SUMATRA TRAVEL TIPS - 11 Things to Know Before You Go

Heading to Sumatra and looking for the most important Sumatra travel tips before your big adventure?
Boy did you ever come to the right people! After living and travelling together in Sumatra for 8 years (technically a LOT longer for Agung!), we've got a lot of experience with the ups and downs of visiting this beautiful part of Indonesia.
In just10 minutes, we'll reveal our top 11 tips for visiting Sumatra, Indonesia - from vital things to pack and what to wear to practical transportation tips and cultural norms.
This incredible island has so much to offer - from the lakes, volcanoes and jungles of North Sumatra to the offshore islands of Pulau Weh and the incredible cuisine and cultures in West Sumatra (and so much more!)
But because it's such a hidden gem, Sumatra can provide a few challenges for first-time visitors. If you'd like to know what to expect, grab yourself a coffee and sit down with us as we share our top Sumatra travel tips with you.
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🇮🇩 EXPLORE SUMATRA WITH US!🇮🇩
Hi, I'm Agung, I live in Lake Toba, Sumatra (Indonesia) with my wife Carly. I was born in Sumatra, so love sharing all my local knowledge with visitors. Carly has been a traveller to Sumatra since 2009, and has been living here the last few years. We now live in Tuktuk village on Samosir Island in Lake Toba, North Sumatra. Together, we create content to help share the beauty of incredible Sumatra with the world.
Horas, Mejuah juah - see you in Sumatra!
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 Sumatra Travel Tips From the Experts!
0:14 Pack These 3 Items
1:00 Take Your Time
1:53 Buy a SIM Card Before You Leave the City
2:54 Always Carry Cash
3:40 Stay Relaxed and Prepare for Rubber Time
5:19 Learn Some Indonesian
5:52 Practise Your Squatting
7:00 Treat the Wildlife With Respect
7:50 Dress Modestly
8:56 You Will Get Attention
10:06 Love the Locals!
#travelsumatra #traveltips #exploreindonesia

[@ExploringSumatra]

Do you have any questions about travelling to Sumatra - or do you have a useful tip for other people about to visit for the first time? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you. Also, here's the companion blog over on our website if you'd like to take a look: exploringsumatra.com/sumatra-travel-tips-know-before-you-go/

[@mixtereE]

Your quality and principled content is really appreciated! Thanks. Nice job on encouraging responsible traveling practices in regards to not upsetting local human as well as animal populations. Excellent points!

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thank you ☺🙏

[@agungkacaribu]

Thanks for watching guys. Really appreciate every likes and comments. Have a good day😊

[@ExploringSumatra]

Bujur melala 😁

[@hendrikdevries9725]

Veey usefull tips, some I already implemented! Really looking forward to my visit early April !

[@ExploringSumatra]

Aw thanks for commenting - glad you found our tips helpful! We'll keep an eye out for you in Tuktuk and say hi if you see us around ☺

[@PicnicTool]

Great info, as usual! This will be very handy when we're there in May.

[@ExploringSumatra]

Yay! So glad you found it useful - and not long to go until your trip - exciting!😀

[@saliyafernando6286]

Awesome guys great info keep up all the good work

[@ExploringSumatra]

So sorry we somehow missed this comment! So glad you’re enjoying it - thank you!

[@PassportDreamGetaways]

You guys are great ambassadors for Sumatra 😊

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thank you, that's really nice of you to say. ☺🙏

[@dennisday6601]

Wow, love this, you guys have really stepped up a notch xxxxx

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thanks Den! Bringing that good 2024 energy!

[@TheKokot52]

Hi guys, good to see you smiling and healthy :) All the best in New Year! I always watch your new videos, even i only comment sometimes. Great to see your channel growing, keep going! 😄

[@ExploringSumatra]

Hiii! So nice to hear from you. And awww thank you for the support - really nice to know you’re still out there cheering us on! 😊🙏

[@rekafeher6666]

Hey guys, thanks for the tips! I finished planning a 2 month stay on Sumatra, with the help of your recommendations posted on your blog, so THANK YOU! We will spend 1 month at lake Toba and then 2 weeks in the Banyak Islands and 2 weeks in the jungle ( Bukit Lawang and Batu Katak)! I hope to meet you guys in Tuktuk for a stroll or coffee in June 💕

[@ExploringSumatra]

Amazing! Two months is such a great amount of time for Sumatra - and sounds perfect that you are taking it slow and going to enjoy your time in each place. So happy that our content helped you to plan it all! Would love to meet up in June. Let us know if you have any questions before then, or reach out once you're in the neighbourhood. ☺

[@maggie5020]

Thank you very much .

