Doni Guest House by Staigo

I learned a lot from Uncle Bon’s way of thinking and sharing, and I won’t forget my time here. He made me feel very cared for, treating me like family with respect and generosity. He’s an amazing person, and you’ll have everything you need during your stay at Lake Toba. Consider bringing something for the cats, especially warm things for the kittens, or contributing a little extra toward their food.

Cat's Garden is in a quiet, pleasant spot in Ambarita, with a good restaurant next door and a cheap scooter rental just 15 meters away. Uncle Bond knows the island and Batak culture well and can point you to the right places. But what stays with me most is meeting him. He’s generous, open-minded and exciting to talk to. His house is simple, clean and practical, yet warm enough to feel at home right away. We were lucky to find Cat's Garden, and we’ll come back one day to see Uncle Bond.

I stayed at Toba Cats Garden for three days. It’s a quiet, pleasant area not far from Bukit Beta, where lots of travelers hike for the hilltop views. The room was big and the toilet clean. There’s a universal power socket in the room, so you can plug in your charger without worrying about a different socket type. Local and western food is easy to find nearby. Uncle Bond also took me to try local Tuak not far from Cats Garden.

A nice, quiet place. Uncle bond has thousands of ideas for growing tourism, and he welcomes guests to stay in one of his guest rooms to help support his cats. He’s a good man to chat with over coffee in his garden.