There are many things not known by the public about Dairi. To many North Sumatera citizens, this place has always been related to dark side, dead end and primitive. No wonder, if our knowledge about Dairi restricted only on durian and coffee. And we’ve made a huge mistake!
It is not a strange thing if H. Jansen and photographer Edward Tigor Siahaan chose the title “Dairi, the Hidden Prosperity” for their book published in the beginning of last year, 2004. Many are hidden there, including its enormous tourism objects, which said will be a threat for the popular tourism object, Parapat. It might happen if the Silalahi area turned into a new entrance gate to Lake Toba that would only 2,5 hours away from Medan.
However, sorry to say, we do not discuss about Silalahi, Tongging, or Sipiso-piso that have been exposed already. We prefer to take you into exploring the other side, which considered unexposed and still dark to us all this time.
As known to us, Dairi has been divided into two regencies, Dairi itself and the new one, Pakpak Bharat. There is no difference in culture and geography. Dairi and Pakpak Bharat is the masterpiece which undergone geological process, 75,000 years after the volcanic eruption of Toba Purba mountain which is the vastest eruption in the history. Dairi is part of the large sites that the eruption had left. Toba Lake is another.
Public has already familiar with Toba Lake in the extreme side of view that make them do not pay much attention to the forestry highland such as Dairi. In fact, on each part of this area which average height is 700 meters above sea level, Dairi with its sub-tropical climate, hide several of geographical components which not less spectacular than any other places. Such as the river, old forest, rocky cave, waterfall, steep mountain slope, agro-tourism and more. A week is not enough to nourish all of these beauties.
Once again, do not visit Dairi only for a glass of coffee! Because, by having a tour around Dairi, you are also exploring a geo-tourism trip, which is very natural and spectacular. Dairi is the biggest water supplier for Toba Lake through the roots of its dense forest.
The Thundering of Hundreds of Waterfall
On the first visit, a friend from Sidikalang, the capital city of Dairi, told us about a waterfall in Pakpak Bharat. We have to endure the distance of 50 km to get to Salak sub-district.
A local villager of Sicupak II village, Salak sub-district, Pakpak Bharat, showed us a first road to the waterfall area called Lae Unai. Still, it was 500 meters more from the asphalt road, and we had to walk to a valley which steepness is 80°.
We have not seen anything except the dense forest up front. However, we started to hear within earshot the banging sound downward. The eerie sound mixes with the sound of water hitting the black and hard stones.
Lae Unai waterfall is one of the biggest waterfalls in Pakpak Bharat. Its thundering sound quivered those who witness it, and every one always tempted to have an imagination of someone lying below in and hit by the water that falls from 30 meters above.
Although it is included as the biggest waterfall, Lae Unai is not of the best in terms of height. The strong and forceful pounding of the water has shaped a round pool of 20 meters deep. It has diameters of 50 meters and surrounded by wall of natural rock of 100 meters high.
It is enjoyable to bath on the shallow edge of this nature-made pool. The clear and fresh water is cool that lighten up our body. Beware though, for this pool also endangering. According to locals, many people bath here were drawn under by the powerful falls of the water.
Lae Unai is quite crowded on holidays. The location of the waterfall is undoubtedly astonishing, especially seeing the waterfall within short distance. Facing the waterfall made us close and aware of God’s unlimited power.
Waterfall is a common phenomenon to the locals. There are hundreds of big and small waterfalls between mountains. Another waterfall, which pretty crowded with visitors are Lae Mbilulu waterfall in Parongil Julu village, Kerajaan sub-district. Unfortunately, the condition of the road to the location is not good. Lae Mbilulu falls from the height of 60 meters and located in the hilly area that display a panorama from all view.
When you have longer time, you can also visit Lae Pandaroh in Sitinjo Village or three-storey Lae Renun waterfall pounding the Lake Toba surface below.
Sidikalang Coffee
From Village to Overseas
We do not think it is necessary to introduce Sidikalang coffee. Since It is pretty well-known already. But, how it gets to us? How is it processed from a coffee to something that is served to us?
Yonder, at a small department store in Jalan Sudirman (Sudirman street) Sidikalang, there is a green signboard written, ”Genuine Coffee of Tanpak Coffee Sidikalang”. Before entering the building, strong coffee scent is already in the air. Various packages displayed on a simple shelf, range from quarter kilo package up to one kilo.
Tanpak coffee is one of the local producers of Sidikalang genuine coffee. Their stores are also function as coffee small factories. This small business often known as home industry that located in a department store divided into three parts, front part as the store, middle part as the living place and the powdering or grinding at the back part.
