LAKE TOBA FESTIVAL 2018: Lively Sounds, Stunning Sights and Ancient Traditions

Kicking off festivities towards the close of 2018, breathtaking Lake Toba will come alive, sparkling with exciting colors and activities, when it becomes the venue for the annual Lake Toba Festival.  To take place from 5th to 8th December 2018, Lake Toba Festival 2018 will this year center along the Tao Silalahi Beach,  by the Royal Cemetery of the Silahisabungan Kings, and at the Silallahi II Village Field, all located in the Silahisibungan District, Dairi Regency.

For this special occasion, Indonesia’s President Jokowi himself will officially open Lake Toba Festival 2018, confirming its magnitude and significance to the region and to the country,  
Taking the theme: “Tribe, Nature, and Tourism”  the festival express exuberance at Lake Toba’s abundant beauty, its well preserved cultural traditions, and breathtaking natural splendors, which together make this the ideal tourist destination.

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Started back in 2013, Lake Toba Festival brings together the destination’s most attractive features that include a plethora of colorful traditional art and cultural performances, traditional sports events and folk games, handicrafts and culinary bazaars, a tourism seminar and expo, and much more.  Moreover, this year’s activities will be enhanced with elaborate cultural parades and carnival, a Coffee festival, a Culinary Festival, Art Collaboration Performances, Choirs and Vocal Groups competition, the Seruling Traditional Bamboo Flute Competition, Kayaking, a Fun Triathlon, a Tourism, Culture, and Creative Economy Exhibition, a Fashion Show of traditional and trendy collections, a series of folk games competition, hammock competition, and plenty more.

Tourism Minister, Arief Yahya is hopeful that the festival will be even more successful this year compared to previous editions, projecting an attendance of over 10,000 spectators of domestic and international tourists to Lake Toba Festival 2018.

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Colossal Lake Toba in North Sumatra came into being as the result of a phenomenal explosion of an ancient supervolcano.  Famed for its stunning natural beauty and the local people’s rich traditions, the lake measures over 1,145 square kilometers with a depth of 450 meters. Lake Toba has recognized the world over as the largest lake in Southeast Asia and one of the deepest in the world.

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Here is where the indigenous Batak ethnic groups believe to be the birthplace of their original ancestors. Here, you can observe and experience yourself how the age-old traditions of the Batak have continued to remain alive even until today, handed down from generation to generation.

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To reach Lake Toba, best fly to the Silangit International airport, which cuts travel time to 1.5 hours only as compared to the 5 hours overland ride from Medan, capital of North Sumatra. Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Sriwijaya Air operate regular flights to Silangit from Jakarta as well as daily flights from Medan’s Kuala Namu airport. Garuda Indonesia now also serves three times weekly flights, direct from Singapore to Silangit.

So do not miss this exciting event!

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