Batak houses on the island of Samosir
During a tour on the island of Samosir, you will come across all kinds of things. Hot Springs that don’t exist anymore, monkeys, waterfalls, endless green landscapes and Batak houses. A Batak house is an attraction itself and worth a visit to discover its history.
Parapat
When you take the boat from Parapat to Tuk Tuk, the first thing you see are the Batak houses. On the water, they built hotels in the shape of these ancient houses. This is crowded by backpackers who visit Lake Toba. We did not stay on the island but in the town of Parapat. However, we recommend to spend the night on the island itself, here is more to experience than in Parapat.
Curse word
The Batak population is one of the largest families in Indonesia. Nobody knows exactly where they come from, but it is believed they are from Malaysia, the Philippines and the Himalayas. They lived high in the mountains on the fifth-largest island in the world, Sumatra. Batak was at first an insult, invented by the inhabitants of Sumatra and meant ‘high in the mountains’.
Museum
So the island of Samosir has an interesting history. Now there is a ‘museum’ on the island where you can learn more about it. We have visited the museum, but this is rather a large Batak house with pictures and objects from the past. No descriptions of how the Bataks used to live. It’s better to ask your guide or driver about history. Ask in advance if they speak good English.
Dance
What is nice is that at the museum you can watch a traditional dance at regular intervals. Of course, we were too late haha and they are dressed in traditional clothing and make it a spectacle every day. Please read first the times at which the dance will be performed. A cannibalistic ritual is no longer performed. Maybe for the better…
Cannibalism
Until the 19th century, the Bataks had a lot of rituals, including cannibalism. In the village of Ambarita, you can still see the last remnants of this ritual. Stone chairs placed in a circle with a table in the middle. The victim was executed and then eaten. Is it really true? I don’t know, but it’s spectacular for this quiet island.
Spinning wheel
During our tour of the island, we stopped at a mini village with Batak houses, where we could walk around and enter a house. This feels a bit weird because this is where people live and we, as western tourists, come in to see what they are doing. The people are very friendly and love to show what they do all day. We saw a woman diligently working on the ground to make a cloth. She said something, we couldn’t understand it all and then she had to laugh. I think she liked us.
Twelve families
A Batak house is an impressive building to look at. The house stands on stilts and the pointed roof that points forward seems to fall. Underneath the house live the animals and when you enter, you find yourself in a large room. In the old days there used to be twelve families living here! You wonder how they did that because it’s not that big.
Batak houses on the island of Samosir
During a tour on the island of Samosir, you will come across all kinds of things. Hot Springs that don’t exist anymore, monkeys, waterfalls, endless green landscapes and Batak houses. A Batak house is an attraction itself and worth a visit to discover its history.
Parapat
When you take the boat from Parapat to Tuk Tuk, the first thing you see are the Batak houses. On the water, they built hotels in the shape of these ancient houses. This is crowded by backpackers who visit Lake Toba. We did not stay on the island but in the town of Parapat. However, we recommend to spend the night on the island itself, here is more to experience than in Parapat.
Curse word
The Batak population is one of the largest families in Indonesia. Nobody knows exactly where they come from, but it is believed they are from Malaysia, the Philippines and the Himalayas. They lived high in the mountains on the fifth-largest island in the world, Sumatra. Batak was at first an insult, invented by the inhabitants of Sumatra and meant ‘high in the mountains’.
Cannibalism
Until the 19th century, the Bataks had a lot of rituals, including cannibalism. In the village of Ambarita, you can still see the last remnants of this ritual. Stone chairs placed in a circle with a table in the middle. The victim was executed and then eaten. Is it really true? I don’t know, but it’s spectacular for this quiet island.
Spinning wheel
During our tour of the island, we stopped at a mini village with Batak houses, where we could walk around and enter a house. This feels a bit weird because this is where people live and we, as western tourists, come in to see what they are doing. The people are very friendly and love to show what they do all day. We saw a woman diligently working on the ground to make a cloth. She said something, we couldn’t understand it all and then she had to laugh. I think she liked us.
Twelve families
A Batak house is an impressive building to look at. The house stands on stilts and the pointed roof that points forward seems to fall. Underneath the house live the animals and when you enter, you find yourself in a large room. In the old days there used to be twelve families living here! You wonder how they did that because it’s not that big.
Museum
So the island of Samosir has an interesting history. Now there is a ‘museum’ on the island where you can learn more about it. We have visited the museum, but this is rather a large Batak house with pictures and objects from the past. No descriptions of how the Bataks used to live. It’s better to ask your guide or driver about history. Ask in advance if they speak good English.
Dance
What is nice is that at the museum you can watch a traditional dance at regular intervals. Of course, we were too late haha and they are dressed in traditional clothing and make it a spectacle every day. Please read first the times at which the dance will be performed. A cannibalistic ritual is no longer performed. Maybe for the better…
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