Rumah Gadang Tokama, Simarasok

Schon im voraus war der Kontakt überdurchschnittlich positiv, herzlich und sehr bemüht! Wir wurden wie Freunde empfangen und man merkte richtig, wie sehr sich alle freuten uns beherbergen zu dürfen! Es war nicht einfach eine Unterkunft, es war ehrliche Gastfreundschaft Indian wollte uns die beste Erfahrung bieten die in der kurzen Zeit möglich war. Und das Beste: es war absolut authentisch und herzlich, der Abschied die wirklich schwer, wir wären gerne länger geblieben!

Es war einfach alles traumhaft, die Herzlichkeit übertrifft alles bisher erlebte!

At this homestay, you get an authentic experience of village life. The landscape is beautiful, and the family is exceedingly kind. The rumah gadang has been in the family for a long time and has been renovated a few times. Though there is no hot nor running water, the family can boil water for you to mix with cold water so that you can have warm water to bathe. Breakfast is included, while traditional home-cooked lunch or dinner can be arranged with the family for a price. Drinking water is available, plentiful, and free of charge. Tea and homemade snacks are also available and free of charge. The beds are comfortable, there are electrical sockets around the house for devices, and there is plenty of lighting at night. The family can offer activities to do, such as learning how to work the rice fields, learning how to make the local version of rendang, or exploring a local cave via boat (the only way to see it); there is a cost associated with each of these activities. The local outdoor market, which occurs a few times a week, can be reached by motorbike or car (if you don’t have your own transportation, you can arrange transportation with a local villager through the family). The location of the homestay is about 30min drive to Bukittinggi and 1.5hr drive to Harau, so it could be an ideal stop between the two destinations.

Note that there is no WiFi, a/c, hot water or running water, as this is a traditional house in a traditional village; for me, this was easy to get used to. Also, although this was not a problem for me, it may be an issue for a larger group—during the time I stayed there, there was just one bathroom. There is one small coffee shop and one small fried snack shop within walking distance; you’ll need a motorbike or car to reach areas where there are more food options. I think it would be nice to have a list of available activities and their costs, along with a list of locations of interest within walking distance, on a single sheet of paper inside the house for guests. Sometimes the cost of activities or services was not clearly communicated by the host (who was responding to questions remotely when I stayed there), and it was challenging to budget properly without knowing all the costs in advance.

We recently had the pleasure of staying in the Rumah Gadang Tokama and we can't express enough how incredible our experience was. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms by the most warm and hospitable host family. The historic building itself was awesome. It felt like we had stepped back in time, surrounded by the history and timeless beauty of the place. What truly set this stay apart, however, was the extraordinary kindness and helpfulness of the host family. They went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and enjoyment throughout our visit. We couldn't have asked for a more enchanting experience.

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Tuan rumah peramah, diberi layanan yang baik. Breakfast sedap. Dinner juga sedap disediakan upon request. Suasana dalam sawah dengan angin sepoi yang sejuk nyaman.

No wifi. No hot shower.