visit to medan?

Question

i m visiting medan on the 14th of april. will be there for 4 days. please recommend places to visit and the travel by public transport from medan. also if budget accomodation is easily available and how much? thank you

Answer 1

"Medan is the capital city of North Sumatra province, Indonesia. It is the largest city in Sumatra. It is located in the north of the province, and has a nearby harbour, Belawan, and an international airport, Polonia International Airport.
There are many older buildings in Medan that still retain their Dutch architecture. These include the old City Hall, the central Post Office, the Water Tower, which is Medan City's icon, and Titi Gantung - a bridge over the railway.
There are several historic places such as Maimun Palace (Istana Maimun), where the Sultan of Deli still lives, and the Great Mosque (Masjid Raya) of Medan built in 1906.
The newest food court in the center of Medan is Merdeka Square, opened in 2005 and Kesawan Square, a street which is closed to vehicles after sunset. Many kinds of Indonesian, Western and Chinese cuisine are available, as well as stalls selling various items and a large Karaoke screen. It is very busy on Friday and Saturday nights. While several malls are also opening in recent years like Sun Plaza, Medan Fair Mall, Grand Palladium and Yang Lim Plaza.
One of the unique features of Medan are the motorized becaks that are found almost everywhere. Unlike traditional becaks, a motorized becak can take its passenger anywhere in the city. There are also more common transport like taxis and minibuses, known as sudako.
Railroad tracks connect Medan to Binjai and Tanjungpura to the northwest, to port of Belawan to the north, and to Tebing Tinggi and Pematang Siantar to the southeast.
The seaport of Belawan is about 20 km to the north. Polonia International Airport is located in the heart of the city. Kuala Namu International Airport is a new airport under construction and is due to replace Polonia in 2009.
A toll highway connects Medan to Belawan and Tanjungmorawa. A plan for the extension of this highway to Tebing Tinggi and to Binjai has been completed, and the central government is currently seeking investor for implementing it." [1]

"Inter-city: Larger, non air-conditioned buses and large luxury buses (often Mercedes) that are air-conditioned (some have toilets on board, though they are squatting toilets that are difficult to use when the buses are moving, given driving habits and road conditions throughout Sumatera). The central station for all larger buses in Medan is Amplas Station Central (not located in the center of the city though). This is where a lot of the smaller minivans go as well, and where travellers need to go to make connecting buses to further cities. Many of the large air-conditioned buses perform overnight routes, with prices varying by location served. As an example of prices from August 2005, expect to pay around Rp.50,000-80,000 for an 8-10 hour overnight luxury bus (without toilet saves about Rp.10,000+) trip, as in to Duri, Bukit Lawang, or Lake Toba (Danau Toba). Such buses provide a small snack and sometimes have televisions on board. While seats are very comfortable by Sumateran standards, all rides are swervy/bumpy and drivers often play stereos quite loud during the entire trip (unless a movie is available). Also, many buses have smoking sections in the back, and sometimes, smoking occurs in the front of the non-smoking section by the driver if the driver is so inclined. Earplugs are good accessories. Furthermore, while the large luxury buses have ample stowage above seats, keep valuables safe while you sleep.

By rail: Medan is connected by rail to other conurbations on the eastern coast of Sumatra, such as Tanjungbalai, Rantauprapat, Siantar and Binjai. Executive, business and economy class trains are available, but if your budget allows, take the better class trains, which are faster and more comfortable. Tickets cost between Rp.9,000 (economy) to Rp.70,000 (executive).
By becak: Also known as trishaws or pedicabs. You have to be good negotiator if you want to ride on becaks, with price ranging between Rp.5,000 to Rp.10,000 depending on the destination (near or far). Inflation seems to have hit the Becaks in Medan (Jan07). Most drivers wanted Rp30,000 which came down to Rp15,000 when spoken to in Bahasa Indonesia. Locals can still get short becak ride for Rp5,000 to Rp10,000 but Rp15,000 is standard for longer (10 minutes or more) rides. Very few becak drivers speak more than a few words of English, but a map and lots of pointing will get you to the right place, even if it takes twice as long as you thought.
By hotel taxi: As you can get a hotel taxi for Rp35,000 to almost anywhere in Medan, paying more than Rp15,000 for a longer ride is probably not a good idea. Local taxis are now Rp30,000 to almost anywhere. They will not bargain much with tourists or visitors (people from Java!). The only difference I could detect between the becak and the taxi was that the taxi kept you dry when it rained, not much differnece apart from that.
By taxi: Cost Rp.20,000 (2005) to go anywhere around the city (close or far). Be careful of picking up a taxi. Try to pick taxi from a reliable place such in front of malls, shopping centres or airport. (Jan07) Taxis wanting Rp30,000 for most rides now, shorter ones maybe Rp20,000. Better taxis can be hailed from shopping malls, but not hotels apparently. Suggest use hotel taxi rather than street taxi.
By bus & minvan: Public transport is not reliable and not suggested for travellers, though they have a fixed price from one destination to other destinations.
Small minivans have painted numbers (1 to 267 in Medan) that signify their routes, which even locals don't have memorized. If you speak Bahasa Indonesian, just ask where people are standing by the roadsides which "bus" number corresponds to your location and what the price is in advance. When a van with the appropriate number approaches, flag them down as they don't make scheduled stops (just drive along a given route and drop off passengers when told or pick up new passengers when flagged). If you are a westerner, be sure to confirm the price before getting in. This type of transportation should only be braved by those with a point-to-point knowledge of Medan and a working knowledge of Bahasa Indonesian so they know where to tell the driver to stop, unless you have a local friend whom can take you around.
One easy route is Minibus #3 from the great mosque (at the side of yuki mall) to the Medan Mall, which is Rp 2,000.
SEE: Many tourists choose to use Medan as a quick thru-point to travel elsewhere in Sumatera, but the city offers a glimpse of a large Indonesian city still unfrequented by western tourists, and shouldn't be quickly dismissed. However, Medan is more chaotic and has a bit more litter than Jakarta or Denpasar and open sewers abound. Furthermore, not as many people speak English in Medan as in other large Indonesian cities, but even a short list of useful expressions goes a long way, and Sumaterans are still unjaded by westerners.
Maimoon Palace
Vihara Borobudur (Buddhist Temple)
Vihara Gunung Timur (Chinese Temple)
Mesjid Raya Mosque
Kesawan Square

Hotels:
>Danau Toba http://www.hoteldanautoba.com/, Cheaper 3* hotel, in need of room refurbishment, with large swimming pool (and many mosquitos). Prices $40/night. Popular music venue Tavern.
>Wisma Wahana Daya Pertiwi. Owned by the railway company, clean, decent, cheap, located a short walk from the railway station on M. Yamin Street. Superior rooms Rp. 135,000 per night, suites Rp. 250,000. Restaurant (Permata DSM) is acceptable.
>Hotel Zakia is a budget option right next to the grand mosque (so don't go there if you are bothered by the Iman calling for prayer at 5am, but if that is the case, you're in the wrong country anyway...). Rooms range from Rp. 35,000 - 50,000 including a breakfast. It is reasonably clean and central. Tel.: [phone] [2]

See also:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297725-r2977368-Medan_Sumatra.html
http://www.mytravelguide.com/hotels/cthotels.jsp?objectid=17757102&referral_id=YHOOPI&referral_click_id=CITYHTL|17757102
http://www.kotamedan.com/main/index.htm

Have a good trip!