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Whether it’s an sustainable jungle trek, a completely pre-planned trip through North Sumatra or a specialised photo tour for photographers and filmmakers – we make your holiday a magical experience – completely according to your ideas. We have a team of highly experienced guides who are looking forward to showing you their tropical home. Have a look!
Indonesia is home to one of the most important forests and biodiversity in the world. Matchless, the Leuser Ecosystem stretches at the core of the vast rainforest of Indonesians island Sumatra. Up to 10.000 feet tall the forest-covered mountains safeguard its inhabitants like a fortress.
The rainforest of Gunung Leuser National Park shelters some of the most endangered species on Earth. With countless plants and animals it remains the last stronghold of four of the planets most threatened species: The elusive Sumatran tiger, the world’s smallest rhinos, forest elephants and one of the smartest great apes in the world – the orangutans.
In Indonesian, “orangutan” means “person of the forest”. Apart from Borneo, Sumatra is the last remaining habitat for orangutans anywhere on Earth. An idyllic place called Bukit Lawang is the gateway to that tropical paradise. Thanks to ecotourism, a significant part of this Indonesian rainforest is being preserved.
Find an overview of our treks & activities and their prices here.
With our offer we would like to give you a unique experience of the real tropical life of Indonesia! All our tours are sustainable, variable and customisable to your personal wishes.
No matter if you are a family with small children who needs an easy way through the jungle, a solo traveller hoping to join more people on this adventure, a couple who is looking for some more privacy or a photographer who wants to find the secret places far from any other human being. All our guides grew up around Bukit Lawang and know the jungle like the back of their hand. No matter what you wish to experience, we will try our best to make it possible and our team will bring your there safely.
You would like to know more about Gunung Leuser National Park
and our offering?
Have a look at our FAQ &
feel free to contact us any time!
We, Anto & Senta, are an Indonesian ∼ German couple who loves nature, adventure, animals and traveling through the wilderness. Both of us couldn’t survive without any green around us, so Bukit Lawang is the perfect place for us to be.
Our team consits of locals and we believe that community-based, ecological & responsible tourism is the only chance to preserve and protect the last remaining places of the wonderful Indonesian rainforest with its unique ecosystem and huge biodiversity. Only in Gunung Leuser National Park endangered animals like Sumatran orangutans, rhinos, Sumatran tiger, hornbills and elephants coexist together and find protection.
With our authentic jungle treks and our lovely team we would like to abduct you into that incomparable piece of nature to pass on knowledge about the importance of our rainforest and to share magical moments with you…
We arrange individual treks to satisfy your personal needs and wishes. All of our standard treks are variable, depending on your condition and requests. Our guides will do their best to make your personal jungle experience unforgettable.
Our guides grew up in the area around Bukit Lawang and know every part of their jungle like the back of one's hand. All of them are licensed from the Indonesian Tourist Guide Association (HPI) and english speaking trekking guides.
Love of nature, respect and sustainability are our most important values. We do our best to keep the jungle clean and the wildlife safe to preserve the natural ecosystem of our rainforest.
Besides the endangered wildlife that we protect, of course we ensure your safety as our guests as well! All our guides are very experienced in the jungle and take no risks or rashness. For your safety our team will always consist of one guide and one assistant guide.
We offer top quality treks to pass on knowledge and experience about the rainforest. Our manager Firman will always be on-site in Bukit Lawang to organise all your plannings and wishes. As well you can always call or contact us online.
In respect to the jungle and its wildlife and in respect to your individual wishes, our trekking groups consist of maximal 6 guests. Of course you can book private treks as well or join other groups if you are traveling alone.
