Sumatra City Guide - overview

Sumatra is the second largest island in the archipelago and is about the size of California, formed by a longitudinal spine of mountains including 90 volcanoes. The majority of the population live in the foothills, plateaus and highlands of this range as farmers. The entire island was once covered in dense rainforest, but today most has been destroyed by the need for agricultural land, which is the country's prime earner with exports of palm oil, rubber, tobacco, coffee and tea.

Sumatra is a beautiful island with volcanoes and hot springs, lakes and rivers, rolling green foothills, plantations and wild jungle scenery. Many reserves protect the island's wealth of indigenous wildlife, and elephants, tigers, rhinos, orang-utans and tapirs can be seen on organised safaris within protected reserves.

The island is home to numerous people and races, among them the Muslim Minangkabau and the great highland people, the Batak, inhabiting a fertile volcanic plateau, who have a language, dress, religious belief, architectural style and culture of their own. Lake Toba, the spiritual centre of the Batak, is lined with resorts and is a major tourist destination. The busy hill town of Bukittinggi is the hub of the Minang culture, surrounded by spectacular scenery and close to Lake Maninjau, a sparkling volcanic crater lake surrounded by the jungle-covered crater walls.

This is an island of plenty - with its scenery, wildlife, natural resources, cultural diversity and extraordinary architecture Sumatra has much to offer the visitor.

Getting around: