Horas Family Home
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Nov 16, 2015
Looking at how our bookings are going and the number of enquiries and phone calls we are now getting for the period Dec 20 – Jan 2, we have the feeling that another Super High Season is in the making. At the moment, November 14, Horas Family Home is already fully booked, in Horas Indah and Horas Mini we still have a few open nights. Our advice can only be: Make sure you have a place to stay or if you are flexible come to Tuk Tuk, Samosir well before December 20 or after January 6.
The 2015 Super High Season. Eid Ul Fitr. Hari Raja. July 16 – 21
(This Report: Dated July 21)
This year the Hari Raja holidays already started on July 16 and lasted till July 21. These holidays coincided with local school holidays and to only a very limited extend with the European Summer Holidays and the Australian Winter Season.
This Super High Season turned out to be everything which one could expect or hope for. The start of the Super High Season was kicked of by Local Chinese and Batak people from all over Indonesia coming back to their native villages and as part of that spending also one or two nights in Tuk Tuk.
On July 18 the Islamic guests started joining the crowd. Room rates went up to 5 times the normal rates and waiting time for the car ferries in Parapat was up to 10 hours. The guests most affected by this were as usual the back-packer guests who could not find a reasonable room for a back-packer budget, complaining that they did not know about Hari Raji.
As compared to the regular Super High Seasons I noted two significant changes or developments, these are related to the jet-skis and the motor bikes / bicycles.
Normally, give or take a bit, the cost of renting a motor bike including fuel comes at some Rp 100.000,-- per day. This became Rp 50.000,-- an hour. A bicycle comes normally at some Rp 35.000,-- per day. The last few days one could only rent a bicycle at a cost of Rp 10.000,-- per hour.
The number of jet-skis and banaboats operating around Tuk Tuk is growing very fast. Quite a few guests coming to Tuk Tuk for nature, peace, quiet and rest do complain about the continuous noise from early morning till evening. Unfortunately, related to the operation of jet-skis and banaboats there is an economic principle involved known as supply and demand. It is not that a guest is forced to use a jet-ski, it is also a guest who is happily asking for a jet-ski or bananaboat.
Looking at what happened during the last couple of days I must conclude that the demand for jet-skis and banaboats was far more than the supply. The simple reason being that the number of local guests, looking for this kind of watersport & entertainment, was by far outnumbering the relatively few foreign guests.
For the time being Tuk Tuk will go back to normal with the following upcoming seasons:
August: Normal High Season
September: Regular Season
October: Low Season
November – mid November: Regular Season
Mid November – mid December: Normal High Season
Mid December – January 5: Super High Season
Today January 9, 2015, the first day that everything is back to normal including Transportation, is possibly a good moment to reflect on the 2014/15 Christmas and New Year Season in Tuk Tuk.
This is how we have seen it from Horas Family Home and this may differ from what other observers may have experienced.
Notwithstanding the following, the operation of Horas Family Home was not affected as we were already fully booked months ago.
We expected the Super High Season to start from Dec 19 and to last till January 5. This is where we were completely wrong because before Christmas nothing happened. The Christmas Days were relatively speaking very quiet. Most striking was the absence of Foreign guests, not counting a few more back-packers than in the normal season.
The build up to the real fun, the Super High Season, only started on December 29. This was also the day that Shared Taxi Services from Parapat to Bukit Tinggi / Medan / Airport / Berastagi and Bukit Lawang stopped operating. We were informed that until January 8 there would be no more cars available in Parapat, however we could book cars for the said period till the end of the day at regular rates. We gratefully accepted this offer and booked, and had the cars blocked for us, the cars we would need for the transportation of our guests.
As said the real fun started on January 29. Notwithstanding the two car ferries between Parapat and Tomok operating non-stop 24 hrs a day, the waiting time for the car ferries when arriving in the afternoon in Parapat was some 8 to 12 hours. The ride from Medan to Parapat starting at 07.00 h in Medan was 7 to 10 hrs.