Verified
Jules H17 July 2024Une expérience inoubliable avec Olkie dans la jungle ! Je viens de terminer un trek de trois jours dans la jungle avec Olkie comme guide, et je suis encore émerveillé par cette aventure. Dès le début, Olkie a su mettre tout le monde à l'aise avec son sourire chaleureux et son enthousiasme contagieux. Sa connaissance approfondie de la flore et de la faune locales est impressionnante. Il a su nous montrer des plantes médicinales, des insectes fascinants et même des animaux sauvages que je n'aurais jamais remarqués sans lui. Le trek lui-même était bien organisé et parfaitement adapté à notre groupe. Olkie a toujours veillé à notre sécurité tout en nous poussant à dépasser nos limites de manière sécuritaire et motivante. Les nuits sous les étoiles, bercés par les sons de la jungle, resteront gravées dans ma mémoire. Si vous cherchez une aventure authentique et enrichissante dans la jungle, je ne peux que vous recommander vivement de partir avec Olkie. C'est plus qu'un guide, c'est un véritable ambassadeur de la nature. Merci Olkie pour cette expérience extraordinaire ! J'espère que ce commentaire correspond à ce que vous aviez en tête !Verified
Antoine B17 July 2024Awesome trek the trek was incredible, we had a great guide (Olky!) with whom we were able to talk a lot and laugh a lot. we also had the chance to see lots of monkeys and we ate some great local food. To do again!Verified
Titouan C17 July 2024Experience in the jungle Super expérience, le guide était très sympa et très fun, et les paysages et la nourriture était aussi incroyable. Si vous venez faire le trek, demandez à le faire avec illy !!Verified
Jessica K16 July 2024Best Trek Guide!! Don’t miss this two day trek! Our guide Aseng was really great. He took extra care to make sure we had the best experience! It was truly an unforgettable time and my daughter and I will cherish these memories! We saw so much wildlife Including 10+ orangutans, delicious lunch, snacks and dinners and even got to ride down the river on tubes. The tour company values eco tourism and has a “pack in pack out” motto so no trash or even fruit peels were left behind. Was really impressive. Our guide even helped us find a new guesthouse when we needed a little more than the one we were staying in. He was really great and the tour company was also fab!Verified
Laura S10 July 2024jungle trekking the tour is highly recommended! it was such an adventure to hike trough the jungle. especially with our guide imam, who knows everything about the jungle and has a lot of experience! thank you very much!Verified
Dörthe L25 June 2024Eine unvergessliches Erlebnis! Von der ersten Kontaktaufnahme mit Senta, über die gesamte Organisation bis hin zur Dschungeltour selbst - einfach perfekt! Senta unterstützte uns von Beginn an sehr kompetent und stets herzlich bei der Planung dieser Tour und gab uns auch darüber hinaus wertvolle Tipps für die Anreise nach Sumatra. Zu unserer Tour haben wir den Transfer vom Flughafen Medan nach Bukit Lawang gleich dazu gebucht, was die gesamte Anreise sehr entspannte. Unser Guide Wajou hatte auf der zweitägigen Tour ein wirklich gutes Auge nicht nur für die großen Tiere, sondern auch für die vielen kleineren Bewohner des Urwaldes, wie z.B. Chamäleons. Neben Orang Utans konnten wir noch zwei Gibbonarten und Thomas Limuren beobachten - unvergesslich! Die Übernachtung ist sehr einfach, die Versorgung aber top! Insgesamt absolut empfehlenswert!!Verified
Chris16 May 2024Great jungle experience! We booked a 5D/4N trip with Senta and her team in may 2024. The guides and kitchen crew are out of this world! Absolutely dedicated and caring about their jungle as well as us. They went above and beyond to get us safely and well feed through the jungle. The energy within in the team was Lovely. We had a great time with Olky and his team throughout the whole time! They try to minimize the impact on the jungle and are in my Opinion a great pick for a eco tourist approach as they don’t oversell what you might see and they do refrain from feeding wildlife to please tourists. Can recommend!Verified
Matt G15 May 202410/10 you NEED to do this - best thing I’ve done in Indonesia I’ve been in Indonesia for 3 months and this is easily the coolest thing I’ve done. I recommend anyone who enjoys nature and adventure. Our tour guide dimas was awesome, funny and intelligent. All the Indonesians made us feel welcomed! The food was also amazing shoutout Edwin!! I will be back one day to spend more days in the jungle. Bukit lawang is a hidden gemVerified
Marko P9 May 2024I was pleasantly surprised! Fantastic! My guide Demit was very nice and knowledgeable. Since my leg is injured, he was helping me while trekking and assisting. I saw Orangutans closely,loved the fruit snacks he brought and rafting journey from improvized boat but very safe and functional, was exceptional experience!Verified
Magi M8 May 2024Unique Jungle Adventure & Awesome Experience From the initial contact with Senta to the heartfelt farewell from my guide Wahyu, my experience with The Jungle Guide was simply incredible. Upon arrival at Medan Airport, I got picked up and taken directly to the accommodation in Bukit Lawang. My guide Wahyu was very kind and friendly and told me a lot of interesting things about the jungle. The tour offered a perfect blend of excitement, nature exploration, and adventure. We encountered numerous animals, including orangutans, gibbons, and much more. The overnight stay by the river was pleasant and in the evening we played a lot of fun games. The food was also very very good!! I highly recommend everyone to take this tour and choose The Jungle Guide. Thank you for this experience, especially to my fantastic guide Wahyu!
The island kingdom of Indonesia houses a tropical mountain rainforest, active volcanoes amid spectacular mountain landscapes, fantastic beaches and one of the most diverse animal and plant worlds. Especially the island of Sumatra is a dream destination for nature-loving vacationers as well as for those who are interested in the traditional culture of Indonesia. Sumatra is one of the most diverse islands in Southeast Asia. You could spend years of discovering all its secrets…
The mountainous National Park stretches in the north of Indonesian’s island Sumatra. Besides Borneo, it’s the last remaining place on earth where you can find Orangutans and Sumatran Tigers living in the wild. With thousands of species and plants, it is one of the most biodiverse rainforests in the world.
