Berastagi travel guide

Getting around

Visitors can travel easily around town on foot, by bicycle and using oplets. For the surrounding villages and towns cars can be hired, oplets service some routes. Dokars can also be used for short local journeys, in Berastagi these are known as sados.

Ins and outs

Getting there

Berastagi is 68 km from Medan and 147 km from Parapat. There are regular bus connections with Medan, two hours, 7000Rp. Getting from Parapat on a public bus is a little more complicated as it involves changes. The bus station is at the south end of the main road, Jalan Veteran.

Berastagi

Bus

Getting to Parapat, for Danau Toba, on a public bus it is necessary to change twice, in Kabanjahe, 25 mins, 3000Rp, and Pemangtangsiantar, 3 hrs, 15,000Rp. Buses from Pemangtangsiantar to Parapat, 1 hr, 15,000Rp. Minibuses and oplets travel to Kabanjahe continuously; from there, buses leave for Pemangtangsiantar every 30 mins between 0800 and 1500; from P Siantar to Parapat, every 30 mins. There are a couple of alternative and less used routes to Toba and Samosir. One is to catch a bus to Haranggaol, on the north side of Danau Toba. For Bukit Lawang catch a Pinang Baris bound bus, 2 hrs, 8000Rp, and connect with a Bukit Lawang bound bus, 3 hrs, 15,000Rp.

Banks

There are several banks and money changers in town, and they will change most TCs. Bank Negara Indonesia, Jl Veteran 53. Putra Nusa Mandago Money Changer, Jl Veteran 47. PT Pura Buana International, Jl Veteran. There are 2 authorized Lake Toba money changers, of which Lagundri Tours, Jl Veteran 55, gives the slightly better rate.

Medical services

Health centre, Jl Veteran 30.

Post office

Jl Veteran (by the monument at the top of the road).

Telephone

Wartel office for international telephone calls, Jl Veteran (by the Bank Negara Indonesia).