Ambarita - Ancient court

Ambarita is a small village at Samosir Island, Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia. It is at walking distance from Tuk-tuk. There are some guesthouses and hotels to be found in Ambarita as well as some small restaurants. But what Ambarita is known for is the ancient court yard in a beautiful setting of traditional Batak houses.

Stone chairs form ancient court yard at Huta Siallagan, Ambarita, Lake Toba
The old court yard at Huta Siallagan in Ambarita 

Guilty as charged

The most popular place to visit in Ambarita is Huta Siallagan. Here you will find some stone chairs and a stone table, which make up an ancient court yard. Those were used a long time ago by the local king as a court of justice. When found guilty, the culprits were decapitated right after the session, on yet another stone table. You are asked to sign the guest book upon leaving Huta Siallagan and to put some "uang rokok" (tip) in the inevitable tip box.

Right next to Huta Siallagan you will find a large number of souvenir shops. Don't forget to bargain.

Our customers

29th june 2009: Barbara Etty, London, UK

www.tripadvisor.com

Carolina Hotel is probably the best place to stay in Lake Toba, because of the excellent location and the cheap price of the rooms. Located right in front of the Lake, you can get there directly by boat, as there is a small pier where boats stop on request. Rooms are simple but spacious and clean. We stayed in a superior room, which was unfortunately in front of the restaurant, which hides the lake view and from where you can hear all the noises of the kitchen until late. The standard rooms are certainly more quiet and with a better view on the lake, but probably they are very simple inside.

From there you can go for a walk around Tuk Tuk and easily reach good restaurants. Staff are very kind and helpful. They can help you to rent a car or a motorbike on request or to organise tours. The restaurant has a beautiful view on the lake and the menu is quite rich. Breakfast is not included in the room price, but it is extremely cheap. It is not possible to pay by credit card and there is no ATM machine on the island so bring enough cash!

Become a friend of Carolina Cottages on Facebook

Become a friend of Carolina Cottages, Lake Toba on Facebook.

 
Share us with your friends