Rhinos, Tigers, Forest Elephants and Orangutans were once found together throughout Southeast Asia. But deforestation and poaching mean that Gunung Leuser National Park is now the only place in the world where they still coexist. Main reason for this is the problematic cultivation of oil palms.
Will we make something so precious disappear forever, or take our last chance and protect it for our children and grandchildren? Help us to have a positive impact on our most important ecosystem ∼ the rainforest ∼ and take part in our ecological tourism!
Explore our jungle treks here.
Yes there are!
Besides Borneo (Kalimantan), Sumatra is the last remaining habitat of our close relatives. There are different species of the compelling apes, like the Borneo Orangutan who found its habitat on the ground as there are no tigers left anymore on the island, or the Sumatran Orangutan who can be found swinging in the trees of Gunung Leuser National Park, behind Bukit Lawang.
Until 2015 there was a feeding platform at the entrance of the National Park to help orangutans, who lived in captivity, finding back into their natural habitat. These Orangutans are now the famous Semiwilds of Bukit Lawang. As they are used to humans, you might find them on nearly every jungle trek and watch their human likeness at close range. Some of these special semiwild orangutans have even had offspring since they were released into the wild.
You are more interested in seeing wild orangutans? The chances to spot wild exemplars are quite good on our longer treks (two to four days), as they use to live in the deeper forest. Sometimes they even come close to the borders of the national park, so if you’re lucky you can even see them on a one-day trek. But anyways they will keep their distance with us as they are more bashful than the semiwilds.
If you would like to know more about the Sumatran Orangutans, Bukit Lawang and the rainforest of Southeast Asia, read more here or come to visit us in the Indonesian rainforest!
All our jungle treks will lead into the mountains of Gunung Leuser National Park. Therefore, you need some basic fitness condition and healthy knees on all our treks. Our day tours are quite easy to walk, but for our 2-days trek (or more days) you should be in a good health condition and used to some exercises.
Don’t worry – your Jungle Guide will always be aware of your fitness & health condition and can choose a different trekking route through the National Park depending on your wishes.
Our youngest guest was just one year old, while our oldest guest past the 80s – all of them came back in full health and enjoyed their time in the jungle 😉
Are you confused what to bring on your jungle trek? Check out our packing list and trekking shoe recommendation! Almost anything else that you might need is available in Bukit Lawang or the surrounding villages.
We recommend staying at least 4 to 5 days in Bukit Lawang. Like that you will have enough time to join one of our unforgettable overnight jungle treks and to do some more activities in the beautiful surrounding of Bukit Lawang, like exploring waterfalls and the world’s biggest flowers. However, it’s always worth to stay longer!
If you are on a tight schedule, we would recommend you one of our day tours into the Gunung Leuser National Park and short trips around Bukit Lawang, like exploring the mystery Bat Cave or visiting the traditional Friday Market.
Do you plan your next stop in Tangkahan, Berastagi or Lake Toba? We are happy to arrange your transportation, maybe even in combination with one of our memorable activities like staying in the wooden treehouses of Rumah Pohon?
Directly in Bukit Lawang there is no ATM. Also, paying by card is not very commen and mostly not possible. So you will need some cash money in Bukit Lawang, especially if you didn’t book any tours in advance.
But don’t worry: The nearest ATM is a 20-minute walk or 5-minute tuk-tuk ride away from the centre of Bukit Lawang – in the Indomaret of Gotong Royong. Just ask the next local person who you meet on your way and he or she will be happy to show you the way.
If you travel in high season, we definitely recommend you to book your jungle trek or other activities in advance as many tourists will be in Bukit Lawang.
Anyways, for us it’s always helpful to plan the schedules of our jungle guides. You are not yet sure about your travel dates? We can always handle your booking flexibly – just let us know your rough plan.
If you want to come to Bukit Lawang without any booking, that is possible of course. There will be plenty of “guides” waiting for you at the bus station. Just be careful that you don’t join the first who comes along as some of them are no experienced or licensed guides.
If your travel plans in Indonesia contain a maximum of 30 days, you will automatically get a FREE tourist visa upon arrival at the airport! In any other case you will need a visa.
Check out Indonesians entrance and visa rules here.
We recommend vaccination against rabies. However, this is not mandatory! If you are bitten by an animal (regardless of whether you have a vaccination or not), you can get a rabies shot directly at the Bukit Lawang infirmary.
We recommend you to procure a travel and health insurance for your entire trip in case something happens. Hospital and doctor bills can be very high in Indonesia…
There is a small medical station and a pharmacy nearby Bukit Lawang. Anyways, in some cases it could be better to visit a hospital in Medan. So better be safe with an insurance!
Travel insurance is within the personal responsibility of each traveller and should cover injuries, accidents and the loss of personal belongings.
