A few weeks ago I headed to Bukit Lawang, Indonesia for a 4-day weekend. I heard great things about the area, particularly my chances of seeing an orangutan, so it seemed like the perfect way to escape Singapore for the Chinese New Year weekend. I was right! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to detox and unwind. If you’re interested in a similar trek, read on for details and suggestions.
Getting There
To get to Bukit Lawang you must fly to Medan, Indonesia, and then take a 3-4 hour drive. The drive is only so long because of the conditions of the road. Do yourself a favor and make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to and from the airport. I also suggested not arriving too late. The drive is much safer when you can actually see everything around you, and after you leave the city you also leave behind most of the well-lit roads.
One of the many orangutan we saw on our hike.
Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking Company
The company itself was great to deal with. I e-mailed using the information provided on their website and Janine got right back to me. She arranged all details for me, from airport pick-up to the trek itself. After spending one night at their lodge, we left early the next morning to start the trek. We had two guides, Jim and Roni who were both fantastic. They were very knowledgeable about everything in the forest, but also great cooks and were kind and funny. When I took a tumble they rushed to make sure I was okay and then checked to make sure I could handle the pace of the trek with my bruises. They also gave us plenty of time to prepare when an orangutan was approaching and knew almost all of them, including their habits. At certain points we had to retreat when an aggressive orangutan approached, but at other times we had the opportunity to get closer or actually interact with them. I even lost count of how many orangutans I saw. Once we got to camp after a long day of hiking, I figured that was it for seeing orangutans; but I was wrong. There was a mom and baby that slept along the river with us. They were very laid back and chill so we could just enjoy watching their daily life while we bathed in the river or ate breakfast. It was fantastic! In addition to the stars of the show, the orangutans, the rain forest was unbelievable. There was green as far as the eye could see, but also snakes, birds, monkeys, streams, waterfalls and even a little river rafting.
Packing Suggestions
You will have to carry everything with you, so make sure to pack light. If you are going to be staying in the area after your trek you can leave behind another bag. Bukit Lawang Trekking was nice enough to store everything for us in a locker. I packed a sleeping bag and was glad I did. It gave a bit more cushion to the mat where we slept. I also used my extra clothes as a pillow, which was a lifesaver. As a vegetarian I often pack some extra snacks just to make sure I have enough to eat, but I can honestly say I wasn’t hungry at all. Bukit Lawang Trekking did an excellent job with the meals and even made sure to dispose of everything so as not to tempt the monkeys or orangutan.
Giving Back
There are a few organizations in the area that you can visit to learn more about the surrounding town and some of the problems they experience. Living in Singapore, I’ve always been curious about the palm plantations and associated burnings that happen every year. I was amazed to see the rainforest essentially side by side to the palm. We not only got to see the palm plantations, we also visited rubber plantations, where many make their living, a local school where kids are being taught how they can positively impact the environment, and we even did a tree planting. My boyfriend and I planted fruit trees to help feed the orangutan and prevent them from going into neighboring farmland where they may be killed. I absolutely recommend visiting both the school and planting a tree. While I loved hiking and seeing the orangutan, tree planting and getting to visit a local classroom were a close second. If you book with Bukit Lawang Jungle Trekking, ask how you can get involved during your visit.
Happy camping!
I even got to pick the type of tree I wanted to plant. Mango!
Now this is incredibly cool Maya! Also loved that you planted a mango tree!
Thanks, Danielle! I hope I can go back one day and see how they turned out.
Maya, great ibfornation. My daughter and I are doing the 5 day 4 night jungle trek March 8th. Reading your blog and watching your video makes me even more excited for our trip.
That’s awesome, Linda! I think you’re going to really enjoy it, especially since you will get to go farther into the jungle. I hope you and your daughter have SO much fun!
What company did you use to source your teaching abroad jobs? I have a tefl certification I’ve never been able to use. My thoughts had been to do what you’re doing but i didn’t get the results you’ve gotten.
I used Search Associates. They are really good, but they deal with mostly k-12 placements. Have you tried getting certified to teach kids?
I went here in October! How cool it is to read about your experience there (it’s funny because I just finally blogged about it today!) What a lovely village Bukit Lawang is. When you saw your first orangutan, weren’t you just floored?!? It was the most amazing moment, at least for me. Did you tube down the river after your trek? 🙂
I wish I would have known about that tree planting, that’s such a cool way to give back.
Hi Hannah! I didn’t know if I should run or not. lol. Some of them we were told were very aggresive and the very first one we saw was running towards us. But yes it was amazing and I did tube down the river. I’m actually doing an Earth Day event this evening and am helping the school there to help raise money. Check it out if you’re interested.
You look so happy planting that mango tree. Maya I once encouraged my daughter to do what you did, get a teaching certification and move abroad for awhile to get rid if her student loan or as I call it slave shackles.
Thanks, Margaret. I was! The area was stunning and I’d been wanting to do a tree plant for some time. So did your daughter take your advice?
I can not even imagine being so close to those beautiful creatures!
They were amazing, Ashleigh! This experience along with going on safari in Botswana have been unbelievable. Thanks for commenting!
Hello Maya,
Warm regards from bukit lawang sumatra, and you have great blog about our primary activity in bukit lawang, thanks again for shared to the all offer the world. http://www.bukitlawangtourtrekking.com
Best Regards
Bukit Lawang Guide Association
No problem. I had such a great experience. I hope more people get to visit.