12 Best Hotels in Lake Toba and Samosir Island for All Budgets

The best hotels in Lake Toba will make sure that your getaway to the world’s largest crater lake is an unforgettable one.

Located in North Sumatra, Lake Toba is easily one of Sumatra’s most popular tourist destinations.

However, in the big scheme of things, it’s hardly visited compared to other places in Indonesia like Bali, Java and Nusa Penida.

Accommodation options can be limited in some parts of Sumatra. However, at Lake Toba, I was surprised and impressed by the variety of hostels, hotels and guesthouses on offer.

In this post, I’ll talk about the best areas to stay and the best hotels in Lake Toba and Samosir. If you’re planning your trip in more detail, head over to my ultimate Lake Toba travel itinerary for the best things to do and see, based on my personal experience.

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The Best Place to Stay in Lake Toba

1. Samosir Island

Samosir Island (also known locally as the ‘Tuktuk Peninsula’) is widely regarded as the best place to stay in Lake Toba, and for good reason.

The island has some of the best views at Lake Toba. It’s also particularly interesting for tourists, as it’s home to the Batak people, an indigenous group.

If you stay on Samosir Island, you can easily visit traditional Toba Batak houses (rumah adat) and museums. It’s also easy to explore by car or scooter; I rented a scooter for two days and rode around the hills to check out waterfalls, museums and local restaurants.

View from Reggae Guest House in Tuk Tuk

The island covers around 240 square miles, so a complete circuit can also be done in around two or three days.

The main tourist town on Samosir Island is Tuk Tuk. This is where many of the best hotels in Lake Toba are located.

Most of the hotels sit on the waterfront and have direct access to the lake for swimming, kayaking and other watersports. There are restaurants and shops within walking distance, in the village.

If you hire a scooter, you can also consider staying in Ambarita (next to Tuk Tuk).

Quick Picks:

• Zoe’s Paradise Waterfront Hotel (£££)
• Reggae Guest House (£££)
• Juma Cottages (£££)
• Laster Jony’s (£££)

2. Parapat

Parapat is the main tourist town on the mainland of Lake Toba. It has a small port where you can catch the ferry to Samosir Island, so I passed through Parapat on my way to Reggae Guest House.

Regular ferries run between Parapat and Samosir Island, each taking between 30 and 50 minutes each way.

Therefore, if you don’t want to stay on Samosir Island, you can stay in Parapat and catch the ferry across as needed.

Ferries waiting to cross to Samosir Island from Parapat

Parapat is very well-equipped, as it’s a busy town; it has a huge number of restaurants and shops. That’s the main difference between Tuk Tuk and Parapat: Tuk Tuk is populated primarily by tourists.

Another good reason to stay in Parapat is that it’s nearer to the Sipiso Piso and Situmurum waterfalls.

Quick Picks:

• Hotel Niagara Parapat (£££)
• Khas Parapat (£££)

3. Tongging

I’d recommend staying in Tongging if you want to visit Sipiso Piso Waterfall.

Sipiso Piso is one of the highest waterfalls in Indonesia. The water comes from an underground river fed by Lake Toba. It is then dumped from a height of over 120 metres into a small, deep plunge pool.

You could stay in Tongging after visiting Samosir Island or Parapat. It’s quite far from the Parapat ferry terminal (a two-hour drive).

Some hotels in Tongging may operate private boat tours to Samosir Island, but make sure to check in advance.

Quick Picks:

• Taman Simalem Resort (£££)

4. Balige

Balige is one of the most peaceful places to stay in Lake Toba. It is located on the mainland at the south of the crater, 60 kilometres south of Parapat.

This is the place to go if you want peace and quiet. Surrounded by mountains and Tarabunga Hill, it feels tucked away from the main tourist areas.

Balige has a beautiful sandy beach and easy access to Siburuon Waterfall. If you want to try some less-visited hikes, this is also a good place to stay.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few hotels to choose from. It seems that it has already been identified as a great ‘offbeat’ alternative.

Quick Picks:

• Pondok Berata Dapdap (£££)
• Purnama Balige (£££)

What to Expect from the Best Hotels in Lake Toba

The best hotels in Lake Toba usually have access to the lake in some shape or form.

That could be a ladder, a private beach or a shuttle service to the nearest public beach.

Swimming in the world’s largest crater lake is very much a bucket-list activity, so staying in a Lake Toba hotel without lake access can be a dealbreaker.

What differentiates the luxury hotels from the rest are features such as swimming pools, beaches and jet-ski rentals.

For budget travellers and backpackers, there are no typical hostels with dormitories, However, there are a number of well-established budget guesthouses in Tuk Tuk.

Laster Jony’s and Reggae Guesthouse are the two main places where backpackers mingle (and they both have access to the lake and a restaurant).

The Best Hotels in Lake Toba for Luxury Breaks

1. Hotel Niaggara Parapat

Location: Parapat, Lake Toba

Reviews: 8.8/10

Price: £££

Hotel Niagara Parapat rests on a hillside on the east of the crater, just above Parapat.

The resort is extremely well-equipped, with an outdoor pool, tennis court, greenhouse, basketball court, zipwire, playground, and – wait for it – helicopter pad.

If you’re used to the finer things in life, this is the Lake Toba hotel for you.

Some of the suites and rooms feature roofs resembling traditional Toba Batak houses, while others have direct access to the resort’s swimming pool.

2. Taman Simalem Resort

Location: Tongging, Lake Toba

Reviews: 8.3/10

Price: £££

Taman Simalem Resort is considered by many to be the best of the best hotels at Lake Toba, and it’s easy to see why.

