Jungle trekking in Bukit Lawang - An awesome experience from North Sumatra

Jungle trekking in Bukit Lawang - An awesome experience from North Sumatra

Jungle trekking is the primary activity in Bukit Lawang as it is the gateway to the nearby Gunung Leuser National Park . Most tourists hire a guide as the jungle is easy to get lost in and requires a permit from Gunung Leuser National Park guide office.

Even though sightings of the orang-utan and other wildlife can never be guaranteed, when following the instructions of your guide the chances are favorable. Getting too close to an orangutan increases the risk of passing on disease and viral infection, which jeopardizes the orangutans chances of survival and in turn the health and survival of the wild orangutan population in the entire area.

In the forests of Gunung Leuser National Park you can also meet the most famous organgutan – Mina. She is is extremely smart and knows exactly how it works. When there’s a group of people on a jungle trek and Mina appears, a lot of guides are panicking. You have two options: to lave the food behind for Mina and run or to stay calm, try to keep distance and hope that she’s in a good mood and not too hungry. Another interesting amnimal is the Thomas Leaf Monkey. They have mohawk-style hair, and leap into air with wild abandon as they move from tree to tree. If you want to go on a multiple day trek make sure you are fit and in good condition.

The humidity coupled with the intensity of grade of the hills makes for some hard work but many options for spot. The reward at the end of your jungle adventure is a late afternoon paddle in the river back to the village.

We would like to thank our guide Nurdin, he was great!!

Video narrated by Luke Scott, https://www.soundinc.co.uk