During the period Dec 29 – January 7 we at Horas Family Home had two categories of guests coming from Medan, Bukit Lawang and Berastagi. The guests for which we had arranged transportation, with drivers knowing the long-cuts to avoid major traffic jams on the North Sumatra Highway, arrived all with a delay of about 1 but maximum 2 hrs. The guests which arranged for their own transportation all arrived with a delay of minimum 6 hrs but some ended up with a delay of 12 hrs as compared to their Estimated Time of Arrival at Horas Family Home. The record holder reported to Horas Family Home at 04.00 h in the morning.
We are now looking forward to the upcoming Super High Season from Feb 18 – Feb 24, IMLEK, the Chinese New Year.
While other accommodations will again triple their rates to make the most of it, Horas Family Home will be charging regular rates, and in order to properly celebrate IMLEK on Feb 20 at 19.00 h, will treat their staying guests to a feast of Babi Guling (Roast Suckling Pig), at no charge for the guests. Non-staying guests are welcome to join the party as per information and conditions which you can find in our Latest News, Dated Jan 4, 2015.
Ref:
Shared Taxi Service on January 1, 2015
The guests, a young couple, stayed New Years Eve in Medan in a zero star accommodation planning to carry on to Tuk Tuk – Lake Toba on Jan 1. They were properly informed on what was possibly going to happen when trying to arrange for transportation to Parapat from the Airport. Chartered cars, if available, and really expensive. A shared taxi, if available, would come with a considerable mark up of the regular seat cost of Rp 80.000,--. This could go up to double the regular price, if available.
Their accommodation suggested an alternative plan, most likely much faster and cheaper, which was to start from AMPLAS, the bus terminal in Medan, leaving for Parapat. The plan being to arrange with some other people for just a car to bring the guests to Parapat and share the cost.
As this sounded like a very good plan the accommodation arranged for a private Angkot (minibus) to drop the guests without any detours at AMPLAS at a cost of only Rp 100.000,-- . This part of the plan worked perfectly, the guests already arriving at AMPLAS at 09.00 h. Unfortunately conditions were the same as were expected at the airport, no cars or very expensive. At 10.30 h the guests were more or less indirectly invited to join with 4 other people at a cost of Rp 200.000,-- per person. This was just a ‘take it or leave it’ offer without discussing further details. At about 13.00 h in the Tebing Tinggi area the car took a right turn and followed a white road for two hours. Just for your information, a white road is a road still dreaming about asphalt and while doing so being very busy growing impressive potholes. After the said two hours, with the guests still hoping that the driver had taken a long shortcut, the other passengers happily said goodbye and reported to their homes in their kampung (village) in the middle of nowhere.
At around 17.00 h the car with the guests, not stirred but heavily shaken, joined the Trans Sumatra Highway again and reached the Siantar Bus Station a little bit after 18.00 h. End of the journey. Where did I hear such a story before? At an extra cost of Rp 100.000,-- each the guests were dropped at 19.30 h in Parapat at what was said to be the last passenger ferry to Samosir, which was possibly right. As the last passenger ferry to Tuk Tuk had already taken off at 19.00 h this was most likely really the last passenger ferry to Samosir, meaning to Tomok. In Tomok the guests were assisted in chartering an Angkot, which dropped the guests in Tuk Tuk around 21.00 h at a cost of Rp 100.000,--
I had the pleasure of listening to this story a few days after while enjoying my sunset beer in the Warung Inang. When I asked about the driver and whether they had had the pleasure of experiencing a crazy racing star driver training for the upcoming F1 races in action I stood corrected as the answer was that the guests had felt more like being in the middle of a DEMOLITION DERBY, in a car which had just survived the last round.
The Super High Season in Tuk Tuk is very special as compared to the normal and low season as it comes with a lot of surprises.
