Garden Inn & Restaurant — Restaurant in North Sumatra

Our stay at the Garden Inn was very nice. We were warmly welcomed and our suitcases were taken on scooters to the hotel, which was about 5 minutes away. All the service staff were very helpful and courteous and often had a guitar on site. Our room and the hotel in general were very well maintained. The hotel food was always freshly cooked and extremely tasty, as was breakfast. There was also a covered area to hang up laundry.||Our 2-day tour with Marwan and Herwin started in the morning. Both were professional guides and they taught us a lot on the way to the camp on the river, with plenty of time for everything. From rubber trees to hibiscus, there were of course Orang-Utans to see and learn about on the way. We made regular stops and Marwan and Herwin served us plenty of fruit...more than we could eat. They even conjured up warm food for us in a banana leaf in the middle of the jungle, which was really delicious. After a few hours we arrived at the river where our camp was. There were several huts, including one for us to sleep in, one for the guides where we cooked and one for eating. And here was our cook Ipul. We put our things down, went straight into the fresh river to swim and while Ipul was cooking. The guides were resting. A little later the food was served and it was really plentiful and varied as well as extremely tasty. What Ipul managed to do in his little kitchen in the middle of the jungle was just amazing. Absolutely fresh and high quality! After eating we went on a night hike along the river, saw some nocturnal animals like frogs and scorpions and then it was time to sleep. The background noises were magical. The sun had barely risen and Ipul was chopping wood for a fire for breakfast. We got up and had coffee and sandwiches. Strengthened for the way back, we headed uphill in a different direction, seeing Orang-Utans again on the way and eating fruit and banana leaves again. We arrived at the big river and from here the rafting tour continued. Our backpacks, which were wrapped in foil, were safely stowed on a boat built with round tube rings. Unfortunately, our action cam broke on the way back, which is why we were unable to record this trip. A little depressed about the cam, we got into the boat with Marwan, Herwin and Ipul. Herwin paddled in front and steered us down the river and here he was really in his element. He had a lot of fun and was beaming. Everyone was in a great mood and the natural scenery was breathtaking. Marwan sang the typical Bukit Lawang song while we arrived at the bank quietly on the river. We were able to enjoy this trip more, live more in the moment... without a cam. This tour was really great and highly recommended. There were few leeches and mosquitoes. But it was not the rainy season either. We would do it again with Marwan, Herwin and Ipul at any time.|After a few days' stay, we went back after arranging the transfer. We were given a food package for the journey and a waiter said goodbye to us early in the morning at 5 a.m. Thank you all, you are great!||Amanda & Alex||-journeys and scorpions-|Travelblog - experiences of culture,...

Our stay at the Garden Inn was very nice. We were warmly welcomed and our suitcases were taken on scooters to the hotel, which was about 5 minutes away. All the service staff were very helpful and courteous and often had a guitar on site. Our room and the hotel in general were very well maintained. The hotel food was always freshly cooked and extremely tasty, as was breakfast. There was also a covered area to hang up laundry.||Our 2-day tour with Marwan and Herwin started in the morning. Both were professional guides and they taught us a lot on the way to the camp on the river, with plenty of time for everything. From rubber trees to hibiscus, there were of course Orang-Utans to see and learn about on the way. We made regular stops and Marwan and Herwin served us plenty of fruit...more than we could eat. They even conjured up warm food for us in a banana leaf in the middle of the jungle, which was really delicious. After a few hours we arrived at the river where our camp was. There were several huts, including one for us to sleep in, one for the guides where we cooked and one for eating. And here was our cook Ipul. We put our things down, went straight into the fresh river to swim and while Ipul was cooking. The guides were resting. A little later the food was served and it was really plentiful and varied as well as extremely tasty. What Ipul managed to do in his little kitchen in the middle of the jungle was just amazing. Absolutely fresh and high quality! After eating we went on a night hike along the river, saw some nocturnal animals like frogs and scorpions and then it was time to sleep. The background noises were magical. The sun had barely risen and Ipul was chopping wood for a fire for breakfast. We got up and had coffee and sandwiches. Strengthened for the way back, we headed uphill in a different direction, seeing Orang-Utans again on the way and eating fruit and banana leaves again. We arrived at the big river and from here the rafting tour continued. Our backpacks, which were wrapped in foil, were safely stowed on a boat built with round tube rings. Unfortunately, our action cam broke on the way back, which is why we were unable to record this trip. A little depressed about the cam, we got into the boat with Marwan, Herwin and Ipul. Herwin paddled in front and steered us down the river and here he was really in his element. He had a lot of fun and was beaming. Everyone was in a great mood and the natural scenery was breathtaking. Marwan sang the typical Bukit Lawang song while we arrived at the bank quietly on the river. We were able to enjoy this trip more, live more in the moment... without a cam. This tour was really great and highly recommended. There were few leeches and mosquitoes. But it was not the rainy season either. We would do it again with Marwan, Herwin and Ipul at any time.|After a few days' stay, we went back after arranging the transfer. We were given a food package for the journey and a waiter said goodbye to us early in the morning at 5 a.m. Thank you all, you are great!||Amanda & Alex||-journeys and scorpions-|Travelblog - experiences of culture,...

We had booked only a short stay and the 2D1N jungle trip at Garden Inn, but in hindsight we would have loved to stay much longer…||Having arrived “fresh” in Indonesia just the day before, we couldn’t have wished for a warmer welcome than the one we received at Garden Inn. We were picked up at the parking area by two scooters and taken effortlessly to the reception, where we were greeted with drinks and given time to rest before going into any details or checking into our room.|Anything we didn’t yet have, we could easily find at the small local shop across the street. And to start our jungle trek the right way, the dinner in Bukit Lawang that evening was simply amazing!||Before talking about the tour itself, we have to give a huge shoutout to Ewin and Rishwan, our two incredible guides who made this trip unforgettable! They were so kind and funny, always making sure we were comfortable. While you might expect a jungle trip to be a bit primitive, they managed to give us a five-star experience, with multiple delicious courses throughout the day, each one somehow even better than the last. We always felt safe in their care, while still getting the full thrill of exploring the jungle.||Some of our favourite moments, besides seeing so much incredible wildlife, were the time you “saved” us from the Thomas leaf monkey trying to snatch our empty plates with your Jackie Chan moves, and the evening we spent together with you, the other guides, and the cooks around the campfire (or in the tent during the rain), getting to know you personally.||Thank you again, Ewin and Rishwan! We loved your tour, your humour, your jokes, and everything you did for us. We truly hope to come back for more one day!||Kind...