If I had to describe my favorite landscape, it would be green mountains by lakes. I loved driving through New Zealand’s hills and valleys with rushing rivers and fantastic views.

Samosir Island and Lake Toba are exactly the kind of landscape I can sit and stare out at for hours. And it’s t-shirt/shorts weather here, whereas New Zealand was right on the cool side. In Bali I ran into several Indonesians who come from the region and who suggested I visit the area. From the pictures I already knew I’d enjoy the nature.

I end up spending a whole week on the island. More than what most travel guides suggest. I don’t need to get anywhere or have a packed travel experience, though. There’s plenty of time to see a bit and otherwise just relax in the area in various ways. Still, I do need to get out and see a little.

To get myself around the area, I rent a scooter. The plan is to drive the roughly 50 km there is to the big Jesus statue in the area. It’s a good excuse to see more of the island. Get to make plenty of little stops and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

After a slightly slow morning where I slept all the way until 8:30, I finally hoist myself out of bed and onto the scooter. After a short stop for breakfast close to the hostel, I set off. My first planned stop is the northern tip of Samosir Island.

The ride up there is beautiful. On my left I have a green and lush mountain with small waterfalls running down its side. On my right I have Lake Toba, with turquoise-blue water and mountains on the opposite shore. Along the road there are many small Christian churches. Not whitewashed churches like in Denmark, but with nicely painted wooden facades and crosses on the roof. There’s a larger church every 3-4 kilometers. Between them are small shrines in the form of a 9-square-meter enclosure with a pedestal and a cross on top. In Bali I often saw these kinds of shrines, though just with pedestals bearing Hindu carvings.

I arrive at the northern tip of Samosir and find out that it’s actually a small paid beach with a kiosk, food stalls, swimming gear, and plenty of seating. There’s good activity here, with many families with children hanging out by the water. I take a photo with the north coast monument and eat a small cake snack (Kue pancung). In this part of Indonesia people often like to talk with westerners, and here it’s no different. A man comes up to me while I’m standing looking at the beach. Like pretty much every other Indonesian, he opens with the “Where are you from?” question. Denmark, I answer. Back comes the usual. “Oooh Denmark…” At this point the conversation goes one of two directions. Either an offer comes for something I can buy, or I get asked about Denmark in the football World Cup. This time it’s the football question. He asks a few more questions about my trip and apologizes for his English, which was actually quite fine and understandable. I’ve had this kind of conversation 2-3 times daily for the past week or so, since I left Bali.

Next stop is Pangururan, where there’s a bridge from the island over to the mainland. The Jesus statue is on the other side, so I cross here. Pangururan is probably the first semi-busy town I’ve seen since I left Medan. It’s not big, but the harbor promenade is well visited, with lots of shops, cafés, and a play area for children. Along the waterfront there are lots of sculptures and information boards telling a bit about the area’s culture as well as important events and figures. Among other things, the native people have written thick books dating back as far as around 300 years ago. They contain stories about their people as well as descriptions of good and evil magic. Something to read up on another time.

I cross the bridge and drive toward the statue, which sits on a mountaintop named Sibea-Bea. The route runs along the lakeshore, but goes a little way into the mountains, where large valleys unfold with grass-covered, undulating mountains as a barrier.

Sibea-Bea itself sits right up against the lake. After paying the entrance fee at the foot, you drive up a nice, wide mountainside road. On the mountainside a lot of colorful flowers have been planted, and it almost feels like driving up a rainbow. The top of Sibea-Bea is a large parking lot with a picnic shelter, a kiosk, and a walking path leading all the way up to the statue. The statue is large and dominates the scene already from the parking lot. I make my way up the very nice, flower-lined walking paths. There’s a good stream of people, but I’m among the few westerners. Here too I get greeted by various people. No, Denmark did not qualify for the World Cup. As many as two times people ask me for a photo together with me, and one woman tries to set me up on a date with her sister when she finds out I’m traveling alone.

The statue is enormous, but not really what I would associate with Christianity. It depicts Jesus, but everything from the flower garden, to the small sculptures, to the way you take off your footwear in front of the statue, made it feel more like a Hindu temple.

After walking around, sitting in the shade, enjoying the view, taking photos, getting pointed at and photographed, I hopped back on the scooter. Back toward Tuktuk. I only stop briefly a couple of times and take photos of the nature on the way back. The second time around I know where it’s good to pull in and enjoy a view. Samosir has fewer tourist attractions, and tourism here is weighted much more toward Indonesians than westerners. Fewer translated signs, traditional facades, low English proficiency. Still, I feel welcome and am well received wherever I go. By now I can get by fine with hand gestures and a few words, where the language doesn’t stretch far enough.

The ride home is quickly over, and I arrive for a slightly late afternoon drink at a café where I’ve become a regular. Tomorrow I have no plans. I expect to get up, pack my bag, and go for a long walk.

Samosir Island has made a good impression on me. It’s peaceful and relaxing here, but also with enough options to go out and eat, sit at a café, go to the beach, do water sports, or visit waterfalls in the mountains. It can’t do everything, but it can do everything I expect from a small community out in the mountains. And it was probably a fairly lucky choice, as the change of pace has helped me get back into solo travel mode.

Want to support the journey? Read more here.