For a drink, you can enjoy a glass of milk tea or try Berastagi's favorite drink: the Bandrek. It is similar to the usual Bandrek in Java, a mixture of milk and ginger that warms the body, a perfect remedy for the cold, typical of a place at 1400 meters altitude. On the other side of Berastagi the Bandrek is a daily drink and the pride of the inhabitants.
It may be a bit disturbing to know why a popular drink in Java, especially in West Java, ends in Berastagi with the same popularity. According to local reports, the Bandrek was introduced several decades ago by a Javanese who opened the first Warung (similar to a café but with a simpler configuration) for the Bandrek service. The drink is virtually unknown to Berastagi, but as Bandrek has adapted to the cold, its popularity has immediately gained in importance. Currently, almost all visitors to the city feel obliged to taste the glass. In fact, Bandrek is synonymous with Berastagi.
fruit market
Morning is the best time to buy fruit or enjoy the atmosphere of the Berastagi fruit market on the main street. Here you will find all kinds of fruits and vegetables, from ubiquitous orange and tomato to beetroot, red cauliflower and passion fruit. You can even buy flowers in this market.
Many of these fruits were planted for the first time under the direction of the Dutch colonial government to meet their needs in Medan. As the plains of Karo are surrounded by volcanoes, the land is very fertile and can produce the best fruits and vegetables. In the past, most of them are exported to Singapore and Malaysia. Now the tourists come
You can also visit the traditional village of Lingga, 16 kilometers southwest of Berastagi. You can watch traditional check villagers about their lives and see their unique tribal houses almost extinct, their nearly extinct traditional dresses or their traditional dresses that many still wear, especially on a few occasions.
You can also drive to the Sipisopiso waterfall, about an hour and a half from Lingga, and then on to Lake Toba, past Simarjarunjung, Prapat and Samosir Island.
On your way to Medan Airport, you may want to visit the famous Maimoon Palace and the mosque or visit Majapahit Road to buy a box of Bika Ambon, a delicious local cake with a unique soft texture from several vendors.
An important point is that you must book your accommodation on weekends or long weekends in advance as this will compete with tourists from Medan and even Singapore and Malaysia for the accommodation.
"Tourist destination for almost a century"
The development of Berastagi as a tourist destination is closely linked to colonial planning. When the area around Medan became a plantation (one of the wealthiest in the Dutch colonies), the demand for fruit and vegetables was covered by the fertile land Karo. This connection increased in 1908 when the Dutch built a road connecting the plains of Medan and Karo directly.
The Dutch recognized the potential of Berastagi as a holiday destination. They built bungalows, villas and resorts. Clinics, schools and even a nine-hole golf course. In fact, many of them fell in love with Berastagi and decided to retire here.
The reputation of Berastagi as a tourist destination began to spread in the 1920s, and almost a century later, the city attracts local and foreign tourists. Berastagi is even more popular than Kabanjahe, the capital of Karo.
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