Medan Travel Guide
Medan is the most populous town in Sumatra, the noisy and crowded capital of North Sumatra province and also the primary port of call for the majority of vacationers bent on exploring the region.
Why should you visit Medan?
At least among travel writers and international travellers, we are in a distinct minority in enjoying Medan–we all love it. Yes, as a general principle–from a tourism perspective–Indonesia doesn’t do big cities all that well. Still, in Medan, at the reasonably compact downtown area near and into the west of the train station, we found an occasionally pretty, and very populous town. The Indonesian food is delicious, and we found the natives (with only a few exceptions) to be welcoming, friendly, friendly and hospitable. Really!
Medan doesn’t boast much in the way of high line draws, but there’s a genuinely great museum that serves as a fantastic primer before entering Karo nation, a lovely and historical villa along with an impressive mosque all of which can be used to fill one whole day at Medan. However, for us, the real appeal is the food.
The transportation hub of northern Sumatra, Medan can be the jumping-off point for transportation to Aceh, Berastagi, Bukit Lawang, Ketambe and Lake Toba. Therefore, even when you aren’t planning on overnighting here, you’ll probably have to pass — offer it at least a night!
When to Visit Medan
Much like North Sumatra, as much as overseas tourists go, peak period in Medan is late June through August, coinciding with summer. Even at this time, it is unlikely you will need to book in advance as the city attracts a bare trickle of tourists everywhere. Also, you’ll find more than one hundred resorts to select from.
Weather sensible, Medan is hot, warm and humid year-round, but peak season starts with the region’s dry season, thus expect hot and frequently dry weather at that time. While Medan can observe rampant and beastly thunderstorms year-round, it’s subject to North Sumatra’s general rainy season that runs roughly from November to March. So, expect much more rain afterwards.
Orientation
Since Medan is a large city, the downtown in which Merdeka Park and the train station as a city centre, is comparatively easy to navigate. We walked much of downtown, but Go-jek, becak and taxis are popular and easy to use, attracting the increased city readily in reach.
The town’s aforementioned main attractions are all located to the south of Merdeka Park, Tjong A Fie Mansion is just as simple as walk off. However, Istana Maimoon, the State Museum of North Sumatra and also Raya Al-Mashun Mosque, while walking distance away from one another, would be best reached by cab or Go-Jek from the rail station.
The town boasts over one hundred resorts, but a lot of them are series hotels scattered all around town. Both main hubs which put the main sights in achieve are in walking distance from the train station as well as to the south, along with SM Raja (near Raya Al-Mashun Mosque). If you remain farther afield, be ready to walk a good deal or utilize transportation to go around.
Foreign accessibility ATMs are everywhere, and most resorts should provide WiFi. There’s a small tourist kiosk across the north side of Merdeka Park, but every time we visited it was wrapped up, so that your mileage may vary. On precisely the same north side of the identical playground is a police station in case you find yourself requiring help. Siloam Hospital is one of the essential hospitals if you need medical care.
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