It was a great weekend getaway. The initial plan is to have a one day trip to Brastagi Highland and places around it. From 7 people, we settled down to 4 people. Cause the car rental with driver was too expensive for some of them.

But something happened few hours before the departure. One of the friends’ grandma passed away so she couldn’t join us. We have booked the car rental and couldn’t cancel it. So, there we went, just the three of us. This is my very first time going there in such a small group of friends. I must be outta my mind already.

We sticked to the initial plan and took off from Medan at 6.45am. It took approximately 2 hours journey. We stopped at the corn stall to grab a few bites of the corn and enjoyed the fresh air. The weather wasn’t so friendly yesterday. It kept on rain and stop for the whole day.

After that, we continued the journey to Grand Mutiara Hotel. Jan wanted to have the Pisang goreng madu – fried banana with honey. We thought that they didn’t have it for breakfast, but nope. So there we went, having our most expensive fried banana ever. 1 plate for IDR.15.000, excluded 10% tax. I never know that Grand Mutiara Hotel serves such a crispy banana. The overcharged price was worthy.

Three girls, beautiful scenery, plenty of free time, and 4 digicams. What a perfect day to take pictures! After the breakfast, chat, and pictures, we went to Mikie Holiday, Tongging, and SiPiso Piso.

Meet Canon and Lumix.

We took pictures everywhere we went.

Started with one person picture

Continued with 2 persons

The three of us

at the swimming pool

at the playground

Notice there is a few pictures with the 3 of us? Wondering who was so kind to help us to take those pictures? Alright, I’ll share the secret. It is courtesy of self timer (10 seconds) and the poles + chairs~!

That is how we set the digicam for the 3 poles picture. I’m so proud of my friends. They are the creative accountants ever.

Total usage for the trip is IDR.242.000 per person, consists of transportation, breakfast, lunch, and miscellaneous fee (parking fee and entrance fee). Consider expensive for a day trip. But, once in a while is fine.

When we go to Brastagi, normally we will spend some time in Mikie Holiday Funland. But this time around we decided to pay a visit to Simalem Resort. Still in progress though. It took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the place from our hotel. Our eyes were being pampered with the wonderful scenery along the way to Simalem Resort. The green land and the blue sky. Whoah..The Simalem Resort itself is a project of the Sibayak Hotel group with a Singapore company. The place is wow.. wow.. wow.. with 200 ha. Entrance ticket for one car cost us Rp.65.000,- with voucher of free welcome drink and lunch, for 1 person only, and souvenirs – postcards of Simalem view.

Most of the thing is still in progress and scheduled to have everything done on 2010. At the moment, some of the road is done, we can go for waterfall trekking, have a meal at Kodon-Kodon Cafe with Lake Toba view, the orange+’biwa’+passion fruits’s farm is there for visitors to pick the fruits and pay of course.

This is the view around the temple which is still in progress.

This is the landmark of “The Pearl of Lake Toba” where we can see clearly the beauty of Lake Toba down there.

The view of Lake Toba from here is way more beautiful than the view from Sipiso-Piso waterfall. It’s like the scenery in the painting.

It’s surely a hidden beauty in North Sumatra. Simalem Resort really brings up so many of the hidden potentials in our land that the locals don’t even realize it.

I luph the scenery, the weather, everything there. I just feel so relax and free.

I can’t stop taking pictures of that place.

Another camwhoring session. I have no idea what was my bro looking at.

Enough of sightseeing and taking pictures, it’s time to have some drink and free lunch at the Kodon-Kodon Cafe. Weird name though.

We were still pampered with the Lake Toba View from the cafe itself.

We even can see the view from the loo! Hah! I think it’s the first time I sit in a toilet with a huge window and scenery outside.

Oh my.. I luv this place. Can’t wait until it finished everything. Cable car to the Lake Toba Side, hotels, amphitheater, One Tree Hill for members, fun land with roller coaster kind of stuffs, and a lot more. It really digs out the potential of Karo Highland and Lake Toba. I’m proud of it.

Last year, I went back home on Hari Raya holiday for a week. Big family went to Brastagi together. So many kids, so noisy, so crowded, so much fun also. This year, it’s just the 4 of us. No kids running around, no mess. Still fun and relax though.

We went there on Tuesday, planned to go at about 10am. But due to the car condition, it was pending until noon. After 2 hours plus, we reached the town and stop for a late lunch first. B2 – Babi Panggang, pig roasted became our choice with Teh Botol Sosro as the companion. Perfect lunch in a reasonable price. One portion cost Rp.10.000,- and Teh Botol Rp.2.500,-.

We stayed at Grand Mutiara Hotel, nearby Mikie Holiday. Nothing to do, just lazying around in the hotel for the whole afternoon. Watched TV and ate and ate. Ouh.. the weather made people get hungry easily.

My bro didn’t want to swim while I have no interest in swimming. Too bad, we have wasted the swimming pool.

We thought of going to Mikie Holiday Funland at night. But it was raining, so we just went for dinner. The world is so small. We met the cousins and Ku-ku while having dinner opposite Sibayak Hotel.

We spent the night chit chatting at Sibayak Hotel’s lobby, where they stayed. It was getting cooler and cooler. Before we left, dad took picture for us. I am the eldest one among them but how come it looks like I am the mini one? -__-” While the youngest one, my bro, is the biggest size among all. Ai si..

We went back hotel, watched TV for a while before went to sleep. Nothing much to do at night time in Brastagi. If you go with a bunch of friends, you can spend the night with BBQ, Karaoke, playing cards, chit chat until late night. Brastagi town itself is so dark at night. The weather makes you just wanna stay inside the room.