Bukit Lawang - Orang-Utan trip

Our trip to Sumatra was quite a spontaneous decision. So finally we ended up in Bukit Lawang, a Sumatran Orang Utan Observation Site since 1991 and entrance point to the Gunung Leuser National Park.
First day was acclimatisation and exploring the town which is based next to the Bahorok River. Another place where we could see that it’s not main season. Nice on the one hand side but sometimes also very dead. Our stay for the first 2 nights had massive room for improvement. Breakfast was limited to 3 choices. And cats where always part of the breakfast which delighted Junita „very much“.
On the second day we finally started our 2day hiking tour into the National park. We had 2 nice British guys with us from Devon and for the first day as well a German lady from Stuttgart. She is traveling for 11 months.
There are many different hiking companies who are guiding tourists into the jungle. As soon there was the rumour (after around 2h hiking) that an Orang Utan was seen the groups from all different directions came together to watch 2 Orang Utans. One was first sleeping. It was not the best experience as just too many people and I don’t want to imagine how busy it is during main season.
Luckily we moved on to a quiet place in the jungle where we had our fruit lunch. And there out of the blue another Orang Utan appeared and stayed nearby us for 1 hour. Was great to watch! 2 other smaller groups joined us but that was ok. Everybody just enjoyed the moment. Later on in the afternoon we hiked up and down in high humidity, saw more Orang Utans and we reached our camp at the river after a step long downhill climb.
Back to the Orang Utans. They are only present in Sumatra and Borneo. There are 3 species. The Bornean, The Sumatran and in 2017 they identified the Tapanuli orangutan. What impressed me were their proportionally long arms and short legs and they way they used them to move around. Orang Utans are among the most intelligent primates. Between 55.000 and 65.000 Orang Utans are left in the wildness.
Which other animals did we see? An Eagle, a Hornbill, Termites, big Ants, Thomas’s Leaf monkeys, White Handed Gibbon und Makaken and finally a green tree snake.
We stayed for one more night at another location, the Jungle Inn. Food was very good, service too. Now it’s time to leave for Lake Toba.Read more