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Apart from the strong cultural heritage and great history, North Sumatra also has some of the quality beaches in Indonesia. In general, Medan is not really the best tourist destination if you are searching for pristine white sand beaches and islands. However, due to its strategic location and the availability of airports and seaports, it becomes a suitable stepping stone to various weekend getaway places like the island of Penang in Malaysia, Brastagi and the very beautiful Lake Toba. There are no beaches for swimming in Medan but large swimming pools are available for people who want to relax and chill out, especially during scorching summer months.
Perhaps, the nearest beach you can visit in Medan is the Cermin Beach, located in Serdang Bedagai, which is 45 kilometers from Medan. Although not too long, Cermin Beach has a clean and clear white sand beach, on the east of Sumatra, facing Malacca Strait. Currently, access to Cermin Beach is quite good with road condition wide and smoothly cemented, making the entire trip comfortable. Beginning from Simpang 3 Perbaungan, you can enjoy sightseeing along the way with the scenery full of cacao and palm tree plantations.
Today, the Cermin coast has transformed into an ideal tourist attraction, known both locally and abroad. Each day, more and more tourists visit the various attractions in Cermin beach district. One popular spot is the Water Themepark, which has combined artificial swimming areas such as pools besides the beach. It is also the biggest and the only water recreational infrastructure outside Java. In this park, different water sports can be tried as well as other outdoor recreational facilities.
In general, Cermin Beach offers extensive facilities including a camping area, souvenir stalls and shops, parking area, entertainment stage and relaxing cabins. Besides the themepark, a hotel resort and restaurants have been constructed in the area for visitors who want to stay for several days.
Another ideal spot for swimming in Medan is the beautiful Lake Toba. Known as the pride of Medan, Lake Toba is both a lake and supervolcano. It is the biggest lake in Indonesia as well as the biggest volcanic lake in the world. The scenic site of this lake is a famous destination of tourists during holidays. To access Lake Toba, you can travel by bus (cost $2) or rent a taxi or car which cost around $45 -100.
Swimming in Lake Toba is one of the most amazing experiences. While the water is quite chilly, it will be fine once you dip in. Vegetation surrounding the lake is lush and green. While there are no precautions, just be careful as the rocks are slippery when you walk. Don’t forget that Lake Toba is the deepest lake in the world although most hotels have made their own swimming zones to create safe areas for swimming, particularly for kids.
If you want to go swimming in Medan but hesitate to travel far from the city center, you can visit Medan’s public swimming pool or kolam renang. Situated at Jalan Sisingamangaraja, the pool was built since 1939 by Dutch architect Han Groenewegen and experienced renovations in 1970s. The entrance ticket cost Rp6,000 with available lockers to keep valuable stuffs. There are only few visitors during weekdays but it gets crowded during weekends.
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