Seeing animals in the wild is a truly rewarding experience, especially after hours of trekking into the North Sumatran jungle. The orangutan treks in North Sumatra leave from the town of Bukit Lawang, and participants will need a licensed guide who will obtain a trekking permit to enter the Gunung Leuser National Park across the river.
Treks can be half a day to one week long, depending on budget, and what participants are wanting to get out of the experience. All tours guarantee seeing an abundance of wildlife, from wild and semi-wild orangutans, gibbons, Thomas Leaf monkeys and macaques. A 2-day, 1-night trek covering 10 km is the most popular tour option, costing about $100 USD per person. All meals, snacks and water are supplied, and dinner and breakfast is prepared by a cook at the campsite. The campsite is located along a creek bed, with makeshift huts for shelter with a thin mattress and sleeping bag.
The trails involve a combination of up and down hill trekking, but you’ll take many rest breaks along the way for wildlife spotting. Aside from spotting endangered species, highlights of the trek include swimming under waterfalls and the option to go tubing back to Bukit Lawang town.
A one-week trek going deeper into the jungle is an opportunity to see Sumatran elephants, rhinos and tigers if you are lucky. After a few days the food supply will run dry, so participants will need forage for their own food and water. In addition, there is no designated walking trails so the guides and participants will need to track and map their way around.
Whether you want to just spot wildlife in the jungle, or be more adventurous on a week-long trek, there is an orangutan trek for everyone in North Sumatra.