Gokhon Guesthouse, TukTuk, Lake Toba

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a 4 days 3 nights trip to Lake Toba. When I was googling for places to stay around Lake Toba, most internet forum suggests staying over either at Parapat or TukTuk.

I finally settled on TukTuk because of the seemingly livelier F&B scene and more things to do. There were a plethora of affordable accommodations, but very little hotels - the accommodation are mostly family-run guest house in TukTuk.

I had a tough time deciding where to stay as most of the place looks really beautiful (almost all are by the lake!), the reviews were great, location ws awesome (because TukTuk isn't that big anyway! You can easily go around the whole ofTukTuk with a bike) and the price point was really affordable. 

In the end, I decided to stay at Gokhon Guest House because the reviews suggests that it has consistent hot water 24/7, WiFi seems to be OK, there are two gazebo outdoors for guests to chill out, it is close to some good restaurants and guests have direct access to the lake (Do take note that some accommodation are next to the lake, but there isn't a 'beach' so you can't access the lake easily).

As this property has its own landing point, the wooden ferry from Parapat could drop us off easily here! We were the first customer to be dropped off from that ferry, probably because Gokhon is located right in the heart of Tuk Tuk!

There are only eight rooms (I think) at Gokhon Guest House, four on the ground floor, and another four on the first floor. We read reviews on the internet and many recommended getting the rooms on the first floor for a better view, and a little "more privacy", as there are two gazebos on the ground floor, you would feel a little "less private".

The pathway leading from the landing point to the rooms

We were greeted by the staffs upon setting foot on Gokhon, who kindly showed us to our room. The main office is located opposite of the accommodation block, just across the road.

 There's a library for guests to use. Most of the books are for rent, and renters are require to pay the price of the book in full as a deposit. After you returned the book, you will then receive back a huge chunk (almost 80%) of the deposit back.

Our room on the first floor! It was a double room (IDR 275,000/RM80/23 USD per night) and there is space to add an extra bed (for an extra charge of IDR 100,00/RM30/10 USD per night). All rooms come with an en-suite toilet with hot water 24/7! A very important factor to consider in Lake Toba, as the weather can be quite chilly in the morning and at night.

I thought our room was extremely comfortable - there was no air-cond, only a wall fan but trust me, it gets pretty cold at night so it's alright. There were also plenty of storage & hanging space for your luggage and clothes. Electric kettle was provided upon request. It was pretty awkward using the electric kettles, as most of the plug points were far away from any table/counter top so we had to use the electric kettle in the bathroom. WiFi was acceptable, don't expect your typical smooth and fast connection. Time to time I couldn't connect to the internet, but it's ok, we're here to relax and disconnect anyway.

Our double room comes with a balcony with two sun chair. The views were stunning! The photos here do no do any justice to the view there - it was prettier than what we expected. The walls of the balcony were pretty low, so be careful while hanging around the balcony. We could peep over our next door neighbour easily too!

At night, guests are advised to keep their volume low, as sound travels easily. We could hear some of our Dutch neighbours chatter (but couldn't understand a single word of it LOL!)

View from our balcony on a foggy morning.

Views from our balcony on a sunny day.

There is no restaurant at Gokhon Guest House, hence, breakfast/lunch/dinner is not available. However, there are many restaurant just along the road where Gokhon is located so one will not be deprived of choice!

Gokhon Guest House
Jl. Lkr. Tuktuk No.26,
Tuktuk Siadong, Simanindo,
Kabupaten Samosir,
Sumatera Utara 22395, Indonesia


One of our favourite place for breakfast is Orari Restaurant!

My breakfast at Orari Restaurant just next door! Homemade bread and avocado (IDR 30,000/RM9/2 USD). To be honest, the menu of all the restaurants in TukTuk are almost the same. Price wise as well (there's probably just a disparity between IDR5,000-10,000). But Orari is definitely my favourite among all the place we've tried!

Orari Restaurant
Jl. Lkr. Tuktuk, Tuktuk Siadong,
Simanindo, Kabupaten Samosir,
Sumatera Utara 22395, Indonesia

We tried out another restaurant just next door called Popy's Restaurant & Guest House the other day and these are what we had!

