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| What's inside? |
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| a4trip's Medan guidebook consists of comprehensive traveling analysis, tips, alerts and well-drawn maps that can guarantee you an under-budget and veteran traveling. Places to visit, hotels, guesthouses, transportations, restaurants and shopping centers around Medan city are analyzed by price, location, rank and testimonial. |
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| Save the Sumatran Rhinoceros |
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| Collecting fund in progress... |
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| The Sumatran Rhinoceros is featured in Medan Travel Guide. They are now critically endangered, with only six substantial populations in the wild. Read our Animal Blog for more information. |
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| What is an a4trip travel guidebook? |
| a4trip travel guidebook will provide the necessary information to help you plan your travel.Our guidebook, in PDF format, are designed to be concise and comprehensive, yet small enough to keep with you everywhere you go. |
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| How do I make payment? |
| We accept credit card payment via PayPal payment gateway. Credit card such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express (USA only), Discover (USA only). Your a4trip transaction will appear as PAYPAL*A4TRIP on your credit card statement. |
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| Why can't I download the guidebook? |
| Contact us and we will email the guidebook to you. |
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| How often do you update your guidebook? |
| We update our guidebook once a month. |
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| What should I do if I have question regarding a4trip? |
| Please contact us. |
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Medan, which means 'a large place to gather' in the Malay language, is the capital of North Sumatra. This aptly named city was founded in 1590, as a small village called Medan Putri, which quickly flourished as a trading port and grew into a meeting point for people from all over the world. Today, Medan is the third largest city in Indonesia and is a thriving tourist magnet. This metropolitan city is served by taxis, buses, minibuses, trains and motorised rickshaws called becak. Most visitors arrive through Medan's Polonia International Airport, which is located right in the heart of the city. A new airport is currently under construction and is due to open in 2009. Medan is also accessible by sea via ferries that dock at Port Belawan.
Rich in history, Medan boasts a large number of cultural and modern attractions. Among its most popular historical sites are: the Palace of King Sisingamangaraja, the Grave of King Sisingamangaraja XII and the Padang Lawas site. For a glimpse of its Dutch-colonial past, you could check out impressive buildings like the Medan city hall, Bank Indonesia, Tjong A Fie Mansion and Maimoen Palace. Due to its multicultural background, the city is also home to numerous houses of worships, including: the Grand Al-Mansun Mosque, the Shri Mariamman Temple and the Gunung Timur Temple.
Medan is also blessed with many natural attractions, including: Dairi Holy and Dewi recreation parks, Asahan and Poncan waterfalls, as well as Sipoholon and Parbubu water springs. There are also attractive lakes and beaches, like: Lake Laukawar and Lake Sidihoni, as well as Mirror Beach and Pondok Permai Beach. The most renowned body of water in Medan is perhaps Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world. It is home to Samosir and Sibandang islands which are tourist spots in themselves. Mount Sinabung and Mount Sibayak, on the other hand, offer ample opportunity for nature photography, jungle trekking and camping.
If you're planning a family outing, you'll find a number of suitable spots back in the city. There are theme parks like Mikie Holiday and Wonderia, as well as the Crocodile Park and the Medan Zoo. If you like museums, do visit the Museum Negeri (state museum), Rahmat International Wildlife Museum and Gallery and the Museum Perjuangan TNI (military museum). If shopping is a major part of your itinerary, Medan won't disappoint. Other than a variety of bustling bazaars and markets, it has flashy malls like: Plaza Medan, FairSun Plaza, Mall Grand Palladium and Binjai Supermall.
Looking for good eats? Medan has fantastic local fare. Dig into delicious Padang satay or Tau Kua Heci, a pleasing combination of seafood, vegetables and tofu in soup. Putu bambu, kueh lapis and ambon are just some of the yummy cakes to try. Being such a big city, it goes without saying that there are plenty of restaurants serving regional and international cuisines to choose from. If you're looking for inexpensive local dishes, however, Kesawan Square is the place to go. Medan also has facilities for every budget, so travelers can choose from home stays or upmarket hotels. Whatever your preference, Medan will likely mystify you nonetheless.
Visas to Medan can be obtained by post or in person at Indonesian embassies or consulates. Some visitors have the option of getting their Visas upon arrival. The fee will depend on the type of Visa, but a single-entry Visa on arrival will generally cost around USD25 for 30 days and USD10 for 7 days. Visitors from Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam do not require Visas for short visits. |
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