Meet the Orangutans of Gunung Leuser

Meet the Orangutans
of Gunung Leuser

Seen as an extraordinarily natural experience, only available in Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser National Park,
it is the orangutan that steals the show when spotted. Keen hikers with an overnight
or two in Medan will have an amazing time of natural splendour.

WHY THIS TOUR?

With almost 8000 km2 of largely untrodden terrain, Gunung Leuser is one of the largest wilderness areas in South-East Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. It comes as no surprise that its protective zone is home to some of the country’s native flora and fauna and is a haven for adventure seekers, hikers and those keen to learn about the lives of its most famous resident – the orangutan.

Through Bukit Lawang, a small settlement along the Bohorok River, the entry into some of the lushest jungle landscape turns into reality when using Medan as your more modern basecamp.

TRAIL ITINERARY

Meet the Orangutans of Gunung Leuser

07:00 - 17:00

You are welcomed in the early morning by your English-speaking adventure guide at your Medan hotel lobby who accompanies you through the day. We aim to leave Medan as early as possible and reach Bukit Lawang as the starting point of a full day adventure second to none. Bukit Lawang, a small village situated along the Bohorok River with lots of small guest houses, lodges, shops and restaurants. Here, you will find some shops for some much-needed jungle equipment such as a raincoat, mosquito repellent, and torch in case you forgot to bring it. It is also home to some incredibly tasty local food like the famous Rendang Curry.

The road towards Gunung Leuser National Park, one of the largest national parks on the planet, containing over 800,000 hectares of virgin rainforest, leads past scenic rubber and palms plantations, where you can enjoy a swim in the crisp mountain air.

As soon as the green hills of Gunung Leuser arrive, we commence the 6-hour hike up further into the forest, giving you an up-close view of incredible scenery. Various tropical plants, trees, twisting lianas, palms, ferns, and as well as many flowers will pass the revue so keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes peeled for orangutans, as they swing through the trees or make their way down to the ground to forage for food.

Your knowledgeable personal guide leads you past a variety of tropical flora to the feeding grounds of these magnificent apes who share the UNESCO World Heritage site with many of Sumatra’s biodiverse inhabitants.

Gunung Leuser is one of the very few places in the world where you can still see orangutans in their natural habitat. Today’s experience will last in your memory forever, if it not only for the magnificence of its jungle landscape. With the adventure coming to an end, and hopefully have seen some of Indonesia’s primates, the day ends back at Bukit Lawang and the transfer back to Medan.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

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INCLUSIONS

  • A full-day tour with a professional English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request and may be subject to supplementary charges
  • Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver.
  • Lunch at a local restaurant (food only)
  • All entrance and donation fees for visits as mentioned in the description.
  • Free Wi-Fi available during the transfer.
  • All applicable taxes and service charges

EXCLUSIONS

  • Camera and video fees (to be paid on spot)
  • Tours, inclusions of any kind and other services that are not outlined in the tour description
  • Personal expenses such as meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees and optional tours, unless otherwise stated
  • Hotel accommodation in the destination of commencement.
  • Compulsory Christmas, country-specific festival and/or New Year dinner at included hotels
  • Single supplement charges for single travelers, where applicable
  • Any airline tickets, visa fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general meeting point
  • Supplements for transfers for customers arriving or departing from any airport or resorts located outside the general pick-up and drop-off locations
  • Hotel expenses of a personal nature, should an overnight be included: this includes mini-bar consumption, laundry, room service, any telephone or other communication cost not mentioned in the program
  • Travel insurance coverage for customers (highly recommendable)

GOOD TO KNOW

  • This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide.
  • Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in downtown Medan. Transfers outside these areas, including Binjai, Belawan, Perbaungan, Manado Airport and main harbour are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions.
  • We regret to inform you that this excursion is not suitable for wheelchair users.
  • Part of this excursion includes walking over unpaved roads and paths.
  • This may not suit guests with walking issues. Bear in mind that such paths may turn slippery / muddy after a rain shower.
  • We suggest wearing good walking shoes, preferred closed shoes. This tour includes driving over uneven paths, surfaces and off-road bumpy roads, unsuitable for pregnant women, people with neck and back problems and those with limited mobility.
  • It is highly recommended to bring a copy of your passport with you during this hiking / trekking tour.
  • We always will make efforts to confirm the exact pick-up time upon reservation. For any operational issues in which are not able to confirm the exact pick-up time in advance, we reserve the right to inform you the day before the departure of the tour.
  • Please note pick-up and drop-off services may not be confirmed for customers staying at private residences, apartment complexes, or other non-registered tourism accommodations. Customers may be asked to meet at a nearby hotel for pick-up and drop off.
  • Due to the absence of ATM machines and credit cards payment portals, particularly on islands and inside nature reserves, we highly recommend to bring sufficient cash with you.
  • Certain sights in this excursion may not be photographed for specific reasons. We kindly ask for your understanding by following local regulations (applicable fees apply).
  • Natural elements of any kind have a destructive effect on electronic equipment. It is the customer’s own responsibility to ensure that any camera, mobile telephone or other device is properly wrapped and protected against these elements. We cannot be held responsible in any way for negligence and/or not following suggestions for any damage related to this.
  • Please ensure that you bring sunglasses, a hat /cap and sunblock with a high SPF factor when traveling with us on this tour – even when it is cloudy, the sunrays still have an immense power.
  • We reserve the right to make necessary changes to the excursion in case of unfavourable weather conditions or situations where we are forced to make alterations to guarantee the safety of our guests.
  • The protection of the country’s flora and fauna is of immense importance for us. We will not pursue any activities for guests that are not in line with our animal, wildlife and environment protection principles.
  • It is the responsibility of the customer to provide us with the correct hotel information, should pick-up and drop-off services be included in the package. Any changes in accommodation outside 24 hours will be handled accordingly: changes within 24 hours may be on request.
  • In the event of no-show or change of accommodation without prior consent and confirmation from us within 24 hours may result in the applicable cancellation charges as outlined in the terms and conditions.
  • This tour excludes any feeding of the wildlife. It is not possible to guarantee the presence of orangutans during this tour as they commonly live quite a secluded life.

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