The tools or equipments of making coffee powder are simple. The dried coffee seeds are fried without oil in a medium size can on a firewood stove. The can is spun by using a small dynamo machine. This is to keep the coffee seeds from burning. After the seeds are brittle and black enough, they are ground into powder that ready to consume.
Tanpak Coffee is one of the few coffee grindings that still survive until today in Sidikalang. This small business produces coffee powder in small scale. It means they only buy small amount of coffee seeds from the farmer. However, this family business is the local coffee industry that once given considerable merit that perfumed the area.
In general, Dairi people really depend on coffee. The cold weather has made coffee and tuak (palm wine) a specific common drink served in gathering and traditional ceremonial occasions. Until today, although coffee give no profit anymore due to the slash prices, people still plant them around the house yard, harvest them, grind and consume the coffee for their personal needs. Along the road that we passed, we were often asked to stopped by and drink the homemade coffee. The people in Dairi are friendly, nice and quiet simple.
At this time, the most popular coffee in Dairi is Arabica coffee. This plant bears fruit faster and the tree in smaller in size. While Robusta coffee, which is the traditional plant of the people, was cut due to the long period of time to harvest.
In time, when people start to have wider vision toward Dairi, the modern coffee cultivation is getting common. There are some investors constructing their big coffee plantation and cultivation with well equipped modern technology. You probably have heard about Opal coffee right? This coffee factory, which located in Medan relies on Sidikalang coffee as one of the main raw material. In other words, not only the coffee seeds that are being exported nowadays, but the instant coffee as well.
Searching for God on the hill
The majority of Dairy community lives modestly. The simple live can be seen from their dressing style and dwellings. There is a joke saying that the only chance for them to have new cloth is on the election time. Until now, the t-shirts representing the political parties during election campaign still considered as a trend among them.
One obvious fact about Dairi community is their religious faith and obedience on traditions. Different religions do not mess the community bound, they have harmony live in differences. Dairi society has traditions diversity that built up their mystical religious since long time ago. One of them is burning a kind of incense, known as kemenyan.
These incenses have been known and collected by Pakpak tribes since pre-historic time. This incense is also used in other parts all over Indonesia, and has been used as one of the ingredient for expensive perfume. It is not surprising, if Pakpak society has courage to speculate that the incense presented by the Persian on Jesus Christ birth was from Dairi.
Is there any relations between the religious deeds of Dairi people to their type of nature which called as country of thousands hills? In some of the religious beliefs, mountains have the spiritual phenomenon. Holy books tell many stories of prophets who experienced spiritual encounter with God on mountains or hills. Sinai, Horeb, Nebo, Jabal an Nur, Mahameru, Tabor, Zaitun and Golgata are the names of holy hills and mountains where the prophets have gone through spiritual phenomenon such as the receiving the divine revelation.( Dairi the Hidden Prosperity:2004)
Dairi’s Regent, DR. MP. Tumanggor seems to grasp the spiritual essence of his people. He came with the idea of having a project called “ spiritual tour” that later produce intellectual works named Taman Wisata Dairi ( Dairi Garden ) in the hills of Sitinjo Hilir, at Lae Renun coastal area, about 10 km before Sidikalang town.
This project is an attempt of sustaining the society’s spiritual live by adjoining the worships house with the exquisite view of the hills. On Sitinjo Hill, the visitors are led to trace the journey of the prophets through replicas of statues, which seems to retell a story. While touring and visiting the worships houses of different religions, the visitors would swept into admiring the nature that God created.
Entering the gate to the garden, the first worships house we see is Buddhist temple, taking the architectural design of Borobudur. Afterwards, the visitors has to pass a romantic pine wood until we reach the statue of Abraham sacrificing his son on wooden isle. In sequence, Moses statue when he received 10 commandments from God, Jesus who was born in the sheep barn, up to Jesus’ journey carrying the cross on the shoulders to Golgata Hill..
The sculptures were brought from other places, some were from Java Island. This religious Garden supported by many benefactors, bankers, wealthy Dairi society living outside and local officials. The Garden is the only genuine masterpiece in Indonesia.
Red Lips
Spend a night in Sidikalang. From here, plan your tour in Dairi. When you still have some times left, it would be worth to observe the social setting of the community in this town. Being acquainted with them might be good as well.
The grannies in Dairi are active workforce. They farm and trade. Early in the morning , they are to be seen busy with their red lips because of marsutil ( chewing betel vine and tobacco).
In the morning, most of the men wear jackets, and the women wear sweaters. This is meant to cope with the coldness that chilled them to the spine. On certain days, they have with them tampa (weaved basket made of pandanus leaves ) and wearing traditional outfit. They would wear Formal outfits on a wedding and death ceremony.
For transportation, Sidikalang has two public town transportation. Unlike transportations of other cities that have clear routes, here, the transportation may take any routes. Just like Taxis in general, they are ready to take the passengers with the fee of Rp 1.000 to Rp 2.000.
