Lake Toba, Indonesia, is explored by Joel Carillet of The New York Times as one of the top travel destinations for 2024. Discover the tranquil beauty of the world’s largest volcanic lake, nestled amidst lush green hills and traditional Batak villages, offering insights into one of the planet’s most significant volcanic explosions 74,000 years ago.

This is a place where one can listen to the clink of a spoon inside a coffee cup once rocketed ash and gas 30 miles into the stratosphere. On the Tuk-Tuk Peninsula, where most travelers base themselves, take a hike to learn about the Batak people who call the area home. Pass terraced rice paddies and churches with rusty sheet-metal roofs, then dive into the lake—into this cathartic space that once knew cataclysm but now knows calm.