Huta Bolon Simanindo Batak Museum
Huta Bolon Simanindo Batak Museum
Huta Bolon Simanindo Batak Museum
3.5
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
11:45 AM - 5:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
166 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
66
Average
56
Poor
10
Terrible
6
Shinta WG
Jakarta, Indonesia302 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
The museum has entrance fee of 20,000IDR per person and family-owned. You can see traditional Batak houses for the king and family but you can’t enter the houses.
I was lucky to meet the owner during my visit so she was gladly explained about the history.
The museum is in the same area as Ruma Kaca, a guesthouse and place to have light meals/drinks.
I was lucky to meet the owner during my visit so she was gladly explained about the history.
The museum is in the same area as Ruma Kaca, a guesthouse and place to have light meals/drinks.
Written 12 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Explorer
Klang, Malaysia109 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Spent about an hour here to visit the Batak village. They have preserved the village as it is and you can get to go up the houses to see how they lived before. There were also some dance and cultural shows in which you could participate by dressing up in their costume.
How they lived, how prisoners were caged, sentence areas, punishing areas, and so on. good experience.
How they lived, how prisoners were caged, sentence areas, punishing areas, and so on. good experience.
Written 23 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The_Pale_Ridah
Gladesville, Australia1,951 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
When a man tells you that he has 14 wives do you shake his hand, walk away because he is a liar or offer him your sympathies? The Toba-Batak king of Simanindo was one such man who for better or worse lived such a life. Let's examine the facts.
All common sense states he was some sort of pimp-warlord who not only killed his enemies, enslaved their women & looted their household, in other words just your typical male. If 14 wives were able to complain about smelly feet, screaming kids & loud snoring how would a man be able to live a normal life in peace? The pains of marriage to just 1 woman is more than enough. You also would not willingly marry ugly women, 14 ugly women is more a life punishment as well as terrible decision making, the chances of having 14 pretty women in the middle of a jungle seems like wishful thinking. Lets not get started about the problems of having 50 kids.
Huta Bolon Simanindo Batak Musem features several traditional Batak houses all featuring thatched roofs including the king's own, the royal barge, his tomb & a museum filled with many artefacts & weapons from their tribe. Being known as extremely warlike peoples, the tribe here at Simanindo are the only ones on Samosir Island to have on display weapons from their culture. The museum complex here is small but authentic for its historical value in local history. The fact that the artefacts are housed in the king's village which has been secured for future prosperity as a living museum is a great sign.
The Toba-Batak people's religion was called Parmalim & was heavily based on animistic values & farm life, people interested in tribal statues will find a fertility carving of a lizard whose symbol is found everywhere on Simosir Island, it suggests a healthy emphasis on spirituality in their everyday life. Apparently, the lizard breed like drunken teenagers & so it is a symbol for a couples hope for a large family not only for protection & to strengthen the tribe but to work the fields. Daily traditional dances can be organised for tourists by local farmers, possibly descendants of the king. The show includes 10 dances from all aspects of village life but the days of festive celebration seem to be long over & replaced by satellite TV, these dances are for tourist pocket change. Entrance to the complex is 5,000 IDR & dances 30,000 IDR. Simanindo is about halfway from Tuk Tuk to the hot springs at Pangururan.
All common sense states he was some sort of pimp-warlord who not only killed his enemies, enslaved their women & looted their household, in other words just your typical male. If 14 wives were able to complain about smelly feet, screaming kids & loud snoring how would a man be able to live a normal life in peace? The pains of marriage to just 1 woman is more than enough. You also would not willingly marry ugly women, 14 ugly women is more a life punishment as well as terrible decision making, the chances of having 14 pretty women in the middle of a jungle seems like wishful thinking. Lets not get started about the problems of having 50 kids.
Huta Bolon Simanindo Batak Musem features several traditional Batak houses all featuring thatched roofs including the king's own, the royal barge, his tomb & a museum filled with many artefacts & weapons from their tribe. Being known as extremely warlike peoples, the tribe here at Simanindo are the only ones on Samosir Island to have on display weapons from their culture. The museum complex here is small but authentic for its historical value in local history. The fact that the artefacts are housed in the king's village which has been secured for future prosperity as a living museum is a great sign.
The Toba-Batak people's religion was called Parmalim & was heavily based on animistic values & farm life, people interested in tribal statues will find a fertility carving of a lizard whose symbol is found everywhere on Simosir Island, it suggests a healthy emphasis on spirituality in their everyday life. Apparently, the lizard breed like drunken teenagers & so it is a symbol for a couples hope for a large family not only for protection & to strengthen the tribe but to work the fields. Daily traditional dances can be organised for tourists by local farmers, possibly descendants of the king. The show includes 10 dances from all aspects of village life but the days of festive celebration seem to be long over & replaced by satellite TV, these dances are for tourist pocket change. Entrance to the complex is 5,000 IDR & dances 30,000 IDR. Simanindo is about halfway from Tuk Tuk to the hot springs at Pangururan.
Written 24 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bidule05
France1,892 contributions
Mar 2020
We visited the Simanindo museum in August 2019. The Batak traditional houses and the royal thumbs are well preserved. In the small museum, there are also interesting and well preserved weapons and music instruments.
