We headed to Prapat in central Sumatra situated by Lake Toba. Because of the gruelling bus ride, we stayed overnight in this quiet lakeside town before catching an early morning ferry across to Samosir Island, situated in the middle of Lake Toba.
The half hour ferry ride seemed luxurious after the arduous long day’s journey of the previous day. Arriving on the island on Christmas Day, I was stunned by the contrast from exactly two years earlier when we scrambled through throngs of tourists over Borobudur. With no crowds, a meditative ubiquitous silence hung in the air.
We hired bikes and cycled for hours around part of the island but for the most part, we ate and swam in the clear, calm bottomless lake, soaking up the tranquility.
From here to there 