Belawan-Medan Sumatra Indonesia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the commercial port of Belawan, on the northeast coast of Sumatra. It is a container and palm-oil terminal, all cranes and warehouses, with nothing to visit near the berth. The call really happens in Medan, about 20 km south.
No. About 20 km separate the pier from central Medan, and the drive takes thirty minutes to an hour depending on traffic, which is heavy at every hour of the day. You need the ship's excursion or a driver hired for the day.
Through the ship's excursion or a private driver, with the price agreed before setting off. Public transport is awkward for a visitor passing through. Anyone staying near the pier will see port activity and little else.
Maimun Palace and the Grand Mosque, only two hundred metres apart, make a realistic core for half a day. Add a covered market or a food stop and the day is full: traffic takes everything that is left.
The residence of the sultans of Deli, who ruled the region during the great tobacco trade era. A long yellow and green façade, Moorish arches, Dutch furniture, crystal chandeliers. Part of the building is still lived in by the royal family, which gives the visit the feel of a living house rather than a museum.
Yes, outside prayer times. The Masjid Raya, topped with black domes and set with stained glass, was built in the early twentieth century by the same sultanate. Shoulders and legs covered, shoes left at the entrance; the cool marble is a genuine break from the equatorial heat.
Mixed, inherited from the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Batak communities: coconut-milk soto soup, satay grilled at the kerb, fried noodles at any hour, Chinese pastries. Durian is there for the adventurous; you smell it long before you see it and opinions are rarely lukewarm.
The Indonesian rupiah. Hotels, malls and larger restaurants take cards, but markets, street stalls, drivers and tips are cash only. Bring small notes before leaving the ship.
Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the official language, alongside Batak, Javanese and Hokkien depending on the neighbourhood. English is used in hotels and by guides, much less at the market: a few words of Indonesian and a smile go a long way.
With reservations. The round trip, the humid heat and the traffic weigh heavily on a child's day. Younger children cope far better with a short outing — palace and mosque — than with a full programme from end to end.
