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GUNUNG SITOLI |
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The capital of Nias, GUNUNG SITOLI is a fairly charming little
seaside town and has the best facilities on Nias. The Nias Museum (daily
8.30am-5pm; free), halfway between the town and the harbour, houses the
most complete set of Niha antiquities in Indonesia, including leather
shields and tunics from the last century.
The town is little more than two streets - Jalan Gomo and Jalan Sirao -
running parallel to the shore, and a number of roads running off them.
All ferries currently dock at Gunung Sitoli's harbour , 2km north of the
town; bemos (until 6pm; Rp500) and becak (Rp2000) run to the bus station
at the southern end of town, from where frequent buses leave for Teluk
Dalam (every 30min until 4pm; 4hr), where you can get onward connections
to Lagundri. Those who take advantage of SMAC airlines' reasonably
priced flights from Medan to Gunung Sitoli, arrive at the tiny airstrip
to the southeast of town; the fifteen-kilometre jeep ride to the town
centre is included in the flight price.
Two of the ferries to Sibolga - the Poncan Mo'ale and KM Cucut - share a
ticket office on the main road by the port, while PT Simeulue, Jl Sirao
23, and Jambo Jet, Jl Gomo 41, are right in the centre of town. The
Pelni office is to the east of Jalan Sirao, one block back from the
coast at Jalan Lagundri 38 (tel 0639/21846). Nias's only tourist office
is behind the green square on Jalan Gomo, at Jalan Sukarno 6 (Mon-Thurs
8am-4pm, Fri 8am-noon; tel 0639/21545). The post office stands across
the green at Jl Hatta 1, next to the Telkom office . One block further
south, at Jl Imam Bonjol 40, the Bank BNI offers poor rates.
The better-value accommodation is on the southern side of town, near the
bus station and across the river bisecting Gunung Sitoli. These include
the Marja (tel 0639/22812; under $5), at Jl Diponegoro 128, and the
slightly grimier Laraga (tel 0639/21760; under $5), at no. 135. Sitoli's
most popular restaurant , the excellent Padang food specialist Rumah
Makan Nasional, is at Jl Gomo 87.
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