Continental Breakfast - Toast with eggs and bacon, served with fresh fruit juice, and coffee/tea IDR55,000/RM15/USD3.5

Cheese and tomato toastie IDR 20,000/RM6/USD1.5

View at Poppy's

And one of the best thing of these restaurant is you get a picturesque view of the lake :)

Poppy's Restaurant & Guesthouse
Jl. Lkr. Tuktuk No.Kelurahan,
Tuktuk Siadong, Simanindo,
Kabupaten Samosir,
Sumatera Utara 22395, Indonesia

View at Orari

FAQ on Hiking @ Mt Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia

My friends and I recently embarked on a 3 days 2 night hiking trip up Mount Rinjani @ Lombok, Indonesia and I've been bombarded with questions from friends and family who are keen on taking up the challenge to scale Rinjani. Here's a list of FAQ I've receive & deemed useful for those of you who are interested in hiking Rinjnai!

Was it a leisure hike?

If you are a super hardcore hiker and have a godlike fitness level (like those Rinjani porters and guides), then yes.

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

The hike up Mt Rinjani was challenging but accessible for those moderately fit. The elevation of Mt Rinhani is 3,726m at the peak.

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

Please do undergo proper training before scaling Rinjani. My friends and I hiked Rinjani without much proper training but we all managed made it to the peak (we all live a moderately active lifestyle and we do sports at least two or three times a week), but oh boy, it was a mentally and physically challenging hike.

#TeamPowerpuffGirls | Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

Hmm, is it possible to do a hike with a shorter/longer duration?

Sure! Most guided tour offer hiking package from 2~4 days (and some even up to a week!)

I would recommend the 4 days 3 nights package to those who are moderately fit, and the 3 days 2 night if you're above moderately fit.

The route we took

We did not complete the 3 days 2 night hike entirely (even though we reached the peak) as we descended from the peak tad too late (we had to reach our camp site @ Sembalun Crater Rim before 9am to proceed our journey to the lake) and most of us were exhausted so we unanimously agreed to descend the same way we ascended - basically taking the same route as the 2 days 1 night hike but at a more leisurely pace.

You can refer to this page for the different routes available at Rinjani.

What to expect from the hike?

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

No proper shower (except for rain showers). Toilet "close to nature". About 20 hours of hike for the 3 days 2 night package. Beautiful night sky. Countless shooting stars. Cool & fresh mountainous air. Amazing sunrise. Narnia-like scenery. Friendly hikers. Lots of joker lying to you on how much longer till you reach the next campsite.

Sunrise on the way to the peak of Rinjani

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

Whut. So...tell me about the toilets.

At the camp site the porter will dig a hole and set up a portable, make-shift toilet for our convenience. However,in the event of answering the call of nature during your hike, you will have to do so behind a bush/tree/rock.

There were cubicles at some of the rest stops but it was really badly maintained, unfortunately.

Where did you stayed the night?

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

Our day one campsite at Sembalun Crater Rim.

Amazing view from my camp

At night the temperature drops to about 10 degree Celsius so do bring along warm clothing!

Tell me about your toughest moment throughout the hike!
The four hours hike up the peak from Sembalun Crater Rim. We had to wake up at 2am for our hike up the summit.

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

At this particular stretch, for every two steps up , we would fall one step down due to the loose volcanic ashes terrain. It was really mentally challenging as I was having a flu and a stomachache at the same time. Whenever I feel like giving up I just look up to the beautiful night sky, take a 5 second breather, and move on, and repeat.

Tell me about your most memorable moment of the hike!

There were so many memorable moments but this is certainly my favourite. About 200 more meters to go to reach the peak, and I was completely battered. Our guide ran down from the peak (yes, he can run up and down effortlessly) and told me "20 minit lagi! Tapi kalau aku tarik, 10 minit jer!" (Another 20 more minutes of hike more to go! But if I drag you up, it'll only take us 10 minutes!)

The last 500m stretch to the peak | Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

So he just hold my hand and dragged me up the peak LOL.

Photo Credit: @chaaarlie94

Along the hike you'll meet many friendly porters, guides and hikers who would give words of encouragement which was really motivating :")

How much did you pay for your hike?