The hilltop resort cascades over 206 hectares, and at 1,200 metres above sea level, the views of Lake Toba are hard to beat.

The rooms, lodges and villas have access to activities and facilities such as a three-hole golf course, a maze, and trekking or day trips to Samosir Island and the Sipiso Piso Waterfall.

An organic farm also helps to feed the farm-to-table restaurant.

Just as a side note, the resort hosts a campground with 2-day and 1-night packages.

3. Tabo Cottages

Location: Samosir Island

Google Reviews: 4.6/5

Price: £££

Tabo Cottages is one of the first hotels you’ll spot when you cruise towards Samosir Island on the ferry from Parapat.

With a large signpost, an outdoor pool, and a huge assortment of Batak-style huts spread across the lawn, it is unmistakable.

The resort is a popular fixture on the island, largely owing to its lakefront position and the fact that it is one of the oldest and best hotels in Samosir Island.

It was founded by Antonius Silalahi, a local Batak man, and Annette Horschmann, a German woman who was adopted into a local clan during her travels in 1993. The married couple founded the hotel and have three children who also work in the family business.

Facilities: Outdoor swimming pool, restaurants (Indonesian, Western and Chinese cuisine), German bakery, coffee shop, tours, and a small wellness centre.

4. Khas Parapat

Location: Parapat, Lake Toba

Reviews: 7.5/10

Price: £££

When it comes to indulgent lakefront getaways, Khas Parapat knows what it’s doing. The three-star resort has its very own white-sand beach, lakefront coffee terrace and a separate restaurant.

Take your pick from Dutch-style suites with private pools or general hotel rooms with lake views.

The Best Hotels in Lake Toba for Budget Backpackers

1. Reggae Guest House

Location: Samosir Island

Reviews: 7.9/10

Price: £££

I stayed at Reggae Guest House, located on the lakefront in Tuk Tuk, and adored my stay.

The best way to sum up Reggae Guesthouse is cheap and cheerful. The rooms are basic but they have exceptional views, and many of them come with balconies overlooking the lake.

Above the hotel rooms, there’s a shared lounge and balcony with tables where guests can tuck into Indonesian or Western dishes and coffees or milkshakes whipped up by the owners.

Down at the water’s edge, there’s also a ladder, a swimming pontoon, and a rope swing – my favourite spot of all.

The guesthouse also helped to arrange my scooter hire, which went smoothly.

2. Laster Jony’s

Location: Samosir Island

Reviews: 8.3/10

Price: £££

Laster Jony’s has been on the backpackers’ map for a good, long while. I met someone staying at Laster Jony’s while I was at the restaurant at Reggae’s; they’d come over for the food.

Guests can sit on the deck next to the lake or dive into the water directly from the guesthouse. The friendly owners can help you to rent a motorbike.

They also run a restaurant which offers food delivery to your room if you wish.

This isn’t a hotel that you’d go to for mod cons and luxuries, but rather for the friendly, sociable atmosphere and the chance to meet other solo travellers.

3. Romlan

Location: Samosir Island

Reviews: 8.7/10

Price: £££

Romlan is a budget Lake Toba hotel which is quickly rising in popularity. It is located in the village of Ambarita on Samosir Island, which is just along from Tuk Tuk.

Surrounded by palm trees and greenery, Romlan sits on the lakefront; there’s a ladder providing access to the lake.

The fact that Romlan is so affordable might come as a surprise, because it also has a restaurant.

4. Bagus Bay Guest House

Location: Samosir Island

Reviews: 7.2/10

Price: £££

Cheap and friendly, Bagus Bay Homestay is in Tuk Tuk. There’s plenty to do at the hotel when you’re not reserving a sunlounger and soaking up the views over the crater lake.

It has a large, semi-open restaurant, a terrace, snooker room, and a bar and restaurant. The homestay often hosts live music and other acts.

The Best Hotels in Lake Toba for Mid-Budget Breaks

1. Zoe’s Paradise Waterfront Hotel

Location: Samosir Island

Reviews: 8.8/10

Price: £££

Zoe’s Paradise Waterfront Hotel is a boutique hotel with a sustainable ethos.

Located on Samosir Island, the bright-red building is set behind an outdoor swimming pool and has views over the crater lake.

Batak-style shelters sit beside the lake, providing an additional place to unwind.

Managed by Indonesian and Swiss owners, the hotel is one of Lake Toba’s pioneering sustainable hotels, having invested significant resources into limiting waste and energy usage and supporting the local communities.

The hotel’s namesake, Zoe, is a traveller who was adopted into a local clan and who set up the hotel.

The restaurant serves traditional Batak cuisine prepared by local chefs. Their tours focus on authentic experiences so that guests can learn about and experience the Batak culture first-hand.

2. Juma Cottages

Location: Samosir Island

Reviews: 8.6/10

Price: £££

Juma Cottages on Samosir Island provides a great balance between comfort and affordability.

A spacious garden extends from the shore of the lake to spacious hotel rooms (some with a balcony and lake view).

Guests rave about the breakfast served in the restaurant, the barbecue area, and the fact that they can swim directly from the pier.

3. Toba Village Inn

Location: Samosir Island

Reviews: 8/10

Price: £££

With Pusuk Buhit Mountain on the horizon and the lake directly in front, Toba Village Inn ticks many boxes for a mid-budget hotel.

Western-style breakfasts are served directly by the crater lake. Chase the breakfast down with a morning swim in the outdoor pool or by taking a tour or scooter around Samosir Island.

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