Sidikalang is indeed a small town. Still, there are some representative hotels available here. Such as Dairi and Beristera Hotel. Other than that, there are some cheaper hotels as well. However, wherever you stay, do not forget to taste its coffee before going to bed.
By : Tikwan Raya Siregar (Inside Sumatera)
As known to us, Dairi has been divided into two regencies, Dairi itself and the new one, Pakpak Bharat. There is no difference in culture and geography. Dairi and Pakpak Bharat is the masterpiece which undergone geological process, 75,000 years after the volcanic eruption of Toba Purba mountain which is the vastest eruption in the history. Dairi is part of the large sites that the eruption had left. Toba Lake is another.
Public has already familiar with Toba Lake in the extreme side of view that make them do not pay much attention to the forestry highland such as Dairi. In fact, on each part of this area which average height is 700 meters above sea level, Dairi with its sub-tropical climate, hide several of geographical components which not less spectacular than any other places. Such as the river, old forest, rocky cave, waterfall, steep mountain slope, agro-tourism and more. A week is not enough to nourish all of these beauties.
Once again, do not visit Dairi only for a glass of coffee! Because, by having a tour around Dairi, you are also exploring a geo-tourism trip, which is very natural and spectacular. Dairi is the biggest water supplier for Toba Lake through the roots of its dense forest.
The Thundering of Hundreds of Waterfall
On the first visit, a friend from Sidikalang, the capital city of Dairi, told us about a waterfall in Pakpak Bharat. We have to endure the distance of 50 km to get to Salak sub-district.
A local villager of Sicupak II village, Salak sub-district, Pakpak Bharat, showed us a first road to the waterfall area called Lae Unai. Still, it was 500 meters more from the asphalt road, and we had to walk to a valley which steepness is 80°.
We have not seen anything except the dense forest up front. However, we started to hear within earshot the banging sound downward. The eerie sound mixes with the sound of water hitting the black and hard stones.
Lae Unai waterfall is one of the biggest waterfalls in Pakpak Bharat. Its thundering sound quivered those who witness it, and every one always tempted to have an imagination of someone lying below in and hit by the water that falls from 30 meters above.
Although it is included as the biggest waterfall, Lae Unai is not of the best in terms of height. The strong and forceful pounding of the water has shaped a round pool of 20 meters deep. It has diameters of 50 meters and surrounded by wall of natural rock of 100 meters high.
It is enjoyable to bath on the shallow edge of this nature-made pool. The clear and fresh water is cool that lighten up our body. Beware though, for this pool also endangering. According to locals, many people bath here were drawn under by the powerful falls of the water.
Lae Unai is quite crowded on holidays. The location of the waterfall is undoubtedly astonishing, especially seeing the waterfall within short distance. Facing the waterfall made us close and aware of God’s unlimited power.
Waterfall is a common phenomenon to the locals. There are hundreds of big and small waterfalls between mountains. Another waterfall, which pretty crowded with visitors are Lae Mbilulu waterfall in Parongil Julu village, Kerajaan sub-district. Unfortunately, the condition of the road to the location is not good. Lae Mbilulu falls from the height of 60 meters and located in the hilly area that display a panorama from all view.
When you have longer time, you can also visit Lae Pandaroh in Sitinjo Village or three-storey Lae Renun waterfall pounding the Lake Toba surface below.
Sidikalang Coffee
From Village to Overseas
We do not think it is necessary to introduce Sidikalang coffee. Since It is pretty well-known already. But, how it gets to us? How is it processed from a coffee to something that is served to us?
Yonder, at a small department store in Jalan Sudirman (Sudirman street) Sidikalang, there is a green signboard written, ”Genuine Coffee of Tanpak Coffee Sidikalang”. Before entering the building, strong coffee scent is already in the air. Various packages displayed on a simple shelf, range from quarter kilo package up to one kilo.
Tanpak coffee is one of the local producers of Sidikalang genuine coffee. Their stores are also function as coffee small factories. This small business often known as home industry that located in a department store divided into three parts, front part as the store, middle part as the living place and the powdering or grinding at the back part.
The tools or equipments of making coffee powder are simple. The dried coffee seeds are fried without oil in a medium size can on a firewood stove. The can is spun by using a small dynamo machine. This is to keep the coffee seeds from burning. After the seeds are brittle and black enough, they are ground into powder that ready to consume.
Tanpak Coffee is one of the few coffee grindings that still survive until today in Sidikalang. This small business produces coffee powder in small scale. It means they only buy small amount of coffee seeds from the farmer. However, this family business is the local coffee industry that once given considerable merit that perfumed the area.
