Making the most of Belawan Sumatra
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Distance/drive time from port/ terminal to town centerof Medan: 26 km.
Availability of Taxis at Pier: Yes
Belawan is a port city on the northeast coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Located on the Deli River near the city of Medan, Belawan is Indonesia's busiest port outside of Java.
SIGHTSEEING OPPORTUNITIES (SHORT TRIP/HALF DAY)
SIGHTSEEING OPPORTUNITIES (FULL DAY)
- Danau Toba (Lake Toba)
- Brastagi & Pasar Buah Brastagi
- Peceran – Traditional Village of Batak Karo
- Parapat & Samosir Island
- Sipiso – Piso Waterfall
- Simalungun Castle, Pematang Purba
- King Sidabutar's graveyard
- Tomok Village
- Ambarita Village
- Pematang Siantar
- Tebing Tinggi (High Hill)
- Toko Paten (souvenir shop from Pematang Siantar)
Getting around
A cruise organized tour is the way to go. Public transport from the port is poor and roads are not in the best of shape.
Many towns have taxis, but be sure to agree on a fare in advance.
Nearby places
Medan is the fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung. With a population of about 2 million people it is the largest city outside of Java.
It's interesting to contrast the old, Dutch style green areas, with parks, lawns, and huge old Dutch houses (now turned into government offices or commercial business) and the hundreds and hundreds of newer, shoddy shophouses sprawled together by the hundreds in the commercial areas along with a few modern style malls.
Food and shopping
In Indonesia eating with your hand (instead of utensils like forks and spoons) is very common. The basic idea is to use four fingers to pack a little ball of rice, which can then be dipped into sauces before you pop it in your mouth by pushing it with your thumb. There's one basic rule of etiquette to observe: Use only your right hand, as the left hand is used to clean yourself in the bathroom. Don't stick either hand into communal serving dishes: instead, use the left hand to serve yourself with utensils and then dig in. Needless to say, it's wise to wash your hands well before and after eating. Eating by hand is frowned on in some…
Money
ATMs are common in any major cities in Indonesia.
Be careful when using credit cards, as cloning and fraud are a major problem in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but American Express can be problematic. At smaller operations, surcharges of 2-5% over cash are common.
Staying connected
The sole official language is Indonesian, known as Bahasa Indonesia.
Internet: Prices vary considerably, and as usual you tend to get what you pay for, but you'll usually be looking at around Rp 5,000 per hour. In large cities, there are free hotspots in certain shopping malls, McDonald restaurants and Starbucks cafes. Some hotels provide free hotspots in the lobby.
mobile phones emergency number: 112