It is possibly best to look at the Super High Season in Tuk Tuk from some different angles, such as;
WHEN IS THE SUPER HIGH SEASON IN TUK TUK
HOW ARE ACCOMMODATION RATES AFFECTED BY THE SUPER HIGH SEASON.
HOW IS TRANSPORTATION AFFECTED BY THE SUPER HIGH SEASON
So, here we go:
WHEN IS THE SUPER HIGH SEASON IN TUK TUK
This is something nobody knows or can predict. For sure it will be Super High Season just before and after New Year as well as following Hari Raja, Eid ul Fitr, the end of Ramadan. Sometimes Christmas is Super High Season, however last Christmas, 2013, was relatively quiet in Tuk Tuk, while New Year made up for that. Normally, IMLEK, Chinese New Year, is Super High Season, however a few years ago the expected guests did not come.
Looking at the current bookings at Horas Family Home today, October 28, 2014, I have the feeling that a new Super High Season is in the making, which will possibly start Dec 19 and last till Jan 5, 2015
HOW ARE ACCOMMODATION RATES AFFECTED BY THE SUPER HIGH SEASON
Quite some guests are especially complaining about the common practice of guesthouses, accommodations and hotels in Tuk Tuk doubling, tripling or even more their room rates during the Super High Season.
Sometimes, I am wondering whether the guest should really blame the accommodations for this practice or whether he should point the finger to somebody else.
Now let me put this ‘Practice’, in a bit of different perspective.
Generally speaking the break – even point for a hotel or first class guesthouse is somewhere around 50% accupancy rate.
In Tuk Tuk, where in quite some places facilities are very basic, maintenance non-existant, labour cost very low combined with an overall very low service level the break even point is much lower than the above mentioned 50 % occupancy rate. Let’s say 20% occupancy at this moment in time will do the trick.
So, how is this going to work out.
Take a guesthouse with a regular roomrate of Rp 100.000,-- per night. ( some Euro 6,-- or something like US $ 9,-- per night)
With an occupancy rate of 20 % the expected, or hoped for, income from this room is minimum 70 nights at Rp 100.000,-- or Rp 7.000.000,--
Now during the really low season, when most of the rooms in Tuk Tuk are empty, the clever guest comes in and he going for a real tough negotiation. Using arguments like, if I stay with you for Rp 50.000,-- a night, your income is Rp 50.000,-- , if this is not acceptable I go to another place and you have nothing. And the deal is made for Rp 60.000,--
So how many real Super High Season Nights are for Sale. Let’s just say around Christmas and New Year, IMLEK and Hari Raja each 5. So 55 Low Season Nights and 15 Super High Season Nights.
It was hoped that the room would bring an income of Rp 7.000.000,--
Instead building this up regularly based on Rp 100.000,-- per night it now starts with;
55 nights at Rp 60.000,-- makes a total of Rp 3.300.000,--
To make up for the difference Rp 3.700.000,-- in 15 nights the room should bring in minimum Rp 250.000,--per night. (This in line with the normal practice of doubling or tripling the room rates during the Super High Season)
As said, sometimes I am wondering whether the guest should really blame the accommodations for this doubling, tripling rate practice or whether he should point the finger to somebody else. For example his fellow clever guest who shows during very Low Season his exceptional negotiation skills.
At HORAS the same prices apply for ‘Low Season’ as well as ‘ High Season’. However during the ‘High Season’ we require a minimum occupancy of 4 guests in Horas Family Home as well as in Horas Indah.
HOW IS TRANSPORTATION AFFECTED BY THE SUPER HIGH SEASON
I should possibly also address this subject from a few different points of view, such as:
Ferry transportation from Mainland Sumatra, Parapat, to Tuk Tuk, Samosir
Coming with a chartered car or public transport to Parapat, Samosir, Tuk Tuk
Costs of transportation
Ferry transportation from Mainland Sumatra, Parapat, to Tuk Tuk, Samosir
During the normal and low season Passenger ferry service from Parapat to Tuk Tuk is every hour at the bottom of the hour. During the Super High Season the passenger ferry takes off when it is full. Full meaning some 75 to 100 passengers on the ferry. After dropping the passengers in Tuk Tuk the ferry may head straight back to Parapat to bring in the next load. Depending on how big the crowd is extra ferries may join the fun.
