It only took two 7-hour flights, followed by a 4-hour car journey and a reasonably short boat ride to finally reach Pulau Samosir, an island nestled in the volcanic Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Indonesia. And truly, the setting here is quite special. Lake Toba is far from being just an ordinary lake; it is the largest volcanic lake in the world. Sitting at an impressive surface elevation of around 900 meters, the lake stretches approximately 100 kilometers in length, 30 kilometers in width, and plunges up to half a kilometer deep. Its entire history is both impressive and intimidating, as Lake Toba is known as the site of a supervolcanic eruption that occurred about 70,000 years ago. This eruption was the largest known on Earth in the past 25 million years and had catastrophic effects, virtually ending the vast majority of human life existing at that time. The “Toba Catastrophe Theory” suggests that the eruption caused a severe population bottleneck, impacting human evolution up until the modern day, although recent scientific studies seem to provide evidence challenging this theory. Nevertheless, the eruption—estimated by scientists to have lasted between 9 and 14 days—dramatically affected global temperatures, cooling the Earth and oceans for over a millennium. So, yes, this place undoubtedly feels special, set on an island that’s special in its own right, too. Sumatra! The sixth largest island in the world, home to more than 60 million people. It stands out as one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, covered with lush, green rainforests and home to unique species found nowhere else on Earth. Among them are the Sumatran Orangutan, the Sumatran Tiger, and the Sumatran Elephant, to name just a few. Unfortunately, many of these species are critically endangered due to ongoing deforestation and the consequential loss of their natural habitats.

It took us a full two days to recover from the worst part of the jetlag, and unfortunately, both our daughter and I also caught a rather unpleasant cold during the long flight. Despite this rough start, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Zoe’s Waterfront Paradise (https://www.instagram.com/zoesparadise.laketoba/?hl=en) from the very first moment. This beautiful little gem, located right on the tranquil shore of Lake Toba, has become our home for the initial three weeks of our time in Southeast Asia. We truly consider ourselves fortunate to be welcomed as their guests. The very friendly staff and the hotel manager, Michael , went above and beyond to ensure our stay was comfortable and memorable from day one. After spending the first day unwinding by the peaceful hotel pool, we began to explore the charming village of Tuktuk on our second day. During our walks through the lush, vibrant green fields and dense forest, we instantly realized that the next chapter of our journey was now underway. The breathtaking views over the expansive rice fields, the rich aroma of local spices in the air, the heavy humidity, and the warm temperatures all combined to immerse us deeply into this unique experience.

It’s already been one full week since I started writing this journal entry. In the meantime, Sarah’s dad and his wife have arrived safely, and they will be spending a full two weeks here with us in beautiful Indonesia. Before their arrival, we took the opportunity to visit a vibrant local market in Tomok, where we tasted some unique and exotic fruits that we hadn’t seen or tried before. It was once again wonderful to witness how the kids were genuinely open and excited to try the many new flavors and tastes they are encountering every single day. Whether it’s spicy soup enjoyed for breakfast, unfamiliar fruit savored at lunch, or new and interesting dishes served at dinner, I’m immensely proud and grateful that they are embracing this adventure with such enthusiasm! We also used the fishing rods and actually caught some fish. Both Oskar and Leni and surprisingly even myself were able to pull some fish out of the lake. We never done that before, but if you try it, why not in the biggest vulcanic lake in the world!

Just yesterday, we enjoyed an amazing tour led by a local guide who belongs to the indigenous Batak people. He offered us fascinating insights into the local customs, traditions, and the deep history of the area. During the tour, we visited a Batak village that is typically off the beaten path, not usually frequented by tourists. However, since this village was where our guide grew up, we were fortunate to gain very authentic and heartfelt insights into their traditional way of living. Even though modern technology has made some inroads here, the lifestyle in this village remains largely unchanged from what it was decades ago.

We also made a stop at the world’s largest statue of Jesus, located just outside Samosir island. This impressive statue measures a staggering 61 metres in height, making it about 20 metres taller than the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. The statue was primarily constructed to boost tourism and only opened its doors to the public last year. Since we’re visiting all these attractions during the off-season, we are lucky to avoid long queues and overcrowded sites. Apparently, during the peak season, this area is swarmed with tourists from Europe, Malaysia, and China. The existing infrastructure clearly shows how busy it can get, which makes us feel fortunate to be here now.

Today, I rented a scooter and took a leisurely two and a half hour ride around the island with our son, exploring more remote and beautiful parts of the area. Riding a scooter really is the best way to get around here on the island, and I’m sure it won’t be the last tour we take this way. Since I do miss riding my motorbike back home, cruising around on a scooter here felt especially good and brought back fond memories. Sarah and Leni were enjoying a massage in the meantime, so it was a very joyful morning for all of us!

All in all, we truly enjoyed this first week in Indonesia. It has been a fantastic and unforgettable start to our journey, filled with new experiences and incredible sights. I find myself humbled by the thought that there is still so much more to discover and explore ahead of us. We can’t wait to see what the coming weeks will bring!