Indonesia – Sumatra – Bukit Lawang
Following our jungle adventure in Borneo we flew to Sumatra having a luxury 2 night stay in Medan, the capital city. From there our base has been the jungle village of Bukit Lawang. Great little rustic village in a great setting on the banks of a river. We have spent 2 days exploring the village and its surrounds, walking amongst rice fields, clambering through bat caves and learning how they make brown sugar, tempeh and tofu. We have had our fair share of rain and storms too but then we are in a rain forest! Tomorrow we embark on another adventure, a 3 day jungle trek and wildlife spotting in the Gunung Leuser National Park with camping for 2 nights, will be off grid for a while. The terrain is already wet and muddy lets hope the weather is kind to us for those 3 days!
Our 3 day trek in the Sumatran jungle was truly amazing. Probably the hardest trek we have done, it really pushed us to our limit. 7 of us in our group plus 3 guides and a cook set off on this adventure. The terrain was difficult, steep and slippery, clinging on to tree roots and ropes to prevent disaster, our guides were amazing and helped us every step of the way. The sun shone during the day, the storms came at night. Rustic lodging in a shed with a mosquito net, washing facilities were in the river, amazing jungle food cooked over an open fire. Our reward…. orangutans and plenty of them…….
Well thats the orangutans, now some pics of the rest of our 3 day jungle trek in Bukit Lawang, Sumatra……
21 Comments
Eha Carr
I simply do not know what to say . . . how do you have the guts and energy . . . how are you not afraid in those fragile camps that everything from jungle beasts to snakes and poisonous spiders will not share your bed! As we say here > I ‘dips’me’head ! I have ‘shared’ more than a few of your trips by now . . . this one will be remembered ahead of all the others methinks! Love the photos, Michaela . . . let Phil author his books . . . you just have to compose a tome of those orangutang photos! And . . . those meals even in the middle of the jungle look fresh and exciting . . . oh, oh, oh > keep going, going safely and let us know 🙂 !
Phil & Michaela
Thank you! I am not sure how we found the energy to do this trek, I think the reward of seeing orangutans kept us going though😄
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
More orangutans – what an incredible experience! Fantastic captures. Thanks for sharing them with us. Cheers.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you. We were amazed at how many orangutans we saw, so lucky.
Steven Berger
OMG. Just amazing. Maybe 10 years ago but definitely way beyond our capabilities now. I love your photos and seeing places I’ll never visit. What an adrenaline rush you two must be having.
Stay safe,
Steve
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Steve, the trek really pushed us to our limit. It was a tough one, the guides really helped us. And to swim in the river after was a great reviver. 😄
Forestwood
You guys find the most amazing things to do. I am in awe of your spirit of adventure and tenacity. And those eyes of the orangutangs – I see incredible intelligence and so much emotion. The village looked amazing.
Phil & Michaela
Well, we are always on the lookout for something new and interesting. The orangutans are so expressive, we were just in awe of them 😊
Toonsarah
I enjoyed seeing the photos of village life but of course the orangutans steal the show, especially the babies! I also love the Thomas leaf monkeys – I’d never heard of them. This is one adventure I can’t hope to emulate, the trek would be way beyond me, so it’s great to be able to experience it virtually – thank you 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Sarah. We hadn’t heard of the Thomas leaf monkey either, they are endemic to Sumatra, really cute faces, quite shy though. ☺️
Monkey's Tale
Looks like a great time in Sumatra! We did a similar hike in Laos, except no orangutans. How wonderful to see so many living in the wild. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Yes, wasn’t expecting to see so many. I think you would handle this trek ok so it might be one for your list 😄
restlessjo
The glories of nature. Those orangutans… no words xx
Phil & Michaela
🤩
Diana
Oh my gosh, the orangutans? Amazing! What a once in a lifetime adventure!
Phil & Michaela
It certainly was, just wonderful seeing them in their natural environment.
grandmisadventures
baby orangutans for the win! wow, you really got some amazing pictures of the animals up close. Seems like a grand adventure all around
Lookoom
Very impressive! A marvellous stretch of real jungle that you’ve turned into your playground. What a wonderful reward it is to be able to watch the orangutans from so close up.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you! It was a very special experience, we will cherish the memories of our time with the orangutans 🙂
WanderingCanadians
Fantastic captures of the orangutangs and other wildlife. Sounds like it was worth the adventurous jungle trek.
Phil & Michaela
It was definitely worth it, such a dream come true to see them close up.