1.5 Million IDR. Which is approximately MYR450, or USD110.
Our rate was relatively cheap as most foreigners are charged around 2.5-3.5 million IDR (MYR750-1150) . We managed to secure this rate thanks to a friend who had visited Lombok three times & knew a reliable person that arranged the hike for us.

The more people you get to hike with you, the cheaper the price you can get. Here's the contact of the person who arranged our hike & transportation in Lombok: Rijal +62819-0749-3367

What is included for the price you pay?

We used Rinjani Tropis services for our hike and these are the stuffs that are included in the price we paid:

- Guide & Porters
- Entrance Fee to Rinjani
- Meals (2 Breakfast, 3 Lunches, 2 Dinners)
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Hiking Sticks
- Water (With daily refill!)
- Coffee/Tea
- Snacks
- One night stay at Senaru the night prior to the hike
- Airport transfer to Senaru
- Transportation to Sengigi after our hike & to Bangsal jetty on the next day

I would really recommend Rinjani Tropis's services. Our guide, Mr Ijok was one of the friendliest and responsible guide around. He constantly cracked jokes throughout our hike, and he made sure each and every one of us were safe throughout the hike.

Photo Credit: @chaaarlie94

Mr Ijok and his porter also made sure they took all the rubbish down hill and not leave any garbage behind! Most campsites at Rinjani was at a dire state due to rubbish left behind by campers. Please do bring extra garbage bags, be responsible & bring your rubbish down the mountain if you're hiking Rinjani!

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

What do I have to bring for the hike?

- Hiking Shoes
- Change of Clothes & Warm Clothing! (It gets quite chilly at night)
- Windbreaker
- Headlamp
- Sandals/Slippers (Optional)
- Sunblock, Cap (UV ray stronger at the top of the mountain!)
- Wet Wipes or Tissues (Really useful for answering the call of nature in the wild)
- Waterproof bag (weather is rather unpredictable up in the mountains)
- Counterpain / Ibuprofen (in case of muscle sore)
- Electrolyte (in case of muscle cramp)
- Extra snacks if you're a picky eater
- Camera
- Powerbank (don't expect to find a power socket in the wild)

If you're a photography enthusiast don't forget to bring your tripod up to shoot the beautiful night skies!

Bring only necessary stuffs to avoid lugging up extra load up Rinjani. Leave any unnecessary items at the base camp.

It is recommended to tip the porters and guides, after all, they are the ones preparing your meal, carrying your tents & sleeping bags, setting up your tents and making sure you're safe and sound throughout the hike. Try carrying their baskets (which weights more than 20kg!)! Most of the porters carry the weights just on one shoulder, and they hike with flip flops or barefooted!

Do a food review for the food served during the hike!

Mr Ijok was a chef in Bali so the food he cooked was really tasty!

Toast and Fried Biscuits

Vegetable Curry

Do I really need a guide to hike up Rinjani?

"IF you are experienced, well-prepared, very fit, and fully-equipped " 

Source : Lonely Planet

Yes, it is possible to trek without a guide service. However bear in mind you will have to carry your own tents, sleeping bag and food supply etc. Almost everyone we saw was with a guide and porters. Our hiking trip was quite a luxurious and pampered one thanks to the guides and porters. The route up Rinjani is relatively straightforward, however, there have been cases where hikers got lost.

A porter, carrying loads weighting more than 20kg | Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

When is the best time to hike Rinjani?

April to November, which is the dry season. Rinjani National Park is off-limit to visitors during wet season (December to March)

Was the hike worth it?

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

OHHHH YEAHHHHH.

Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

Any tips/advice for me to hike Rinjani?

If you're planning to slide down Rinjani on your bottom, make sure your pants is thick enough to withstand the friction or you'll end up with a pair of "holey" pants like me. Or at least bring an extra pants in case this happens. #truestory

Sunrise @ The Peak | Photo Credit: @amirulashrafpj

Try to reach the peak before sunrise as it will get really demotivating once the sun is up and you can see how much distance you have to cover before making it to the top....gulp.

If you have any more questions regarding the hike, drop me a comment or an email @ jiaaqi95@gmail.com :)

For more information, visit

http://rinjaninationalpark.com/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Mount_Rinjani

which contains many useful information to prepare your hike for Rinjani :D