Tip #1: Never Trust the Tourist Office
Between being quoted 500,000 Rp for a Gunung Sibayak trekking guide/transport, 700,000 Rp to leave at 4am to make it for the sunrise and finally showing us a documented exact same itinerary with a 300,000 Rp quotation, we decided we would manage on our own, thank you very much.
Thus began our adventures..(no regrets).
- First Impressions - Having a certain amount of expectations from the name of the hotel, we were disappointed that the lobby of the Hermes Palace Hotel was dim and small. Also, while we had requested for early check-in, indicating our time of arrival at the hotel of 10 am, we were informed that the rooms have not been cleaned and check-in was only at 1 pm. While I would think that they would then offer us the first room available given we had arrived, we truly only managed to check-in at 1 pm.
Without a motorcycle, we opted for a minibus from the Pinang Baris bus terminal.
Tip #1: Always Know How Much You Should Be Paying
The local rate for a minibus ride from Medan to Berastagi is 10,000 Rp (Source: Wikitravel) for a local person and 25,000 Rp for a foreigner.
Tip #2: Write Down The Price Before Agreeing to Pay
While a youngster told me 'twenty five!', it was written on his palm '250,000'. Stick to your guns on the price you are willing to pay and if he does not agree, walk out.
It all started from $67 plane tickets...
..and involved repeating in half a day a conversation that sounded like:
"No no, I'm not going to Bali. I'm going to Medan."
"No, not going back to my home town, I'm going for holiday."
"Do what? Erm...trekking up a volcano, visit a hot spring, visit Orang Utans?"
And I'm somewhat unsure if people think I'm Indonesian but just not from Medan.
Anyway the plan was simple and efficient:
