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Our Bat Cave Tour takes approximately 2 hours (exploring the cave) or 5 hours (included BBQ at Landak River) and starts in Bukit Lawang, where your guide pick you up at your guesthouse. You can start in the morning as well as in the early afternoon, for example when you come back from your jungle trek.
On the 20 minutes’ walk to the huge cave system, you will cross some vegetable gardens, rubber fields and palm oil plantations. Your guide will explain all the fruits and their use, the procedure of rubber harvesting as well as the palm oil dilemma on your way – feel free to ask as many questions as you want!
As the cave is located directly at the border to the National Park, there is a good chance of spotting monkeys and even Orangutans at the entrance of the first cave. When you arrive there your guide will equip you with headlamps (of course you’re welcome to bring your own if you have one!) and then you will start climbing into the cave. Don’t worry – it’s quite easy and your guide will always assist you if needed. The first “room” of the cave system is the big hall which is decorated very impressively with huge lianas and safeguarded by a big stony frog. Swallows and bats will fly in and out and give you a first impression of what awaits you in the next rooms of the cave. Follow your guide slowly and carefully as the stones can be very slippery further into the cave passing by beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. First you will hear their click sounds and then you will meet hundreds of bats in the middle of the cave. Your guide will explain everything about the different species of bats and other insects that you will find – such as spiders, scorpions, frogs and centipedes. When you go further there will be some very narrow parts of climbing into the next rooms of the cave. Please tell us or your guide if you don’t feel comfortable with that. Anyways it’s an impressive experience!
Afterwards you have the option to walk a little further to Sungai Landak, a calm crystal-clear river which comes directly from the mountains of the rainforest and is named after the twee hedgehog. At a peaceful spot next to the riverbank you can take a refreshing swim, enjoy the green jungle landscape around you and have a freshly prepared fruit snack and barbeque (fresh fish or vegetable options). Please tell us in advance if you would like to do this very recommendable Extra after visiting the cave. From this beautiful spot back to Bukit Lawang it’s a 50 minutes’ walk with very interesting things you might see…
The village tour through the neighbourhood of Bukit Lawang starts around 10 am after breakfast at your guesthouse. Your guide will bring you to the traditional becak drivers, where you have a seat in the motorbike cabin and start the tour.
On the way through the villages, you have a beautiful view over green or yellow rice fields with the rainforest mountains in their background. Depending on the season you might see the cultivation or harvesting of local rice farmers. Just tell your driver whenever you want to stop to have a closer look. In one of the traditional villages, you have the chance to observe how tofu and brown sugar is produced, which is really interesting to see. Feel free to walk around there for a bit to see how local people live and work. There are so many things to learn – for example traditional crafting or roof thatching made with palm leaves. Continue your drive through the rural landscape, pass more rice fields as well as rubber, cocoa and palm oil plantations. After a very delicious drink of a fresh coconut, you can see how Tepas are made. That are woven bamboo walls which you can find in almost every Indonesian house and even in modern European furniture.
After all these cultural impressions you will be hungry. Therefore, we will now stop at a typical warung (small street kitchen) where you can taste traditional Indonesian food. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of rural life while enjoying Indonesian specialities. Afterwards you can (optional) take part (or also just watch if you’re too full after the big meal) a dancing class with local kids who will be very happy to show you some traditional moves and try out their English skills on you.
Additionally on every Friday and Sunday you have the chance to visit a traditional market, where you can find absolutely everything – from fresh fruits and vegetables, over herbs and massage oil to clothes or even crafts from bamboo and coconut. Take your time to experience this authentic Indonesian daily life moment and definitely buy some Mangosteen or Rambutan if possible, they are so yummy!
In the afternoon, around 2 pm, your guide will bring you back to your guesthouse.
Of course, we can personalise this tour for you, if you only have a few hours or if you want to see something special in the villages, like the Muslim primary school of Bukit Lawang. Cooking class & dancing are optional, so you can also decide to see something else according to your wishes.
Our traditional cooking class takes place in Batu Kapal, a dreamlike place at Landak River, and will last about 4 to 5 hours. You can choose to attend the class for lunch (starting around 10am) or dinner (starting around 4pm) – but we recommend the first one, as Batu Kapal’s landscape with the jungle mountains in the background is simply overwhelming and so you can admire it in the sunshine during the day!
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your guesthouse by motorbike. The ride to Batu Kapal takes about 15 minutes, but first you go a small market in the village to buy some of the basic ingredients, like rice, some vegetables and fish or chicken (if you like). Then the drive takes us off-road through small fruit tree and rubber plantations. The ride alone is idyllic, but Batu Kapal itself reveals to be a green gloriously thriving paradise! Bayu and Adjid, our absolute expert chefs, will show you their lovely house and the wild organic garden, where you will now harvest the most important ingredients of the meal together: Ginger, lemongrass, onions and garlic, chilli, potatoes, ferns, banana blossoms or stems (yes, you can actually eat them – it tastes delicious!), spice leaves, fruit by the season and blue miracle flowers for the healthiest and most magical tea in the world. Now it’s time to start cooking – either on the cooker or over the fire, depending on your preference (or gas situation). Ajid and Bayu will explain all the traditional preparation steps and tricks to you in detail until the delicious food can finally be served. Hopefully you are hungry by now, because usually the dishes are sumptuous and above all exquisite – enjoy it! Afterwards, you can spend some time in Batu Kapal, explore the area or go swimming. Then your driver will take you back to your accommodation in Bukit Lawang.
Tipp: You can even spend the night in Batu Kapal if you like! Fall asleep to the croaking of frogs and wake up to the singing of gibbons. It’s a dreamlike experience that we can warmly recommend. There is also the possibility to start jungle treks from there, which are a bit more adventurous than the ones from Bukit Lawang, as the jungle behind Batu Kapal is a bit more wild and untouched. Just write to us about your ideas and schedule so that we can put together the best package for you!
This artistic workshop is great for everyone, whether you are travelling alone, as a family with children or in a group. It is the perfect activity to let your artistic skills run free and create a wonderful memory of your Indonesian holiday in harmony with nature! At the same time, you will be supporting the women’s initiative of Bukit Lawang, as the workshop takes place in close cooperation with Kaya Ecoprint, a local business run exclusively by local women from the village.
You can choose whether you prefer to head to the idyllic location in the middle of the rice fields in the morning starting around 10 am or in the afternoon starting around 1 pm to create your personal souvenir from Bukit Lawang. If your schedule is a little tighter or you would like to do the eco-printing after your jungle trek, for example, we can be flexible and choose a different time for you.
Your guide will pick you up at your accommodation at the arranged time and take you by motorbike or tuktuk (depending on the number of people) to the women’s community of Bukit Lawang. The workshop is beautifully situated on a small branch of the river in the middle of the rice fields with a magnificent view towards the jungle mountains… The local women will welcome you with love and even though very few of them speak English, you will understand each other with hands and feet and a warm smile. Don’t worry – your guide will translate and explain everything to you! You will now learn more about the Indonesian plants and flowers that grow among the rice fields, especially about their colouring qualities and which plants are particularly suitable on which materials. You can choose and collect all the ingredients you need for your natural plant dyes and botanical patterns yourself: plants, leaves, flowers, roots, barks,…. The best part: no chemicals are used in the process! The women will now teach you everything you need to know about natural dyeing and eco-printing techniques: how to choose the ingredients, how to prepare the fabric, which leaves and flowers are suitable, how to place them, and finally how to wrap the fabric and prepare it for the steamer. Now you have to wait, because the “steam bath” takes about 1.5 hours. You can use the time to explore the area, enjoy the view over the rice fields, talk to the women or play with their children and of course, try some delicious Indonesian snacks like fried bananas or tempeh. Enjoy a healthy herbal tea and fresh tropical fruits until your artwork can finally be unveiled – the moment of truth! At the end of the workshop, you can of course take your own handmade eco-scarf home with you.
If you want to see some of the other eco prints the local women make, they will be happy to show you around their shop! There you can browse some of the most beautiful Kaya Ecoprint-products and buy them if you like. This way you support the women’s initiative even more.
Afterwards, your guide will take you back to Bukit Lawang, where you can end the day relaxing and happy about your self-created achievements.
To the refreshing 3 hours experience on the Bahorok River you can start around 9 am after breakfast or at the afternoon around 2 pm. Your guide will pick you up at your guesthouse and help you to store all your important belongings in waterproof plastic bags. Remember to use sunscreen before you climb into the big rubber tires. Because from now on everything will be wet! Your guide and his assistant will sit in the front and in the behind of your “jungle taxi” to navigate it through the river.
Round about 15 km you will float through a beautiful scenery of green mountains and village life. Water buffalos, playing kids, local fishermen and women washing clothes or dishes will pass by at the riverbank. After some rough parts of the river which promise a lot of fun and some calm spots with silent water you have the possibility to take a rest in this wonderful surrounding. Take a refreshing swim or warm up during a sunbath on the big stones next to the clear water while your guide is preparing some tropical fruits and fresh BBQ. Usually, we serve rice with fresh fish or chicken topped by a yummy sauce made from garlic and lemon grass. But of course we can prepare a delicious veggie lunch with seasonal vegetables as well if you wish!
After this relaxing stop at the riverbank, keep floating down the river until the village called Bahorok, where a school bus will pick up you and the tires. It’s a very fun and authentic experience in this open car and if you are brave enough, you can try sitting on the roof just like the local kids!
Our second rafting option is going in the other direction:
If you choose this way, you start walking with your guide upstream the Bahorok River into direction of the National Park. The first 2 kilometres along the riverside are quite easy. First, your guide will lead you through the narrow streets of Bukit Lawang. While your path is lined with small, wooden guest houses to the right and left, the view will soon open up and reveal the Bahrorok River, which meanders through a breathtaking jungle backdrop.
A path next to the river will lead you until the last place of civilisation: A small restaurant called “Back to Nature”. Here you can have a fresh smoothie to get some strengths for the next part, because from now on you must cross the river a few times. But don’t worry – your guide will always look for spots with less current and give you a hand to make sure that you arrive safely at the other side.
After 1 ½ hours you will arrive at a beautiful place, surrounded be green jungle, a waterfall to your right and the clear river to your left. Here your guide and his team will prepare tropical fruits and a yummy fresh BBQ while you have time to relax, take a shower under the waterfall or go for a swim in the river. And don’t forget to enjoy this amazing scenery!
When you are ready, start your rafting tour back to Bukit Lawang. Have a seat in the big rubber tires and let yourself float downstream the rainforest river. Your guide and his assistant will navigate you safely through the rapid parts, which is a lot of fun! Long tailed macaques will watch you from the riverbank and you can lay back in your tire and enjoy this wonderful moment.
Back in Bukit Lawang, your guide will accompany you to your guesthouse, where you can have a warm cup of tee or coffee after this refreshing adventure.
The day tour starts around 8:30 am after breakfast. Your guide will pick you up at the guesthouse and take you either to the motorbike parking area or to your booked oblet (the black school buses on whose roofs the children usually ride) – depending on how many people are taking part in the tour.
After about 40 minutes (18 km from Bukit Lawang) you will reach Batu Katak, a small village situated at Berkail River, which originates directly from the rainforest mountains. Batu Katak is a rather new ecological tourist destination founded by the Karo people living there. Their projects protect the environment and teach visitors and local farmers how to live in harmony with nature.
Depending on where the giant flowers are currently growing, you will start your trek into the jungle of Batu Katak with your guide from Bukit Lawang and a local guide from the village. Enjoy the beauty of this pristine rainforest with its small waterways, caves and impressive rock formations – accompanied by the melodious sounds of siamangs in the morning. If you’re lucky, you may even see them swinging from tree to tree. Batu Katak’s local guides are very good at tracking down these special apes, so the chances of a sighting are quite realistic! He will also guide you to the exact location of the giant flower in bloom.
The titan arum is the largest flowering structure on the entire planet and can grow up to three meters high, which is about the height of a basketball hoop. The flower only appears after the plant has grown over a very long period of time. The production of this huge flower requires a lot of energy. Since the flowering period only lasts about 3 days, the plant has developed a clever method to attract the insects it needs for pollination: it emits a strong scent that smells like rotting meat. The huge red flower furthermore gives the appearance of a fresh animal corpse. When night falls, its greatest art of deception begins: the plant channels its stored energy and pumps heat into its central chamber, which becomes as hot as blood. Like a chimney, the rising heat carries the stench upwards into the cool night air. For hundreds of scavenging insects, the attraction is irresistible. They are lured into the inner chamber of the flower – a cavity filled with male and female organs. As the insects search for the rotting flesh, what they have been “promised”, they become covered with pollen that they will take to other giant flowers. And if they have already visited another of these giants, they will use it to pollinate this plant. After the insects have done their work, a new cycle is set in motion, leading to more gigantic blooms….
After returning from the jungle, you can have lunch or even a barbecue on the banks of Berkail River, take a refreshing swim and relax in the idyllic jungle landscape before heading back to Bukit Lawang.
If there are no giant flowers in bloom at the moment, we still recommend a visit to Batu Katak, as you will experience a completely different rainforest feeling than in Bukit Lawang. Nature is wilder, the paths are narrower and the animals are shyer. The chance of observing orangutans is lower than in Bukit Lawang, but the likelihood of spotting the special white-handed gibbons and siamangs is higher than in any other place.
However, there is a second place nearby Bukit Lawang where the Rafflesia and Titan Arum grow from time to time, which increases your chances of seeing a giant flower in bloom!
This one-day tour starts in the early morning, around 6 am, as we want to give you as much time in Tangkahan as possible. Your guide will pick you up at your guesthouse from where you walk to the parking area of Bukit Lawang. The road to Tangkahan is quite bumpy and leads for around 2 hours through endless palm oil plantations. It is very sad to see but also very important to know. Palm oil is a double-edged sword, as it is on the one hand the most economical oil crop and on the other hand the biggest enemy of the rainforest, wildlife and local farmers! Your guide will explain more about it on your way to Tangkahan, but you can also read more here. On your way you won’t only witness destruction: From time to time you will have an amazing view over the rainforest mountains of Gunung Leuser National Park…
Now you can choose between having breakfast in the car, at a view point on the way (if you are lucky you can see a beautiful sunrise from there) or when you arrive in Tangkahan. It’s a cozy little village at the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra, located at the junction of Buluh River and Batang River. With help of local organisations, the village has become a good example of how community-based ecotourism can stop illegal logging and thereby create a new livelihood for local people!
The Conservation Response Unit (CPU) of Tangkahan, founded in 2001, rescued a herd of wild forest elephants from illegal poaching. As the herd was destroying the crops of local farmers who had their land near the rainforest border, the farmers wanted to shoot these elephants to protect their income. Therefore, Tangkahan’s rangers decided to tame them instead. The now trained herd and their mahouts help protect the villages from other elephant herds and the national park from illegal logging – which was a big issue in the area until recently.
On our excursion through the beautiful area of Tangkahan, you can visit these incredible elephants, watch them taking their morning bath and even wash them! Afterwards you can walk with the entire herd of elephants into the jungle for around one hour and join them in their natural environment. Please tell us before the tour to Tangkahan starts which activities you would like to do there: Only observing the elephants, washing them and/or walk alongside these special animals. Washing in the river takes place every day (except Fridays) at 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. The walk is therefore possible after the morning bath or before the afternoon shower.
One of our most important values is species-appropriate animal husbandry and animal welfare. Even though elephant activities in general are under worldwide criticism, we have decided to offer these three options to you, as the CPU project supports the local community on the one hand which prevents illegal poaching and logging on the other hand. Saving the nature and wildlife starts with helping the local communities.
After visiting the elephants, our excursion is leading us over the big wooden bridge of Buluh River which offers a fantastic rainforest view. Here you can relax at the riverside, take a swim in the river, enjoy the scenery and discover the hidden hot spring on the opposite riverbank! Afterwards you can have lunch in a local restaurant in Tangkahan or on your way back to Bukit Lawang. (On request it’s possible to prepare lunch or even a BBQ at the riverbank for an extra fee.)
Around 2 pm (if you want, of course it’s possible to stay longer!) you will start your way back home to Bukit Lawang through undeveloped villages, where you can take your time to get to know the life in local villages.
NOTE: CPU Tangkahan does not offer the elephant activities as a private tour! Other travellers will probably be joining you at the washing spot and walking tour. Official indication is a maximum of 3 people per elephant.
We recommend you to do some research about elephant activities if you consider activities with the elephants of Tangkahan. If you are concerned about their treatment we recommend you the walking BESIDES the elephant herd as this is the most species-appropriate option.
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