The most visited of the villages around Berastagi, Lingga, a few kilometres northwest of Kabanjahe, has just a couple of traditional houses with characteristic soaring thatched roofs topped with cattle horns. There's a 5000Rp fee if you want to go inside the houses. To get here, take a yellow KT minibus from Berastagi (7000Rp, 45 minutes). Some only go as far as Kabanjahe, so check first if you’ll have to change.
Some of the houses, such as the rumah rajah (king’s house), are occupied by several families and are in good condition. Others, including the sapo ganjang (house for young unmarried men), are unused and in various stages of decay. There may or may not be someone around to charge you for looking at their exteriors.
