
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
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.