Heri Sisworo
As a tropical country, literally passed by the equator, it is almost impossible to see actual snow in Indonesia. You need to climb the tallest mountain in the country to find naturally occurring snow. So you might be wondering what is with this hot snow at Dolok Tinggi Raja.
Baca juga : Pinggan, the Village above the Cloud in Bali
First of all, there is no snow at all at Dolok Tinggi Raja. It is actually a hot spring, a crater of a volcano. It is an exotic spot where you can see colorful formations, the result of a sulfuric hot spring. Here is all you need to know about this place.
Location and access
The official address of this location is at Dolok Marawa, Silau Kahean, Simalungun Regency, North Sumatra. It is to the north of the east of Toba Lake. It is halfway between Toba and Medan. Getting to this place is a rather challenging trip. You have to endure a terrible road, with extra slipperiness during the rainy season. You will need three or four hours from Medan to the Dolok Tinggi Raja.
The snows
People do exaggerate stuff when they are looking for a beautiful place. As a crater with a hot spring, the actual place is rather hot, naturally. However, there is a small area where naturally fine-ground lime is so abundant, it looks like snow on the ground. Since the area is rather hot, so people just start calling it hot snow. It is somewhat a fitting name, only you cannot roll around on this one.
Hot Springs
The hot water from the spring flows into a natural pool before eventually drains into the nearby river. In the river, the water is much less hot. It has become warm and fuzzy, people just dip in the pool or the river. The water is refreshing and actually good for your body. Don’t forget to prepare spare clothes if you want to try the water here.
Tips
The area is popular for its unusual and otherworldly sight. It is a really good idea to prepare your camera to capture the wonderful pictures of you and the crater. Along the way to the crater, you might find many people asking money for whatever reasons. They are not asking much, usually IDR5K or so. To avoid trouble, better give them the money they want.
Dolok Tinggi Raja is a wonderful crater with otherworldly features. This is where you can find the hot snow in the equator. Bathing here is also a good choice since the water contains a small amount of sulfur which is good for your skin. Next
