Feb 17, 20234 min read

N. Sumatra by Motorcycle <>

Published: Feb 2023 |

Here's a brief and tips on a northern Sumatra motorcycle adventure route and travel based on my 21 days riding there.

Planning & Travel

This trip arose quickly when my BMW 310gs needed a new radiator in Bangkok. After evaluating what to do, I decided Sumatra looked like an awesome side trip on my SE Asia ride. Renting a bike was priority #1. I went online and searched, came across Ganda Rental in Medan, got in touch and arranged a 3-week rental of a Yamaha NMax 155cc scooter in about 24 hours. The owner of the shop speaks decent English, and communicates well. He runs the business out of his house, you take a cab out there and pick up the bike, leave a cash deposit (USS 200 I think) or your passport (I never take this approach). You keep in touch on Whatsapp. My NMax was new-ish, ran like a dream. He also has other types of bikes for rent, like Honda CB150x or smaller scooters.

I booked Bangkok-Medan on AirAsia, about US$250; 5-hour connection on the outward leg, direct flight back
I was surprised at the USD 50 VoA - that is new since Covid

Bike & Gear

Back to the NMax: I highly recommend it or a similarly cc'ed scooter as the best moto for northern Sumatra. Indeed, it appears to be the adventure bike of choice for many locals.
I created an overview of my Sumatra bike and gear if you are looking for inputs.

Duration & Route

I had a baseline agenda to follow, similar to my first trip to Sumatra in 1991 (by bus...) . For this trip, I wanted to go up to the center of the island (which was an unknown approach in 1991).
I didn't find much useful information online, most of it was broad-based covering the whole (huge) region, or just very general.
I highly recommend the route I took, it covers mountains, the coast, pretty much the gamut

Insurance

You cannot buy moto insurance for Indonesia, it's not sold, nor required. It appears that people 'work it out" in the case of an accident
My World Nomads travel insurance covers "motorcycle riding" in Indonesia, but w/o local motorcycle insurance, I suspect there may be issues if you tried to make a claim.

Roads & Driving

Overall, the roads are excellent in that part of Sumatra, at parity with rural roads in Thailand, for example.
Driving is fairly ok, much tamer than, say, Cambodia. Drivers are civilized towards motorcycles
Average road speed is low; I only exceeded 80km per hour infrequently

Cost

Sumatra is great value. Accommodation, food, fuel are all cheap; I averaged about $30-40 per day; if you were on a tight budget you could easily live on half that amount.
There is little or no alcohol, so it's a great place to abstain and save some $ as a result.

Communication & Safety

English is spoken in varying degrees everywhere.
As everywhere in Indo, people are super friendly and nice. Northern Sumatra is unique for its mix of people, ranging from fundamentalist Islam in Aceh, to Christian Bataks in Lake Toba, to Chinese and Indian communities in Medan.
Aceh has a reputation as a conflict zone, but I have never seen any hint of this in my two times traveling there (1991, 2013).
Natural disasters and hot spots (literally) are a reality in Sumatra; I experienced a 6.8 earthquake on my second day there, and then later that same day drove by a major volcano that tourists are advised to avoid. All part of the excitement for me.

Mobile & Wifi

I went to a Telekomsel shop and got registered with a pre-paid data plan after that, I figured out how to download their app and add credits via my Visa card, and recharge.
Data is fairly pricey, and speeds are low. Service is available everywhere.
I barely tried wifi anywhere, the connections always seemed poor.

Accommodation

You can find excellent basic accom everywhere, AC, hot water, decent bed
I used Agoda a lot to pre-book. But you can easily do walk-in bookings everywhere
I paid between $6-20 a night, average was about $15 (USD).

Sights

Terrain: you will see truly spectacular mountains, jungle, rivers, volcanos, coastlines, lakes, islands.
Forest cover: I was shocked to see just how intact the forests were in most of northern Sumatra - I had been expecting to see a giant palm oil plantation.
Wildlife: this is one area that Sumatra truly exceeds; I saw a wild Orangutan w/ baby, multiple types of monkeys, incredible huge insects, many types of fish, Binturong, mongoose, more.

Activities

Ketambe is renowned for jungle trekking with Orangutan sightings
Weh is a world-class diving location, with few divers and an amazing range of sea life; read more about my diving experience with Lumba Lumba Diving
Lhoknga is a well-known surf spot, with learner-class waves
Lake Toba is a stunning setting with a unique culture

Must do