Toba, Volcanic caldera in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Toba is a volcanic crater in North Sumatra, Indonesia, whose depression now hosts the largest crater lake in the world. The water fills a basin between forested hills, while a flat island rises from the lake in the center.
A massive eruption shaped the crater roughly seventy thousand years ago, raining ash across large parts of Asia. After the blast, the depression gradually filled with rainwater, and later tectonic shifts lifted the central part.
Batak villages around the crater still display their distinctive saddle-roof wooden houses and maintain animistic traditions alongside Christian influences. Visitors can see local weaving and carved doors depicting ancestral stories and protective spirits.
Visitors reach the area most easily via Medan, from where buses and rental cars drive to the lake. The western shore offers the best orientation with direct access to ferries for the island.
Hot springs bubble along the shore of the central island, reminding visitors that the volcano beneath the lake remains geologically active. Some locals use these springs for bathing and believe in healing effects of the warm water.
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