Sibolga

Sibolga is a small town, located at the west coast of Sumatra. It is known as a place to stop by for merchants and citizens, but nowadays for tourists as well. Sibolga is also a port, and from here you can take a ferry to other islands to the west, like Simeulue and Nias.

History of Sibolga

England once ruled Central Tapanuli Regency, in which Sibolga is located. In 1824 however, Sumatra was given to the Netherlands, according to the London Treaty of March 17th. In return, the Netherlands had to give the Malay peninsula to England. The territory of the Netherlands grew as England kept giving areas. In 1884, Tapanuli Regency was divided into 4 departments, one of which was Sibolga.

Poncan Ketek Island, located in Sibolga Bay, once was home to a fort, where international traders passed through. It is believed that Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, passed through this fort before establishing a trade port in what would later become Singapore.

What to do in Sibolga

If you love fishing, you can do so at Sarudik Island, an island very close to Sibolga. You can also go snorkeling or diving when you’re in Sibolga. You can do this the best on Poncan Gadang Island.

Or if you would like to go on a cultural tour, you can hike on Tanggo Saratus, which has 239 stair steps, while learning something about the history of this area.

Sibolga is perfect for visiting beaches. One very popular beach is Ujung Sibolga, which has some lovely scenery. Tor Simarbarimbing is also known for its stunning view. From this mountainous area, you can see all of Tapian Nauli Bay.

Sibolga places to eat

Since Sibolga is a coastal town, you can find a variety of seafood dishes here. Crabs are popular with tourists, but also with locals.

How to get to Sibolga

Sibolga is close to Aek Godang Airport, and airlines like Lion, Merpati, Nusantara Buana Air, Wings Air and Susi Air will fly you to and from for example Medan.

It is also possible to rent a car (with or without chauffeur) to get you there.

If you are on an island like Nias or Simeulue, you can get to Sibolga by ferry as well.