Medan: K77 guesthouse: JL Seto 6b, Medan Area; coordinates: N 03 34 418 E 098 42 271; tel.: 0617367078, 081396538897. K77, situated in a lively neighbourhood (but with quiet rooms), is well equiped en well maintained. The hosts Johan and Lola are very friendly and helpful. I paid 188.000 indonesian rupees for a room including breakfast. That breakfast is superb. K77 has a small parking place, behind the fence.

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Berastagi: Wisma Sibayak guesthouse; coordinates: N 03 11 292 E 098 30 526. Wisma Sibayak needs some maintenance but it is fairly clean and the hosts are very friendly and helpfull. Cold shower, good food, wifi. It has a parking place which is locked by a gate at night. I paid 100.000 IDR. Wisma Sibayak is well located for visiting Gunung Sinabung, the volcano which was erupting at the time I was there. Coordinates of two viewpoints: 1). N 03 09 012 E 098 26 412; 2). N 03 07 183 E 098 24 749. For climbing Gunung Sibayak other guesthouses are better located.

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Lake Toba, Tuktuk: Merlyn guesthouse; coordinates: N 02 40 301 E 098 51 701. There are many guesthouses in Tuktuk. I stayed at Merlyn, owned by a indonesian-german couple. I has a good room with hot shower and a view on a well-maintained garden. 100.000 IDR. It has a small parking place for motorbikes.

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Ketambe: Thousand Hills guesthouse; coordinates: N 03 40 601 E 097 39 778. The road through the axis of North Sumatra passes Leuser National Park and Gayo Highlands. It's a beautiful area but the road is in bad condition due to rain and flooding. If you take that road, Ketambe might be a stopover for some jungle trekking. At Ketambe Thousand Hills is easily the best guesthouse with newly build stone huts in a nice garden. Parking on the premises. Cold shower. I paid 150.000 IDR.

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Katengon: hotel Mahara; coordinates: N 04 37 262 E 096 51 027. Along the road through the axis of North Sumatra Katengon might be another stopover. It's a bit dull town but the surroundings are beautiful. I stayed in Mahara which is an ok place, though not special. I paid 300.000 IDR, a bit overpriced. Parking under a roof behind a fence, night guard.

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Banda Aceh: hotel Medan; coordinates: N 05 33 450 E 095 19 123. Hotel Medan is an excellent hotel with all the services you expect of a middle class hotel for just 300.000 IDR including a top breakfast. Park your motorbike in the roofed section of the guarded parking place.

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Banda Aceh/Lhoknga: Eddie's Homestay; coordinates: N 05 28 501 E 095 14 415. Eddie's is a well maintained guesthouse which caters mostly for surfers. Friendly hosts, cold shower. Parking on the premises. I paid 120.000 IDR which is a fair price.

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Blangpidie: Khana Pakat Guesthouse; coordinates: N 03 44 381 E 096 50 471. Coming from Padang or from Banda Aceh along the west coast of Sumatra, Khana Pakat in Blangpidie might be a good stopover after a long ride. Blangpidie is an insignificant town but Khana Pakat is a gem with a friendly owner. He insisted I should park my bike in the lobby. I paid 150.000 IDR, including breakfast (nasi goreng).

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Padang Sidempuan: hotel Natama; coordinates: N 01 22 889 E 099 16 466. Hotel Natama in Padang Sidempuan, between Lake Toba and Bukittinggi, has only bad reviews on Tripadvisor. To my surprise, because I had a good room, the breakfast was nothing to complain about and the staff was helpfull. At 250.000 IDR it is a bit overpriced. Safe parking behind the building. There are more hotels in Padang Sidempuan along the main street.

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Padang: Yani Homestay; S 00 57 678 E 100 21 277. Padang is not really an exiting place but you need a stopover on the long way down the westcoast. I stayed at Yani which has good reviews on Tripadvisor. It's a well maintained place, airconditioned rooms, wifi. You may park your motorbike inside. I paid 175.000 IDR which is an okay price. Next door is another guesthouse.

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Kerinci Valley: Subanti Homestay; coordinates: S 01 46 566 E 101 16 9620. In stead of running down or up Sumatras westcoast, you might consider a detour inland to the Kerinci Valley which is one of the many hidden gems of Sumatra. About 40 km north of the city of Sungaipenuh and right in front of the Kerinci vulcano in a little village you find Subanti Homestay. It's basic - bucketshower, cold water, no wifi, but clean and very friendly hosts. Mr. Subanti is an enthousiastic birdwatcher and an eccellent guide, mrs. Subanti is able to prepare a good meal and in the shop a couple of doors away you will find that Bintang for which you were looking for. Your motorbike will find a nice sleeping place in the garage. I paid 120.000 IDR and mrs Subanti's meal is just 30.000 IDR. A highly recommended place. It's not signposted, just knock on the door.

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Mukomuko: hotel Bumi Batuah; S 02 32 969 E 101 05 907. Again: on the long way down ... There are several hotels in Mukomuko. Bumi Batuah is a bit upmarket, I paid 270.000 IDR for a room with television, airco and shower, breakfast (nasi). The hotel has wifi and that's why I choosed this place. Parking at the courtyard behind the main building.

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Bengkulu: Pantai Panjai; coordinates: S 03 48 058 E 102 15 395. Pantai Panjai could have potential, chalets in a park setting, but the chalets are slowly eaten by termites and the interior is quite tired. I paid 200.000 for a chalet with airco, tv, cold shower and breakfast. For 100.000 IDR you get a chalet without shower, tv and airco, so you have a choice. Wifi in the lobby but it works. Don't have wild imaginations about the breakfast: coffee, tea and two buns in plastic, placed silently on your terrace so if you are late your tea and coffee is cold. However, you will be up early as it is a long way down! Parking in the garage. Nearby are some good fish restaurants which serve a too.

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Krui/Tanjung Setia: Family Losmen; coordinates: S 05 18 448 E 103 59 741. Tanjung Setia is about 20 km south of Krui and it is a surfers hangout. There are several guesthouses. I stayed at Family Losmen and paid 250.000 full board. They have wifi and you park your bike under a roof. It's a long way from Bengkulu and about 30 km north of Krui starts a quite rotten road section, so you might consider a stopover at Bintuan,about half way between Bengkulu and Krui, which has several hotels.

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