Asahan (Kabupaten Asahan) is a regency in North Sumatra.
Understand
A regency in the eastern coast of North Sumatra, it is dominated mostly by flat lowlands, with the mountainous region to the west on the direction to Lake Toba. Palm plantations dominated the regency.
The regency was a center of ancient Asahan Sultanate, part of Sultanate of Aceh that existed from 16th century till 19th century. After Indonesia's independence war, the sultanate joined the Republic of Indonesia. The sultanate still exists, but as a title only. It doesn't have any governing power over Asahan regency.
The major towns in Asahan are 🌍 Kisaran and 🌍 Tanjungbalai, with Tanjungbalai famous for its fresh seafood and the only international port in North Sumatra connected by a ferry to Malaysia. The most famous attraction is the Asahan River, the largest and longest river in North Sumatra, that flows from Lake Toba to the Straits of Malacca through Tanjungbalai. It's also one of the best rivers for rafting in the world.
Get in
By road
Asahan is connected by Trans-Sumatran Highway, with buses from Medan, Lake Toba and other major cities on the eastern coast.
By train
There are train station at Kisaran and Tanjungbalai, both has regular schedules daily from Medan (as of Nov 2021).
Kisaran is served 3x daily by Putri Deli, fares are Rp 27.000 (economy class) and 4x daily by Sribilah Utama, fares are Rp 105,000 (business class) and Rp 130,000 (executive class). Trip durations are around 4 hours for Putri Deli and 3 hours and 30 minutes for Sribilah Utama.
Tanjungbalai is served 3x daily by Putri Deli, fares are Rp 27.000 (economy class). Trip durations are around 4 hours and 30 minutes.
By boat
The 🌍 Teluk Nibung port at Tanjungbalai is the only major port that serves domestic voyages and international voyages from/to Port Klang and Hutan Melintang, Perak.
By plane
The nearest airport is Kualanamu International Airport (KNO IATA) near the provincial capital Medan, about 140km to the north.
Get around
By road
The easiest way to explore is either using a motorcycle or a car, but road condition mostly is bad, only the major roads are paved. Beware especially when riding a motorcycle on the highway due to high speed of other vehicles. Avoid riding or driving at night!
By public transit
Small buses connects several villages along the highway. In the Kisaran town and Tanjungbalai city, betor (becak bermotor) are plenty. Be sure to haggle before hop in. Online transport like Grab or Gojek are available as well, but they may refuse to take you out of town.
See
- 🌍 Great Mosque Achmad Bakrie (Masjid Agung Achmad Bakrie), Jl. Lintas Sumatra, Kisaran. The largest mosque in Asahan, built by the Bakrie Group on 2015, with influence of Malay architecture. Free.
- 🌍 Ponot Falls (Air Terjun Ponot), Desa Tangga (About 15 minutes after passing the bridge of the Asahan River at the small village, there is a Y fork; take a left fork heading down.). A 3-step waterfall, one of the highest in Indonesia, around 200 m.
- 🌍 Sigura-gura Falls & Dam (Air Terjun dan Waduk Sigura-Gura), Desa Pintu Pohan Dolok. Said to be the highest waterfall in Indonesia at 250 m, the Sigura-Gura Falls and the nearby dam are part of the Sigura-Gura hydro power plant complex that powers most of North Sumatra. It is operated by the state-owned PT Inalum. The dam is said to be the 2nd largest in Indonesia. Access is limited, but there's a lookout from the main street to view the falls, the dam and the power plant complex.
Do
- 🌍 Asahan River. This river is famous as one of the best white river rafting spots in the world after the Zambesi River and Colorado River with a grade of 3-5+, only for experienced rafters. The Asahan River Valley offers a breathtaking view, with dramatic cliffs on each sides, covered by lush tropical rainforest. There are plenty of waterfalls scattered around the valley, some of them are very remote.
Eat
- 🌍 RM Gule Masam Gaok, Jl Yos Sudarso, Teluk Nibung. A variety of fresh seafood, cooked by request. Try their famous gule masam (sour curry).
Sleep
Accommodations are mostly located at Kisaran and Tanjungbalai.
- 🌍 Grand Singgie Hotel, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto, Tanjungbalai (Across from the city park), ☏ +628116292999, reservation@grandsinggiehotel.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: Noon. A 3-star hotel with total 102 rooms located at the city center of Tanjungbalai that opened in 2018. There's a fitness center, a small restaurant and cafe but no swimming pool. Start from Rp 300,000 for 1 person Studio room; Rp 410,000 for 2 person Standard room; Rp 510,000 for Superior room; Rp 610,000 for Deluxe room (as of Nov 2021).