[@ExploringSumatra]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching. ☺🙏

[@cBhErTiTsAtian]

Love your video :)

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thank you!! ☺

[@walterdavey4196]

All great points

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thank you! ☺🙏

[@LifeOnLombok]

Great, informative video. Yes, sunscreen is very expensive in Indonesia. I managed to find an SPF 30 Sun Battle brand name - emina, in Alfamart for under 40,000 rupiah. When I come back from Canada, I always bring several bottles of all-natural sunscreen. Another thing I find expensive here in Indonesia is earplugs. Indonesians don't need them because they can sleep anywhere, anytime, in any conditions, no problem. So, if you are a light sleeper like me, best to bring some from your home country. The morning call to prayer comes early! 😁

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thank you! And great tip about the more affordable sunscreen - I'll have to keep an eye out for it in our local Indomaret! And yes - great tip about the earplugs! I still sleep with special sleep headphones that play rain noises haha - can't sleep without them now! 😆

[@sebwalker7826]

I would encourage all budget travellers to use the public buses across Sumatra. My wife & I used them across from Medan for the 30 days I was in the country. No issues at all. Be prepared to negotiate a fee for the journey and bring a big smile with you for engagement with locals 😊

[@ExploringSumatra]

That's great encouragement Seb - thanks for sharing! The buses can be a challenge, but if you have the time and just go with the flow, they can be a lot of fun and really add to the adventure! And yes, always bring a smile with you - it makes everything easier. ☺🙏

[@lizcarlyle2477]

Selemat Sore, Carly & Agung! Bagus sekali video. My no. 1 tip in Indonesia: Smile and learn "small talk" as it is part of Indonesian culture. Every bus ride, bimo, airport, plane, restaurant, say hello to people & u will be invited to their homes & invited to share in adventures. Don't be off by differences in customs & culture. Once traveled in Sumatra with very modestly dressed women i met at the airport. They were traders from the Middle East & invited me to go with them to various markets and restaurants. My question now is about medical issues. What happens if one is injured and needs emergency medical treatment. Do you both use Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Social, the organization administering the Indonesian National Health Insurance. Do you have medical evacuation insurance if you are seriously injured/ill? Never thought about this stuff until the lockdown, traveled & went with the flow. Terima kasih banyak. Cookie sends love💙🐾💙🐾💙🐾

[@ExploringSumatra]

Selamat pagi Liz! Thanks for the comment - and some excellent advice! Small talk is definitely the key to getting immersed in the culture. Currently, Agung has BPJS coverage. I can't access that until I have my 5 year spouse visa, which I will be getting this year. IN reality though, the care provided by BPJS isn't that great. I think if either of us were seriously ill, we'd do our best to get across to Kuala Lumpur or Penang. But at least it's there for emergencies! Sending love back to Cookie from Penny, Bunny, Zee Zee and Auki!❤

[@lizcarlyle2477]

Selemat Malam Carly, Agung & kucing kucing! What happens if you break a bone? Treat Dengue Fever? Can the local doc fix you up or do you have to fly out? What about Bali or Java? I had vg medical & dental care in Yogya. Do u have emergency medical insurance(evacuation). Love all the videos! Cookie sends love. @@ExploringSumatra 💜🐾💜🐾

[@ExploringSumatra]

Broken bones and dengue we would have no choice really but to go to local hospitals and cross our fingers haha. Our nearest big hospital is 2 hours away (and a ferry ride). I'm not sure personally about other parts of Indonesia, but the country's healthcare system is famously poor throughout the country. No insurance or anything like that - it's outrageously expensive for us. We are actually saving up to get the new kid (Auki) her spay operation in a couple of months to prevent more kittens! That'll be a four hour round trip too. :) Lucky there are SO many positives to living here that the negatives are worth it. ❤🙏☺

[@liamsteel]

Always give you guys a thumbs up.great videos on a wonderful country

[@ExploringSumatra]

Hey Liam. Thanks so much, really appreciate it. Hope India is treating you well (or wherever you are at the moment!) ☺🙏

[@TheKiwiGrower]

This is so helpful! Thanks for the video :)

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thank you! You might need to rewatch it before your next triiiip. ☺

[@sherylday5474]

Very helpful advice for travellers - nice to see you - 🌻🌻🌻🌻

[@ExploringSumatra]

Thank youuuu! A lot of work went into this one. Next will be a fun one!

[@jessetemme1687]

Hi! This summer I'll be traveling from Jakarta to Hanoi over land (and a bit of sea). Your video's are a really helpful! I have one question: I often hitchhike my way around the world. How is the hitchhiking situation in Sumatra? Are there enough cars driving over the main roads, or mainly motorbikes? Is a little payment expected to cover costs of gas?

[@TheKokot52]

I didn't hitchkike in Sumatra but did it in Vietnam and it was bit of a challenge, it was good adventure and i made it from Saigon to Hoi An, some drivers reacted like i dont have money for bus so thats why im stopping cars on the road, idea of hitchkiking is not that well know in this part of the world

[@ExploringSumatra]

Hey Jesse! Wow what an amazing adventure you have ahead of you! Glad our videos are helping you plan a little. Hitchhiking isn't so common here in Sumatra, but it definitely is known. There are some locals who have made there way across Sumatra by hitchiking. Plenty of cars around these days as well as the motorbikes. I'd be a bit nervous personally just because of the absolutely crazy driving in this part of Indonesia - you'd have to stay on your toes (literally) and be ready to leap out of the way out of buses, scooters and bikes at any time. But it is doable for sure. Most people are willing to help for free, but I would recommend always offering a contribution as gas is getting quite expensive here. Keep us posted - we'd love to hear about your adventures!

[@petualangantv]

Long hair long life, short hair Good job, No hair No problems

[@ExploringSumatra]

Hahah all true! 🧔🏾‍♀️👨🏾‍🦱👩🏾‍🦲