In general, Dairi people really depend on coffee. The cold weather has made coffee and tuak (palm wine) a specific common drink served in gathering and traditional ceremonial occasions. Until today, although coffee give no profit anymore due to the slash prices, people still plant them around the house yard, harvest them, grind and consume the coffee for their personal needs. Along the road that we passed, we were often asked to stopped by and drink the homemade coffee. The people in Dairi are friendly, nice and quiet simple.
At this time, the most popular coffee in Dairi is Arabica coffee. This plant bears fruit faster and the tree in smaller in size. While Robusta coffee, which is the traditional plant of the people, was cut due to the long period of time to harvest.
In time, when people start to have wider vision toward Dairi, the modern coffee cultivation is getting common. There are some investors constructing their big coffee plantation and cultivation with well equipped modern technology. You probably have heard about Opal coffee right? This coffee factory, which located in Medan relies on Sidikalang coffee as one of the main raw material. In other words, not only the coffee seeds that are being exported nowadays, but the instant coffee as well.
Searching for God on the hill
The majority of Dairy community lives modestly. The simple live can be seen from their dressing style and dwellings. There is a joke saying that the only chance for them to have new cloth is on the election time. Until now, the t-shirts representing the political parties during election campaign still considered as a trend among them.
One obvious fact about Dairi community is their religious faith and obedience on traditions. Different religions do not mess the community bound, they have harmony live in differences. Dairi society has traditions diversity that built up their mystical religious since long time ago. One of them is burning a kind of incense, known as kemenyan.
These incenses have been known and collected by Pakpak tribes since pre-historic time. This incense is also used in other parts all over Indonesia, and has been used as one of the ingredient for expensive perfume. It is not surprising, if Pakpak society has courage to speculate that the incense presented by the Persian on Jesus Christ birth was from Dairi.
Is there any relations between the religious deeds of Dairi people to their type of nature which called as country of thousands hills? In some of the religious beliefs, mountains have the spiritual phenomenon. Holy books tell many stories of prophets who experienced spiritual encounter with God on mountains or hills. Sinai, Horeb, Nebo, Jabal an Nur, Mahameru, Tabor, Zaitun and Golgata are the names of holy hills and mountains where the prophets have gone through spiritual phenomenon such as the receiving the divine revelation.( Dairi the Hidden Prosperity:2004)
Dairi’s Regent, DR. MP. Tumanggor seems to grasp the spiritual essence of his people. He came with the idea of having a project called “ spiritual tour” that later produce intellectual works named Taman Wisata Dairi ( Dairi Garden ) in the hills of Sitinjo Hilir, at Lae Renun coastal area, about 10 km before Sidikalang town.
This project is an attempt of sustaining the society’s spiritual live by adjoining the worships house with the exquisite view of the hills. On Sitinjo Hill, the visitors are led to trace the journey of the prophets through replicas of statues, which seems to retell a story. While touring and visiting the worships houses of different religions, the visitors would swept into admiring the nature that God created.
Entering the gate to the garden, the first worships house we see is Buddhist temple, taking the architectural design of Borobudur. Afterwards, the visitors has to pass a romantic pine wood until we reach the statue of Abraham sacrificing his son on wooden isle. In sequence, Moses statue when he received 10 commandments from God, Jesus who was born in the sheep barn, up to Jesus’ journey carrying the cross on the shoulders to Golgata Hill..
The sculptures were brought from other places, some were from Java Island. This religious Garden supported by many benefactors, bankers, wealthy Dairi society living outside and local officials. The Garden is the only genuine masterpiece in Indonesia.
Red Lips
Spend a night in Sidikalang. From here, plan your tour in Dairi. When you still have some times left, it would be worth to observe the social setting of the community in this town. Being acquainted with them might be good as well.
The grannies in Dairi are active workforce. They farm and trade. Early in the morning , they are to be seen busy with their red lips because of marsutil ( chewing betel vine and tobacco).
In the morning, most of the men wear jackets, and the women wear sweaters. This is meant to cope with the coldness that chilled them to the spine. On certain days, they have with them tampa (weaved basket made of pandanus leaves ) and wearing traditional outfit. They would wear Formal outfits on a wedding and death ceremony.
For transportation, Sidikalang has two public town transportation. Unlike transportations of other cities that have clear routes, here, the transportation may take any routes. Just like Taxis in general, they are ready to take the passengers with the fee of Rp 1.000 to Rp 2.000.
Sidikalang is indeed a small town. Still, there are some representative hotels available here. Such as Dairi and Beristera Hotel. Other than that, there are some cheaper hotels as well. However, wherever you stay, do not forget to taste its coffee before going to bed.
By : Tikwan Raya Siregar (Inside Sumatera)