We were lucky as we could see the traditional Batak dance, i.e.: Tor-Tor dance.
A must in Samosir Island!!!
We were lucky as we could see the traditional Batak dance, i.e.: Tor-Tor dance.
A must in Samosir Island!!!
Written 25 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Selnasidauruk27
Medan, Indonesia4 contributions
Jan 2018 • Solo
I visited this museum on January 2018, I see many heritages of Batak Culture in this museum that are used by the ancestors of Batak Tribe in their activities. The museum is located at Simanindo Village. I only pay 10k. It's cheap price for me because I pay for this is better cheap than pay a pack of noodles fried in this village
Written 18 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KennyPatcharaporn
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia280 contributions
Feb 2019 • Solo
We came late afternoon (their Batak Dance were only in the morning). So we are the only tourist there. An opportunity for pictures.
Entrance fee was IDR10,000 per head. A line of King's Tomb & his family on site and gated. Opposite the tombs (behind the payment booth) was a small museum displaying some artifacts & tools of Batak people. No curator to explain them while we were there. Unable to snap pictures as it was not well lite and glass display glare was too overwhelming.
We stepped into a side-property connected. Its the Batak Dance performance ground. Very spacious with 3 huge Batak houses on the left & a few agricultural huts on the right. We took our time roaming around for pictures.
One can enter the King's Batak House from the back portion by climbing a make-shift wooden stairs. The door was small but once inside, it was very spacious but totally empty inside. Walked to the end and another flight of wooden stairs up second level where the open balcony is. Batak musicians play their instruments here every morning during the Batak Dance performs.
*cigarette butts everywhere on this balcony! I bet the musicians never bother to keep the place clean & this museum care-taker will never maintain as well. Annoying sight to tourist like me!
Nothing much here except you are able to enter a Batak house to see their structure inside out. The items on display in this museum were not much (compared to the museum in Tomok).
At least we are all by ourselves enjoying our time in privacy & able to get pictures all for ourselves.
Entrance fee was IDR10,000 per head. A line of King's Tomb & his family on site and gated. Opposite the tombs (behind the payment booth) was a small museum displaying some artifacts & tools of Batak people. No curator to explain them while we were there. Unable to snap pictures as it was not well lite and glass display glare was too overwhelming.
We stepped into a side-property connected. Its the Batak Dance performance ground. Very spacious with 3 huge Batak houses on the left & a few agricultural huts on the right. We took our time roaming around for pictures.
One can enter the King's Batak House from the back portion by climbing a make-shift wooden stairs. The door was small but once inside, it was very spacious but totally empty inside. Walked to the end and another flight of wooden stairs up second level where the open balcony is. Batak musicians play their instruments here every morning during the Batak Dance performs.
*cigarette butts everywhere on this balcony! I bet the musicians never bother to keep the place clean & this museum care-taker will never maintain as well. Annoying sight to tourist like me!
Nothing much here except you are able to enter a Batak house to see their structure inside out. The items on display in this museum were not much (compared to the museum in Tomok).
At least we are all by ourselves enjoying our time in privacy & able to get pictures all for ourselves.
Written 19 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Voyage104484
44 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
A quaint dancing display, amid nice surroundings. The artifacts in the small museum are ok to see too. Especially worth it if you are passing at the time of one of the, often, twice daily shows.
Written 6 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GvanVeghel
Delft, The Netherlands2 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
Had great exprerencies in almost the whole of Indonesia, but this dance performance is a laugh. Although the houses look great, the overall atmosphere is ice cold. The dance performance (which was 100k) was performed without any passion and it even looked like the performers wanted to put as less effort in the play as possible. And if this was not even all at the end they were pushing you to give a tip...
Written 1 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mastAbi
Jakarta, Indonesia78 contributions
Oct 2015 • Family
Not much to see inside but then again it will add ur knowledge about Batak's history
The time i visited, i found a monkey chained to a tree in front of the museum
Try to buy bananas or peanuts to feed him, it will attract ur children 😁
It dont cost too much money either.
so...
The time i visited, i found a monkey chained to a tree in front of the museum
Try to buy bananas or peanuts to feed him, it will attract ur children 😁
It dont cost too much money either.
so...
Written 13 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ize1978
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia64 contributions
Aug 2015 • Solo
Although i'm not a big fan of museum, I still find it quite interesting, especially when someone explains to me (in this case, my motorbike driver) about Batak culture and their way of life. The dance show is definitely enhance the overall ambience of 'Batak village' although its just a show. Interesting when they invited us to join the dance!
If you arrive quite too early for the show, you may have a quick rest at Batu Hoda Beach/ Batu Roda (can't remember exact name) nearby, about 5 mins by car.
If you arrive quite too early for the show, you may have a quick rest at Batu Hoda Beach/ Batu Roda (can't remember exact name) nearby, about 5 mins by car.
Written 12 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
They have a great coffee shop at Ruma kaca, the historical house just below the museum. You can sit in the kolonial house or outside in the pavillions. You can also cross to Pulau Tao, a coffee shop on the island off Simanindo. Ask ibu Riris Hasibuan.
Written 6 February 2019
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