Orangutan Adventure — Hotel in Sumatra

We had some expectations of what this Orangutan 3 days 2 nights trek would be like, and I’m happy to say that Orangutan Adventures exceeded these expectations in every way possible. A few details:

Logistics: Straight from our initial outreach to Ipul via WhatsApp, everything was communicated clearly and with quick response times, making us very comfortable that this agency knows what they are doing as have a lot of experience. They were able to offer pickup services direct from Medan airport, accommodation reccomendations for Bukit Lawang, and advice / services for onward travel, all at fair and competitive prices.

Sustainability: The guides were great in this respect, very conscious to take all waste with them, not to throw fruit waste into the jungle, and to do everything in their power to maintain the jungle as they found it. It was clear that not all agencies followed these rules, so it was nice to be part of one that really cared and looked after things.

Guides / Knowledge: funny, warm, personable, experienced, caring about all of the jungle, the orangutans and the tourists. The guides did a great job of making sure we got the best experience while also respecting the wildlife and not getting too close / putting us or the animals in danger.

Food and accommodation: This was as much a culinary tour as much as a trek 😂. The team feed us very often throughout the day, with a big breakfast, a hearty lunch, and fruit breaks though the day too. This is before dinner time at the camps where the chef cooked for us three or four different main courses, all of which were so tasty! So much food that we could never finish everything! The accommodation was simple but comfortable as much as it can be for sleeping in a jungle! And always next to a river which was great for cooling off and washing after the day’s hike.

Orangutans: while not guaranteed (and this was made clear from the start) we were lucky enough to see 16 orangutans over the course of the trek! As well as Thomas leaf monkeys, gibbons and lots of birds and insects!

A truly unforgettable experience, thank you Ipul, Adi, Andre and everyone else involved at...

Spent 5 days with Orangutan Adventure. Would highly recommend them!

Jungle Trek:

We did a 3D 2N jungle trek and had an amazing time. We saw orangutans, white handed gibbons, siamangs, Thomas leaf monkeys, pig tailed macaques and long tail macaques. Our guides Sandi and Sandra were brilliant.. they were great at finding wildlife, and all widlife watching was done at our own pace..we were never rushed or told we were moving on before we were ready. Food included on the trek is breakfast, lunch, dinner and lots of fruit.. all food was great.. vegetarian and gluten free diets can be catered for. In the jungle camps you have your own hut for your group with a mattress, blankets, pillow and mosquito net, and there is a camp toilet. You wash in the river, which is actually really nice.. eco friendly soap is provided.

Eco Lodge:

Before and after the trek we stayed at their Eco Lodge on the edge of Bukit Lewang. The rooms are nice. All staff and guides who work there are lovely. The food at the restaurant is great. There is music and singing in the evenings. Overall it has a great vibe.

Logistics:

We booked our trek with the owner Ipul and reserved accommodation at the lodge over whatsapp. He organised our transfer from Medan Airport to Bukit Lewang, and from Bukit Lewang on to Beristagi.

Other:

There are other tours available in addition to the jungle treks... We did a cultural village tour where they showed us how to make brown sugar, tempeh, and weave roofs from palm leaves. This tour was very good. We also did a bamboo class, and a tour to see the Titan Arum flower, which is the largest flower in the world.

Was a great 5 days in...

We did 3 days 2 nights- what an amazing experience. Our guide Henry was so friendly funny and knowledgeable. The food was so good too! We saw orangutans, gibbons, thomas monkeys, 2 types of macaques, hornbills, eagles, so many beautiful butterflies- the list goes on and on. It rained our first day so after so many sightings the first couple hours, the animals hid. Our guide offered an alternate experience if we felt we didnt see enough orangutans but we were happy and thankful for the offer, and chose to do a relaxing day 3 as planned. Beware of the leeches when it rains! Luckily all was okay and they arent dangerous but it sure was creepy. Most of us were fine in tank tops with minimal bug bites (good insect repellant)- this was all I could tolerate in the humidity. Pants came in handy for leeches and to not get mud all over legs but I saw many in shorts. The hike is pretty strenuous particularly day 2 with lots of elevation gain. I wouldnt recommend to those out of shape, over 50 or small kids. We had so much fun and it was nice ending each day cooling down in the river- dont forget your bathing suit and sandals! The camps are nice and they provide a blanket mosquito net, and sleeping pad. There is also a toilet! Bring your own TP. It was very nice the last day is spent at a waterfall close by where we saw more monkeys (besides all the monkeys near camp) and you get to raft down the river to get back which was so much fun- good way to end the trip after sore legs! Definitely recommend this group- honest knowledgeable and friendly guides- once in a...