The normal schedule of the Car Ferry from Parapat to Tomok is every three hours. During the Super High Season an extra car ferry will be employed. These two car ferries will then operate on a non-stop 24 hr/day go and back service to shuttle all the cars and passengers to Tomok, Samosir. This sounds good and it is good, because during the Super High Season two ferries are always better than one ferry. A minor problem, which may easily turn into a major problem, is that the car ferry can only carry some 35 cars. The go and back time from Parapat to Tomok is minimum one hour, so we are now talking maximum 70 cars per hour. If more than 70 cars turn up for the crossing within an hour, the minor problem may easily turn into the major problem and during the Super High Season waiting time for the car ferry may go up to 10 to 15 hrs.
Keep in mind that cars are loaded on the ferry not in the order of arrival but in order of when the ticket is bought. So the moment you join the line you better go to straight away to the ticket office to buy your ticket. You cannot buy tickets ahead, but only after you come into the line. You may see other cars or buses passing you going straight to the ferry. The system is that Public Transport and Samosir Residents don’t have to wait in line.
The good news is that trucks bringing supplies to Samosir, like cigarettes, beer and ice cream, are not allowed on the car ferries starting from a week before till a week after the Super High Season, thus making space for the guests. The bad news is that at the end of the Super High Season, Samosir and Tuk Tuk may be in short supply of quite a few essentials. This will hold especially for Restaurants and Accommodations which depend on public supply lines rather than having their own independent supply line.
When you plan to bring your own car to Tuk Tuk a plan can be that the passengers in the car come with a passenger ferry and that the driver comes with the car with the car ferry, this may safe the passengers a very long and uncomfortable waiting time in the car.
Coming with a chartered car or public transport to Parapat, Samosir, Tuk Tuk.
The following time schedules may turn out to be optimistic or pessimistic depending on your actual date and time of travelling.
Coming from Medan or the Airport normal travelling time is 4 hrs on the road plus one hour for the car ferry crossing Lake Toba from Ajibata to Tomok.
Now add to the normal travelling time of 5 hrs:
1 hr traffic jam at Perbaungan
4 hr traffic jams in and around Tebing Tinggi, especially at Sei Rampah and Kampung Pon
1 hr traffic jam in the City Centre of Pematang Siantar
2 hr traffic jam at Simpang Dua
8 hr or more waiting time for the car ferry
So ’normal’ travelling time from Medan to Samosir via Siantar during the Super High season by car can take some 20 hrs.
Going back from Samosir with the car ferry to Parapat to Medan via Berastagi.
Normal travelling time from Parapat to Medan via Berastagi some 6 hours
To this add the following
5 hrs waiting time for the car ferry from Tomok to Parapat
3 hrs for trying to get out of Parapat.
8 to 10 hrs from Mikie Holiday to Medan.
Starting very very early for coming and going may save you quite some time in the traffic jams
Considering the above travelling times just coming for one night to Tuk Tuk during the Super High Season may result in you just spending two days in a car without even having time for a sleep in Tuk Tuk, if you are so lucky that you still can find a place to sleep in Tuk Tuk, especially if you come as a walk in or drive in guest.
Costs of transportation
The regular Parapat transporters will mark up the transportation cost with 10 to 15 % on regular routes. So a shared taxi seat from Medan (or Airport) to Parapat will cost Rp 100.000,-- instead of the regular Rp 75.000,-- or Rp 80.000,--
A private chartered car, transportation only, will come at Rp 650.000,-- or Rp 700.000,-- or a bit more.
